English Answer The following

Mercy was more valuable than a king’s crown.

Shylock wanted revenge because he felt that Antonio and the others had treated him badly before.

Portia told Bassanio to pay Shylock twice the amount to save Antonio.

Antonio was unable to avoid Shylock’s strange condition because Antonio had written a bond to that effect.

The strange condition Shylock put to Antonio was that if Antonio failed to return the money he borrowed from Shylock within three months, he would cut a pound of Antonio’s flesh.

Shylock disliked Antonio because he sometimes lent money to people without charging any interest on it.

Shylock was a Jewish moneylender.

The message on the gold casket was, ‘All that glitters is not gold’.

The Prince of Morocco chose the gold casket.

‘Whoever chooses me must give and hazard all he has’, was written on the casket of lead.

‘Whoever chooses me shall get as much as he deserves’, was written on the silver casket.

‘Whoever chooses me shall gain what men desire’ was written on the gold casket.

Portia’s suitors had to choose between three caskets – one of gold, one of silver and one of lead.

Bassanio was a young and handsome nobleman, who had no money.

The merchants sold the merchandise brought back from other countries in Europe and made a lot of profit, thus making them rich.

The ships of adventurous merchants brought back spices and other treasures from India and other countries.

Antonio lived in Venice, a prosperous city in Italy.