Act 1

In Act 1 we were asked to focus on the following points:

-how does it set up the problems of the play

-how does it ensue the intention of the play

Foreshadowing is abundant in Act 1 as it sets the stage for the rest of the play. From the beginning, Act 1 conveys Antonio's state of mind as always being a somber man. Throughout the play Antonio was never really happy. He always had his mind on his ships, lost his ships & all the money that was invested, and was forced to deal with the consequence of getting one pound of his flesh cut off. Antonio states that the world is "A stage where every man must play his part,/And mine a sad one" (1.1.80.) which continues to foreshadow that throughout the play he will be playing his role of being sad. Every other character also seems to be suffer in their own way. Bassanio having the need to protect his friend, Shylock losing his daughter and getting ridiculed at, Portia's suitors choosing the wrong boxes, Jessica ashamed of being Shylock's daughter, and Launcelot hating his duties with the Shylock. As discussed a little in class today, this quote also explains how characters within the play played another role. For example, Jessica dresses up as a torch-bearer in order to run away with Lorenzo, Portia cross dresses to become a male judge in the trial and Lorenzo fools his father by acting like a stranger. Salerio's quote "Enrobe the roaring waters with my silks-/And in a word, but even now worth this,/And now worth nothing?"(1.1.36) also foreshadows the money of Antonio and in a way, Shylock. All of Antonio's money were in his ship, and in an instance all his ships were lost and all his money was gone, becoming inferior to the Jew he had borrowed money from. At the same time, Shylock who had made his money upon interest, lost all his money because he refuses to give mercy to Antonio.

Act 1 also sets the stage for the conflict between Jews and Christians. In a way, Shylock seems to have the desire to be accepted in society, however the rejection of the Jew ways (collecting interest, and Shylock's personality, etc.) has possibly caused his mind to be filled with revenge and hatred towards the Christians. Not only for looking down upon him, but also for the abandonment from his daughter Jessica. This may be a reason as to why Shylock refuses any amount of money and gives no mercy to Antonio. His revenge on the Christians was more important to him than any amount of money; suggesting he was mentally ill and was somewhat, just plain crazy.