Line Study

Act Four, Scene One- Line Study
A4S1 Line 70-83 (Black Pg. 151, Blue Pg.87) Antonio gives us three short images of how useless any attempt by Bassanio to save his life will be
What are they?
What do they tell us about one of Shakespeare's interests
Do you think this is an effective way of demonstrating the problem.
Each example is an extreme and impossible, what influence does this have on how you expect the rest of the scene to develop.

I pray you question the Jew. You may as well go stand upon the beach and bid the main flood bate his usual height; You may use question with the wolf why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb; You may as well forbid the mountain pines to wag their high tops and to make no noise when they are fretten with the gusts of heaven;

The first is, in the second Antonio asks Bassonio if he would ask the wolf why it killed the lamb and made it mother cry, in the last Anotnio asks Bassnio

A4S1 L90-100 (Black Pg. 88-, Blue Pg.151-152) , Shylock uses vivid comparisons when he wants to make a point.
What example does he use to illustrate the fact that the pound of flesh is his: ‘tis mine and I will have it’
It is much longer comparison than the three used by Antonio  but do you think it is more striking/effective/convincing?

What judgement shall I dread, doing no wrong? You have among you many a purchased slave, Which like your assas, and your dogs and mules, You use in abject and in slavish parts, Because you brought them, shall I say to you. Let them be free, marry them to your heirs? Why sweat they under burthens? Let their beds be made as soft as yours, and let the palates be seasoned with such viands. You will answer, ‘the slaves are ours’; so do I answer you. The pound of flesh which I demand of him is dearly bought, ‘tis mine and I will have it.

He uses their slaves and how horribly they treat them, that they are treated like the animals that they also have brought.
Yes