Act 1
Recap Videos
‘Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last;
You spurn’d me such a day; another time
You call’d me dog; and for these courtesies
I’ll lend you thus much moneys’?”
Shylock, 1.3.117-124
You spurn’d me such a day; another time
You call’d me dog; and for these courtesies
I’ll lend you thus much moneys’?”
Shylock, 1.3.117-124
Useful Context
Reword:
Portia isn’t the only Shakespeare heroine who doesn’t get to choose her own husband. In The Taming of the Shrew, Baptista Minola arranges his daughter’s marriage to Petruchio. Although the elaborate lottery Portia’s father has arranged is pretty unusual, it was typical for 16th-century dads to choose their daughters’ husbands.
Reword:
The Church believed that interest (usury) should never be charged when one Christian loaned money to another Christian. The idea comes from Deuteronomy 23:19-23: “You shall not lend upon interest to your brother, interest on money, interest on victuals, interest on anything that is lent for interest. To a foreigner, you may lend upon interest, but to your brother, you shall not lend upon interest.” Christians were allowed, however, to borrow money (with interest) from foreigners. Since Jews were classified as “foreigners” in England, they were encouraged to set up banks when they arrived in the country.
