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Scene Study prepares you to perform key scenes for your theater class or audition. We've got all the information you need for a great performance.
Excerpt from Act 4, Scene 1 Dialogue: Portia, Shylock, Antonio, Bassanio
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Understanding the Given Circumstances
- This scene takes place in a court of justice in the city of Venice, Italy.
- Portia, a woman, dresses as a young male doctor of the law called Balthasar. She acts as a legal expert and functions as a kind of judge to administer justice in the case before the Duke.
- Shylock, a Jewish businessman, is suing Antonio in court to collect payment for a loan on which Antonio defaulted. The terms of the contract indicate that Antonio will have to pay Shylock a pound of his own flesh. The flesh must come from the place “nearest the heart,” which means Antonio is certain to die when Shylock cuts it out.
- Shylock is, in part, seeking revenge on Antonio and Bassanio, both of whom have abused him on multiple occasions, calling him “dog” and spitting on him. In the world of the play, the characters’ anti-Semitism is perceived as neither unusual nor scandalous.
- Antonio originally borrowed the money from Shylock to give to Bassanio so that Bassanio could pursue Portia’s hand in marriage. Portia has married Bassanio, and he is now at court on his dear friend Antonio’s behalf.
- None of the men know that Balthasar is Portia in disguise.
Blocking and Movement
In theater, blocking is the process of planning the actors’ physical movements and positions. Be sure to show respect and establish trust when working with scene partners. As you prepare to block this scene, ask yourself the following questions:
- The court of justice where this scene takes place has many more characters than are listed here in the scene. However, the speaking characters in this section of the scene are acting as if they are the only four people in the room. How does each character relate to the other three? What do they want from each other?
- Bassanio is at court to support his friend Antonio and has brought an extraordinary amount of money to pay off Shylock. How is this money handled, and what is the reaction of everyone in the scene to this gesture?
- Portia, dressed as the legal expert Balthasar, is a woman playing a young man. How does Portia’s physicality change to embody this disguise? How convincing is she?
- At one point, “Balthasar” asks Shylock if he has “balance here to weigh the flesh.” She is referring to scales to measure the pound. Shylock replies that he does. He also has a knife, with which he intends to carve out the flesh owed to him. How does he handle these objects?
- Portia is married to Bassanio. When Bassanio tells Antonio that he would rather sacrifice his wife (and his own life) to Shylock than see Antonio die, what is Portia’s reaction? Is her expression impassive as a judge, or does she “break character” and reveal how Portia herself feels?
Character Relationships
Though it might seem bizarre to a contemporary reader, The Merchant of Venice was originally considered a comedy. Comedy often depends on rapid changes in status, and this scene features one of the most common devices Shakespeare used in his romantic comedies: a woman dressing as a man to attain a different kind of social power. Earlier in the play, Portia’s status is tied to her dowry: her primary social value is as a wealthy wife. Bassanio borrows money from Antonio so that he can pursue Portia’s hand in marriage, not necessarily out of love but as a financial investment. For the first three acts of the play, Portia’s source of power is her wealth. She tells Bassanio she will pay twice the value of Antonio’s debt to Shylock to save his life.
In this scene, Portia asserts a new status and claims a new kind of power. She disguises herself as a young legal expert to take control of the court proceedings that threaten the life of her husband’s dear friend, Antonio. Shylock is an outsider, a Jewish man who has little social status outside of his binding contract with Antonio. Shylock uses what little power he has to threaten Antonio’s life: he will not take payment in (Portia’s) money; he seeks Antonio’s flesh.
Because she knows the letter of the law in this scene has a value greater than money, Portia has positioned herself as a legal expert, achieving a social status that is impossible for her as a woman. Despite the power that comes with her new identity, she is not prepared for what she discovers during the “trial.” Bassanio claims he would sacrifice his own wife to Shylock rather than see his friend die. Portia as a judge has obtained the most power in the scene, but Portia as a wife seems to have lost her status entirely. The “comedy” is dark and complicated.
Full Act 4, Scene 1 Dialogue: Portia, Shylock, Antonio, Bassanio
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