Q 01/05

From which part of Antonio's body does Shylock come to court ready to cut his pound of flesh?

A) His right hand

B) His breast

C) His thigh

D) His tongue

Answer · why

B) His breast

His breast: when Shylock first proposes the bond he says any part of the body that pleases him, but the paper read out in court says 'nearest the merc...

Q 02/05

The Merchant of Venice's 1600 title page says which company, Shakespeare's own, acted it?

A) Lord Admiral's Men

B) Pembroke's Men

C) Lord Chamberlain's Men

D) Queen Elizabeth's Men

Answer · why

C) Lord Chamberlain's Men

Lord Chamberlain's Men: Shakespeare was a business partner in the company as well as its playwright, so he took a share of the profits each time it pl...

Q 03/05

How is The Merchant of Venice classified in the First Folio of 1623?

A) A romance

B) A comedy

C) A tragedy

D) A history

Answer · why

B) A comedy

A comedy: nobody dies and three couples end up married. Francis Meres was already counting it among Shakespeare's comedies in 1598, 25 years before th...

Q 04/05

How many ducats does Bassanio need to borrow so he can woo Portia in style?

A) 300

B) 1,000

C) 3,000

D) 10,000

Answer · why

C) 3,000

3,000 ducats, for three months: Bassanio has already run through his own estate and owes Antonio the most, so the new loan is his bet that marrying an...

Q 05/05

Why can't Antonio lend Bassanio the money himself?

A) His ships and goods are all at sea

B) He gave his fortune to the church

C) He lost it at cards

D) He has just paid a huge fine

Answer · why

A) His ships and goods are all at sea

His ships and goods are all at sea, bound for Tripolis, the Indies, Mexico and England, so he tells Bassanio to borrow on his good name instead, which...