The Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 3 (Shylock's encounter with Antonio) Synopsis :
Back in Venic, Shylock escorts Antonio to prison, accompanied by a jailer and Salanio. Shylock rebukes the jailer for permitting Antonio to come out of the jail. Antonio begs Shylock for mercy, but Shylock is bent on taking justice. He will have the penalty of his bond.
Antonio gives up on asking for mercy. He knows that Shylock wants revenge on him because he has paid off the depts of so many people who owed Shylock. Salanio assures Antonio that the Duke won't allow Shylock's demand to be carried out. Antonio disagrees: "The Duke cannot deny the course of law," or else he will discredit the justice of the state of Venice. Antonio jokes that his body has been deeply affected by so many worries and it will not be possible for Shylock to cut a pound of flesh from his body. Then, he urges the jailer to proceed. He prays to God that if Bassanio comes to see him discharge his debt then he cares for nothing else.
The Merchant of Venice Act 3 Scene 5 (Lorenzo and Jessica at Belmont)
Synopsis :
Launcelot makes Jessica aware of her father's misdeeds by quoting the age-old adage that the sins of the father usually fall upon the children. He fears for Jessica that she will be condemned by God but Jessica confidently claims that she will be saved by her marriage to Lorenzo, a Christain husband. Launcelot blames Lorenzo that by converting Jessica into Christian, he has increased the number of pork eaters which would further increase the prize of pork. Lorenzo joins them then and pretends to be jealous of finding his wife alone with launcelot. He orders Launcelot to go inside and prepare dinner.
Launcelot delivers a dazzling series of puns in reply and departs to arrange for dinner. When Lorenzo asks Jessica her opinion about Portia, she praises Portia as being without equal on earth. Lorenzo jokingly responds, Even such a husband Hast thou of me as she is for a wife." Jessica is ready to comment on his teasing when he urges her to save her comments "for table-talk". So with loving jests, they go in to dinner.