Merchant of Venice: Act 3 Scene 2 (Workbook Answer: 4 to 6)
Merchant of Venice Act 3 - Scene 2 (Workbook Answers: 4 to 6) Extract 4 Answer 1: In the given extract the theme of appearance and reality is highlighted. Bassanio, commenting on the caskets, says that a pretty exterior may often hide a rotten interior. Most people fall for the outward appearance instead of the inward appearance. He is highlighting this theme by providing the examples of lawyers, religious beliefs and cases of cowards who assume outward signs of valour. Answer 2: Bassanio says that every wrong has some appearance of virtue. He explains it through the example of a lawyer. A lawyer can hide his weakness by his appearance and smooth talk. This gives him the appearance of a wise man in front of people. Similarly, religious preachers can justify any wrongdoing by claiming it is not a sin in god's eyes. Answer 3: 'Stairs of sand' refer to a stairway made of shifting sand. Such a stairway is unreliable and easily falls off. These stairs are compared to cowa...