Act II - Scene III
[Venice] |
Enter Jessica and [Launcelot] the Clown. |
|
|
Exit. |
|
Exit. |
-
— Caitlin, Owl Eyes Staff
By this Launcelot means trick your father. Jessica is Shylock's daughter and Jewish, therefore, she would not be allowed to marry a Christian. Any Christian man would either have to trick Shylock, or Jessica would have to secretly convert. This foreshadows what will happen in the play.
-
— Caitlin, Owl Eyes Staff
Notice how Jessica picks up the same metaphor that Launcelot used to describe Shylock in the previous scene. Except here, while the house is "Hell" Launcelot is the devil, rather than Shylock, and devil is repurposed to mean entertainer.