Word: portia
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...business of the second act is occupied with a modernized version of Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice," the burlesque taking its name from the fact that Shylock takes a mortgage on Antonio's fattest calf instead of the conventional pound of flesh. Portia's defense is grounded on the claim that the calf cannot be moved without a permit from the board of health, on account of the prevalence of the hoof and mouth disease. While Shylock is debating this phase of the case the frantic manager comes rushing down the aisle declaring that the train leaves in 10 minutes...
...girl, J. P. Spang, Jr., '15 A. Drummer, R. Cutler '16 A. Hobo, D. R. Sigourney '15 Station Agent, Harold Amory '16 Manager, R. P. Baldwin '16 Steve, J. S. N. Sprague '16 Bassanio, C. F. Farrington '16 Shylock, J. S. N. Sprague '16 Antonio, D. R. Sigourney '15 Portia, F. S. Allen '16 Duke, R. Cutler '16 Othello, W. T. S. Thorndike '16 Jurors, J. Harper '16 F. Brooks '15 Clerk of Court, S. E. Guild '15 Alienist, E. H. Heminway '15 Cook's Manager, H. S. Sturgis...
This play, written in 1596, is among the first of Shakespere's works comprising his second period--that of the comedies. It naturally divides itself into two parts, the story of the bond and the story of the casket, and the plot centres about Portia and Bassanio. The story of Shylock, although often considered the centre of the plot, in reality forms merely a supporting set of incidents. There is unhappily one great defect in the play, the anticlimactic effect of the last act. It was recognized by Booth, who omitted it in all his performances, and is generally attributed...
...character of Portia is built on a larger plan than any of Shakespere's other heroines. She anticipated the modern conception of the ideal woman and has the combination of those qualities which are opposite to each other but which are not contrary. In the same way the character of Bassanio may be called Shakespere's ideal of manhood. It is in these beautifully developed and idealistic but not visionary characters that the charm of the play lies...
...illustration of the lecture was drawn from the "Merchant of Venice," in the self-sacrificing affection of Antonio and Bassanio for one another,- an affection, the speaker said, which is often lost sight of between the grandeur of the Shylock theme and the romantic charm of the history of Portia and the caskets...