Merchant of Venice Act4 Scene1 Summary

In William Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venise there were a lot of important scenes. But the ‘Trial scene’ was perceived to be the most important scene in the play. The playwright uses this scene to convey a number of key ideas such as Jews vs Christians, Mercy vs Justice and Appearance vs Reality. In addition the ‘Trial scene’ exposes the personalities of main characters. Furthermore, this scene is the highlight of the play and provides an excellent climax to the play which the audiences would enjoy.
After Jessica’s elopement, Shylock’s revenge has gone too far to stop as he blames Antonio. There is nothing the Christians can do to make Shylock feel compassion and forget the bond and to accept a monetary repayment instead. In the play Antonio has just been arrested and faces his death as he forfeited the bond. Bassanio and Portia on the other hand have just wedded and it is a happy time in their lives. Despair falls on them when Antonio’s letter arrives confirming that he has lost the bond.
Act 4 Scene 1 commences with the trial of Antonio in a Venetian court of justice. This is the scene where Shylock is to take his forfeiture from Antonio. Antonio's friends and even the Duke beg Shylock to have mercy but Shylock declines for the simple reason that he hates Antonio. Antonio wishes his friends to beg no more as he is resigned to his fate. Nerissa then arrives disguised as a lawyer's clerk with a letter claiming that the lawyer who was supposed to oversee the case is ill and has sent a young man of good intellect to stand in his place. This young man is Portia in disguise as Balthazar.
Portia asks Shylock for his mercy but he stands firm. She then says that by the laws of Venice he is legally entitled to his pound of flesh, but no more, including even ‘one drop of blood’. Realising that he is beaten by his own game, Shylock asks simply for the money (offered by Bassanio) and forego the pound of flesh. Portia pushes on, insisting that Shylock must take the flesh as he has already denied the payment and if he spills a drop of blood he will die. Shylock refuses to take the flesh and wishes to leave, but Portia catches him again. She cites a law in Venice stating that if any alien (as Jews were) tries to take the life of a citizen, half their wealth goes to that citizen and the other half goes to the state. Furthermore, his life is in the hands of the Duke. Shylock asks that his life be taken because it is already over without his means of life but the Duke spares his life to show him what "Christian mercy" is. Following the duke’s merciful example, Antonio adds further to the deal stating that his half of the money be left with Shylock with the promise that he gives it to Lorenzo in his will and that he also become a Christian. Thus, Shylock is forced to accept the marriage of his daughter to a Christian, turn Christian against his will, and lose half his wealth.
The Scene concludes when Portia, still disguised as Balthazar prepares to leave, but Bassanio stops her, insisting that he be allowed to give some token of thanks for her saving Antonio. Portia asks for the ring to test his loyalty to her. Bassanio refuses initially but reluctantly agrees to give her the ring.

One of the key ideas portrayed by the playwright was mercy versus justice. Shylock has justice and the law on his side and demands it exactly as it was written. He believes in rules and upholding those rules at any cost. The Christians plead for mercy to save Antonio’s life. Portia as the young lawyer reminds Shylock that mercy is ‘an attribute to God himself’. And makes a king ‘look better’ when they show mercy more than wearing the best looking crown in the world. In the end justice backfires on Shylock and it is him that needs to beg for mercy.
A second key idea is shown by the playwright – Prejudice. The conflict in this play and scene is Jews versus Christians. In this scene, it is the entire court against Shylock. Nobody is in favour of Shylock. The court is already prejudiced against Shylock so this is an unfair trial. This is evidenced when the Duke, before the trial, calls Shylock an inhuman wretch and incapable of pity. Portia as the lawyer has already worked out the cost of the trial and has already decided Shylock is wrong. Portia appears as an unbiased legal authority, when she is married to the defendant’s best friend; and she appears in a disguised, under a false name.
Appearance versus reality is also displayed in the ‘Trial Scene’. The most obvious occurrence was Portia dressing up as a male lawyer. Clearly this act is not acceptable and in reality Shylock has lost before he has even started (IRRELEVANT????????). Deeper down the iceberg analogy, Antonio seems calm and ready for death during the trial but when Shylock approaches him with a knife his true emotion surfaces.
Another key aspect that is also depicted is the idea of love. The only reason Portia comes to defend Antonio is because she loves Bassanio. She comes because she sees how much Antonio meant to Bassanio. Antonio also displays his love to Bassanio when saying ‘say how I lov’d you, speak we fair in death’. Portia and Nerissa feel betrayed as Bassanio and Gratiano told Antonio that they would forfeit their wives to save Antonio. Saying make a big blow to both relationships, but to be fair the moment of their friend being killed is enough to make them say that. ?????Gratiano I have a wife who I protest I love; I would she were in heaven; so she could entreat some; to change the …..Jew.?????
Bassanio – but life itself, my wife and all the world, are not with me esteem’d above thy life. I would lose all, sacrifice them all here to this devil to deliver you.???????
The true personalities of the characters are revealed in the Trial Scene. The audiences see that Portia speaks a lot about mercy, but when she has the chance she backs Shylock into the corner and takes everything from him. Shylock sees nothing but revenge. He sees this as the only opportunity to settle things once and for all and he seizes it. Antonio has already resorted to the fact that he is going to die and has given up – ‘but with all brief and plain convenience let me have judgment and the Jew his will.’
In summary, the playwright, William Shakespeare, has effectively used the Trial Scene as a climax for the play. The audiences of the Elizabethan time would have seen the outcome of the scene as justice. Shakespeare conveyed the key ideas of mercy versus justice, prejudice, appearance versus reality and love through an interesting plot to create the Trial Scene as the most important scene in the play. The audiences back in both Elizabethan and modern times would have seen the???