Saturday, June 14, 2008


It was a very tense session in court today! Shylock, after many chances, still would not change the terms of his bond. He was allowed by law to take one pound of Antonio's flesh. A young doctor of law named Balthazar was called into the court after Bellario had fallen ill. His few years however, were not a symbol of his knowledge of the law. Balthazar saw that the bond did not state Shylock's entitlement to any blood. He stated that if Shylock caused even a drop of Antonio's blood to spill or tipped the scale with the amount of flesh by even a hair, he would be executed. Under this pressure Shylock allowed Antonio to go free. Shylock though was still bound by law to give half his possessions to Venice and the other to Antonio for conspiracy to murder. Antonio did not accept his half and simply forced it to be will to Jessica and Lorenzo upon Shylock's death. Shylock also is forced to become a Christian.