By giving away the ring—a symbol of Bassanio's fidelity to Portia and of female genitalia—and heading home with Antonio, for one final night together before his return to his bride and new home, Bassanio hints that he might share some of Antonio's apparent homoerotic desire. Oliver begs Ganymede to put on more manly performance then and avoid being so deeply affected by the sight of blood. Ganymede insists that it was all fake. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Bassanio has already promised that he would sacrifice Portia to save Antonio. Rosalind says, "Bring us to this site, and you shall say / I'll prove a busy actor in their play" (3.4.52-53). The recognitions and reconciliations are quickly accomplished, and as Hymen sings a "wedlock-hymn," the couples join hands. Teachers and parents! -Graham S. The Duke introduces "mercy" as an alternative to either "justice" or "revenge." Summary and Analysis Act I: Scene 1 Summary In the orchard of the house of Oliver de Boys, Orlando de Boys complains to Adam, an old family servant, about how he has been treated by his elder brother, Oliver, who, according to their father's will, was to see to it that Orlando was to be taught all the ways of being a gentleman, as Oliver has been doing for their brother Jaques. Again, the Christians insult the Jews as animals. A "gentile" is a non-Jew. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Short though it is, however, this petite masque is the forerunner of Shakespeare's grande masque in The Tempest. In this context, Portia's question about who is the merchant and who is the Jew would probably be played as a joke. from your Reading List will also remove any Strains of soft music usher them in, and they are led by a young man costumed as Hymen, god of marriage. Here, the hospitality and friendly generosity that Act 1 suggested was typical among Venetian Christians, emerges again. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class.”, “Every teacher of literature should use these translations. (including. Suffice it to say, they have reconciled. Rosalind is imagined by those on stage to be summoned by the magical enchantment of Hymen, and from her and Celia's entrances on stage until the epilogue, the play becomes a fully realized masque. and any corresponding bookmarks? Having shown gracefulness throughout most of the scene, here Portia becomes a bit nastier, as she was when discussing her suitors with Nerissa. The matter is thus settled when a stranger appears with a bloodied handkerchief for Ganymede. CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams.