Jessica (The Merchant of Venice) misfortune, is unable to repay and is subjected to an onerous default (a literal "pound of flesh" cut from his body). In addition, the play contains subplots regarding Bassanio's courtship of Portia; Launcelot Gobbo's humorous interactions with his father, and his change of allegiance from Shylock to Portia and Bassanio; and Jessica and Lorenzo's elopement, with Shylock's casket of Ducats. The role of Jessica is a relatively minor one. She speaks a grand total of 660 words over the play's five acts. In the dramatic structure of the play, the role is, however, pivotal: her elopement with Lorenzo, and her
Jessica (The Merchant of Venice) and classical comedies, who are only fit to be dupes of their children …." The first critical notice of Jessica in the 18th century was made by William Warburton, who commented on the line in Act 5, Scene 1: "Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way / Of starvèd people." Warburton's comment was that ""Shakespear" is not more exact in any thing, than in adapting his images with propriety to his speakers; of which he has here given an instance in making the young "Jewess" call good fortune, "Manna"." Unfortunately, as Samuel Johnson explains rather drily—in a note to