Merchant of Venice-Test Study Guide 1: Why does Bassanio need to borrow money from Antonio? a. To get his ships out to sea b. To pay for his daughter’s wedding c. To court Portia, a rich heiress d. To pay off his debts

2: When Antonio borrows the money on behalf of Bassanio from Shylock, what are the moneylender’s terms? a. An exorbitant rate of interest b. No interest, but a pound of Antonio’s flesh if the repayment is late c. No interest, but Antonio’s daughter’s hand in marriage if the repayment is late d. A pound of Bassanio’s flesh for every day the repayment is late

3: Shylock dislikes Antonio intensely because Antonio a. never repays his loans b. publicly condemns Shylock for charging excessive interest c. pretends he is your friend, and then swindles you d. refuses to haggle

4: What do the three caskets contain that Portia’s suitors must choose between before they can marry her? a. Ducats, silver, and paper b. Jewels, silver, and lead c. Gold, silver, and tin d. Gold, silver, and lead 5: Bassanio chooses the lead casket, which contains a. a portrait of Portia b. 3,000 ducats c. a deed to property d. a ring

6: Why does Antonio believe he will have to forfeit on the loan? a. He is disinherited by his family. b. He is robbed. c. His ships have been lost at sea. d. He has been deceived by a friend.

7: What does Portia (disguised as a lawyer) say that Shylock must not do when he cuts off a pound of Antonio’s flesh? a. Spill a drop of his blood b. Hurt him in any way c. Leave a single mark d. Make any noise

8: What does Portia (disguised as a lawyer) want as a "remembrance" for her legal services? a. 3,000 ducats b. Half of Shylock’s wealth c. A ring d. One of Antonio’s ships

9: Who eventually leaves Shylock? a. Launcelot Gobbo and Jessica b. Lorenzo and Tubal c. Leonardo and Nerissa d. Balthasar and Stephano

10: What does Shylock bring with him to the courtroom? a. A monkey b. Leah’s ring c. Jessica’s picture

d. A knife and scales

11: Which of the female characters disguise themselves as boys during the course of the play? a. None of them b. All of them c. Portia and Nerissa d. Portia and Jessica

12: Which of the following characters does not get married at the end of the play? a. Portia b. Gratiano c. Antonio d. Jessica

13: Who says the following: "By yonder moon, I swear you do me wrong." a. Antonia b. Bassanio c. Gratiano d. Portia

14: Who says the following: "Hath not a Jew eyes?" a. Lorenzo b. Tubal c. Jessica d. Shylock

15: Who says the following: ". . . mercy is [like] the gentle rain from heaven . . . It blesseth him that gives and him that takes." a. Antonio b. Bassanio c. Portia d. Shylock

16. "It's a wise father who knows his own child" is said by

A. Jessica

B. Launcelot

C. Lorenzo 17. The young Venetians like to compare themselves to

A. merchant ships

B. unrefined gold

C. musical instruments 18. The episode of the rings might be said to show

A. that Bassanio does not take his marriage seriously

B. that loyalty in spirit is more important than vows and sworn oaths

C. that Bassanio will eventually have to choose between his best friend and his

wife 19. In joking about her German suitor, Portia suggests

A. placing a bottle of wine on the wrong casket

B. he's in love with his horse

C. he's a vile coward 20. Hanging and wiving are said to be alike because

A. wise men avoid both

B. both last forever

C. both are determined by fate 21. "The shadowed livery of the burnished sun" refers to

A. the new uniform Bassanio gives Launcelot

B. the Prince of Morocco's complexion

C. Shylock's hoarded gold 22. The casket picked by the Prince of Arragon is the wrong one because

A. silver is less valuable than gold

B. his choice was too obvious

C. his choice was dictated by logic, not love 23. The song "Tell me where is fancy bred" says that

A. unlike true love, fancy can be deceiving

B. good breeding always shows in the end

C. love at first sight is the best kind of love 24.



Shylock hates Antonio because I. he is a Christian

III. he deals in merchandise A. II only



C. all of these

II. he has insulted him IV. he lends money without charging interest B. I and III only D. I, II and IV only

25. In The Merchant of Venice, love and money are

A. enjoyed only by those who guard them carefully

B. two forms of wealth

C. in constant conflict 26. "The quality of mercy is not strained" means

A. mercy is given freely, without constraint

B. mercy should be given only when it puts no strain on the giver

C. the good and bad aspects of mercy are hard to separate 27. "Love is blind" refers to

A. the test of the three caskets

B. Jessica's disguise

C. Bassanio's failure to recognize Portia when she is dressed as a man 28. The lead casket is the right choice because

A. lead symbolizes seriousness and weighty thoughts

B. to find true love you have to be willing to take risks

C. great beauty and inner worth never go together 29. Tubal added to Shylock's woes by telling him

A. how Jessica squandered his money

B. that Antonio's ships were coming safely to port

C. that the Duke would not honor his contract 30. One sign of Gratiano's excessive wildness is his

A. running off to Belmont

B. hasty marriage to Nerissa

C. fondness for dirty puns 31. Nerissa says that it is easiest to be happy if you are

A. average

B. married

C. rich 32. The reason that Portia's father set up the test of the caskets is that

A. Portia might have married a fortune hunter otherwise

B. he wanted his daughter to have a wise husband

C. never told to us in the play 33. Antonio pledges a pound of his own flesh because

A. he is a good and generous friend

B. he refuses to pay usury

C. he knows the law will never allow Shylock to collect

34. In the trial scene, "I am content" is said by

A. Bassanio

B. Shylock

C. Portia

STUDY QUESTIONS-Answer on your own paper. 1. Is Shylock justified in his hatred for Antonio? 2. Explain the test of the caskets. 3. What superior values does mercy have over justice? 4. What are the hypocrisies of the Christian society in the play? 5. Explain the significance of the trial scene. What are the comic interludes provided and how do they provide relief? 6. Discuss the characters of Antonio and Shylock, underlining their similarities and differences. 7. What is Portia's role in the play? 9. Comment on Antonio’s motivation. Are his stated motives sufficient to account for his words and actions in the play? What hidden motives might we suspect? 10. What characters do you think are the most coveted roles in the play? Why?

MULTIPLE CHOICE ANSWERS

1. C

2. B

3. B

4. D

5. A

6. C

7. A

8. C

9. A

10. D

11. B

12. C

13. C

14. D

15. C

16. B

17 . A









































18. A 19. A 20. A 21 B 22. A 23. C 24. C 25. C 26. A 27. A 28. B 29. A 30. B 31. C 32. B 33. A 34. B