their lovers, they slowdownconsiderably. Their energy and eagernessdwindle.
The clever metaphors stop with the arrival of Lorenzo. He explains to his friends that urgent business, not his own inclination, caused him to arrive late. Lorenzo then shouts out toward the house to see if Jessica isinside.
From inside the house, Jessica looks out of a window and sees the men. She makes sure that Lorenzo is one of these men, and she then tosses a casket (a box) containing money to him. Jessica is disguised as a servant boy, and she will play the role of torchbearer for Lorenzo so that she can escape from Venice without anyone realizingit.
Although Jessica is embarrassed to play the role of a boy, she informs Lorenzo that she will quickly finish getting ready and soon join them. Jessica’s embarrassment is a subtle joke for the Renaissance audience (but not the contemporary audience). During the Renaissance boys played the part of girls and young women. So, the gender role is doubly confusing: a boy is playing a girl who is playing a boy. Shakespeare enjoyed the humor of thisgender confusionand used it in other of his comedies as well (Twelfth NightandAs You LikeIt).
As the men wait for Jessica, Lorenzo comments on the virtues of the girl he adores (lines 53-57).Praising the virtue of a ladywas a requisite for writers of love poetry, and thus Lorenzo also reveals that he is a sincere lover as well.