# Epigraph explained — The Forsyte Saga

> Chapter companion for The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy.

## What happens

The chapter opens with an epigraph from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, foreshadowing themes of possession and ownership.

## Themes in this chapter

### Possessiveness and the Sense of Property

The epigraph's line 'The slaves are ours' directly introduces the theme of possession and ownership, central to the novel's exploration of property and relationships.

## Key lines

> You will answer The slaves are ours⁠ ⁠…

You will respond that the slaves belong to us.

_This line from The Merchant of Venice sets up the novel's preoccupation with ownership and control._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se/chapters/epigraph
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_forsyte_saga_se/chapters