Answer:Take a look at this speech. Is Shylock using prose or verse? Actors at the RSC often put the language into their own words to help them understand what they are saying. We’ve added some definitions (in green), questions (in red) and paraphrased some sections (in blue) to help with this. You can click on the text that is highlighted for extra guidance.
LISTEN
Read the scene aloud. Are there any words or lines that really stand out in this speech or any sounds or images that are repeated? Where does Shylock use questions and why does he do this?
Take a look at the actors performing this scene. How does Shylock come across in this version? What is driving him and how does this compare to your first impression?
Explanation:
<span>Allegedly recovered from the legendary King Solomon’s Mines, the uncut, rough stone was acquired in 1544 by the scandalous De Luca family. Gifted as part of a dowry in 1612, the fate of the diamond, along with several other high-profile gems, was unknown after the Franco-Spanish war of 1635, before it mysteriously reappeared over three centuries later. Sold last year to the Moretti Brothers jewellers for just over £22 million, neither time nor conflict has dimmed its brilliance. Indeed, the twin eighty-year-old brothers suggest that the value of the now cut and polished 90-carat diamond has already increased by at least 50%. It will be on display for four weeks only.
The three cases of subject-verb disagreements are bolded. In the first case, the verb "was" refers to the fate, which is singular. In the second case, it is "has" because both time and conflict are singular. In the third case, it is "suggest" because it refers to the twin brothers.</span>
