Merchant of Venice Reading Journal: Act Two, Scene Five

Firstly, I want to give a summary of the scene. This is Act Two, Scene Five of the Merchant of Venice.

Preparing to leave for Bassanio's dinner party, Shylock meets Lancelot, who is delivering Lorenzo's reply to Jessica. Shylock ridicules his former servant and says that in Lancelot's new job with Bassanio, Lancelot will no longer be able to "sleep and snore" as he was (supposedly) able to do with Shylock. When Jessica finally enters, Shylock gives her the keys to the house and tells her that he is going to  Bassanio's dinner party. He says that he accepted the invitation "in hate". He makes it very clear that he is not excited about attending this dinner. Lancelot urges his former master to go. He has a "feeling" that Bassanio is preparing an elaborate masque as part of the evening's entertainment. Shylock is horrified at the suggestion. He insists that if Jessica hears any sounds of the masque, she is to keep inside.  Despite everything, Shylock finally decides to set out for Bassanio's dinner party, but not before repeating one final warning for Jessica to stay inside. Shylock exits without realizing that Lancelot whispered a word of advice to Jessica before he left: She is to be on watch for "a Christian" who will be "worth a Jewess' eye", Who is obviously Lorenzo.

Alone on the stage, Jessica anticipates her elopement and closes the scene.

If you ask me, there is great importance in this scene. We hear about Jessica and Lorenzo's impending elopement, and we continue to add little pieces to Shylock's character.

I believe that Jessica and Lorenzo's elopement will add greatly to this story. However, I have to ask myself...Is it right? I think that it is not. Especially since her father is so anti-Christian. Although he is very much wrong in his hatred of the Christian faith, she has no buisness tainting his already stained reputation by marrying a Christian against the will of her father. It is a very wrong action on both parts, thus adding to the characters of both and adding to the suspense and action of the play.