Omar Abd-ElNasser - The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice - Study Guide

William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, written in 1596–97, was not initially one of the Bard's more popular plays, but since the 17th century it has been adapted into several operas and more than a dozen films, including a Maori (indigenous New Zealander) version.

The Merchant of Venice is counted among Shakespeare's comedies, though its darker themes and the complex characterizations of Portia and Shylock tend to tilt it toward tragedy. Although the play is often revived, its anti-Semitism challenges critics and viewers. Still, its themes of the role of religion in moral actions and the distinction between appearance and reality cause modern viewers to reflect seriously on the centuries-old play.

Overview

Author

William Shakespeare

Years Written

c. 1596–97

Type

Play

Genre

Comedy

About the Title

The Merchant of Venice may refer to the character Antonio, a wealthy Venetian merchant whose trade and relationships intersect in ways that place him in mortal danger when he makes a deal with a moneylender. However, an alternate title that appears in early records, The Jew of Venice, calls this reading into question. The original double title raises questions regarding the identities of the play's hero and villain and the play's stance on anti-Semitism.

Plot Summary

The Merchant of Venice is set largely in the wealthy city-state of Venice, a hub of Renaissance trade. Some scenes take place at the nearby estate of Belmont, where Portia lives.

Antonio is a prosperous merchant in Venice, but he has overextended his fortunes in his most recent venture, sending ships to several different ports. Thus, he is unable to lend his close friend Bassanio money when Bassanio asks him for a loan. Bassanio needs money to help him appear impressive when he goes to Belmont to court the beautiful heiress Portia. Bassanio has no credit of his own, but Antonio does not want to refuse his friend, so Antonio sends Bassanio to borrow the money from Shylock on Antonio's credit.

Shylock is a Jewish moneylender whose relationship with Antonio has been overwhelmingly negative. Antonio has insulted him in the streets and interfered with his business. He also knows Antonio's own fortunes are stretched thin, so Shylock is reluctant to lend him money. Shylock finally agrees when Antonio accepts his demand of a pound of Antonio's own flesh to secure the loan. With the money secured, Bassanio begins preparations to travel to Belmont, Portia's estate near Venice.

In Belmont Portia has her own problems. She is coping with an abundance of suitors she finds completely unacceptable. Her wealth and beauty have attracted dignitaries from all over the world, but they all seem deeply flawed. She fears she will be forced to marry one of them because her father, before he died, created a challenge to choose a suitor for her. He set up three caskets, or boxes: one gold, one silver, one lead. The man who chooses the casket with Portia's portrait inside gets her hand; Portia is understandably nervous about leaving her choice of husband up to what she considers a game of chance. Two suitors, one from Morocco and one from Arragon (part of Spain), try and fail in the challenge before Bassanio arrives. Portia knows and loves Bassanio, so she is relieved when he chooses correctly. They exchange rings, and Bassanio's companion Gratiano reveals he plans to marry Portia's waiting woman, Nerissa.

Meanwhile, in Venice, Shylock's daughter, Jessica, makes plans to escape from her overprotective father and marry Lorenzo, a Christian friend of Bassanio, Gratiano, and Antonio. After her only friend in her father's house, Launcelot Gobbo, leaves to work for Bassanio, Jessica disguises herself as a boy, takes her father's jewels, and sneaks out in the night to run away and marry Lorenzo. Shylock is anguished by the loss of his daughter and his jewels, especially the ring he gave Jessica's mother when they married. He is cheered when he learns Antonio's ships have been lost at sea and he may be able to exact revenge for Antonio's wrongs—and the wrongs he has suffered from all Christians, including the one who took Jessica—by collecting the pound of flesh promised in their contract.

Shylock and Antonio appear before the Duke of Venice for their case to be heard. Bassanio and Gratiano return to Venice, leaving their wives in Belmont, to support Antonio in his time of need. At the hearing Shylock first appears to have the upper hand because both men entered into the contract freely. Then a young lawyer named Balthazar comes to read the contract and save Antonio's life. Balthazar is actually Portia, disguised as a man, who has come to the court to help her new husband's friend. She makes an impassioned plea to Shylock to show mercy to Antonio, to be the better man. Shylock refuses, so Portia reads the contract carefully and declares Shylock is entitled to his pound of flesh, but the contract does not allow Shylock to spill any of Antonio's blood. Should Shylock take Antonio's blood, which is not part of the contract, his own life will be forfeit. Since it is impossible to take a pound of flesh without spilling blood, Shylock's claim is void. Because Shylock's intention to take a pound of his flesh would have killed Antonio, the duke finds Shylock guilty of plotting to murder the merchant. He spares Shylock's life but takes his fortune, giving half to the state and half to Antonio. Antonio places his share in trust for Jessica and further demands that Shylock convert to Christianity.

After the trial, Bassanio and Antonio express their gratitude to Portia, still thinking she is Balthazar. As a test of Bassanio's loyalty, Portia asks for the ring she gave him as a reward for her service. Bassanio refuses at first, but Antonio convinces him to change his mind, so Portia now knows her husband will part with his wedding ring when Antonio asks him. Nerissa plays a similar trick and gets her ring from Gratiano.

Bassanio, Gratiano, and Antonio return to Belmont, where Jessica and Lorenzo have come to visit. Portia and Nerissa return as well, now appearing as themselves again. Portia tells Bassanio she got his ring from Balthazar after sleeping with him, and Nerissa tells Gratiano a similar story. Bassanio and Gratiano are outraged until Portia gives them a letter that reveals the truth. The happy couples retire to bed as the sun rises.

Characters

Shylock

Shylock is confined by the laws limiting Jews' participation in Venetian society and subject to prejudice and scorn. He bears a special grudge against Antonio because Antonio has mistreated him and interfered with his business in the past. When Antonio comes to borrow money from Shylock, Antonio accepts Shylock's demand that a pound of Antonio's own flesh be used as collateral. Shylock accepts the bond and lends the money. When Antonio's ships are lost, Shylock demands the letter of his bond be honored, and the case goes to court because taking a pound of Antonio's flesh is tantamount to murder. Shylock loses his case, and as punishment for seeking to kill Antonio he must forfeit his fortune and convert to Christianity.

Antonio

Antonio is a Venetian merchant, the title character of the play, who borrows 3,000 ducats from his rival, the Jewish moneylender Shylock, on behalf of his friend Bassanio. Antonio's own money is tied up in his ships at sea, so he accepts Shylock's demand of a pound of Antonio's own flesh as collateral for the loan, reflecting his confidence that he will be able to repay Shylock. When Antonio's ships are temporarily lost, he can't repay the 3,000 ducats, and Shylock demands the pound of flesh. When the dispute goes to court, Antonio ultimately prevails. His life is spared, and his fortune is restored when the lost ships return to port.

Bassanio

Bassanio is Antonio's friend who needs money so he can court the wealthy heiress Portia, a woman famed for her wealth, wisdom, and beauty. Bassanio has squandered his own fortune and is in debt to Antonio and others, but Antonio cares deeply for Bassanio and does not refuse the request. Bassanio is successful in his courtship and marries Portia, but he returns to Venice shortly after they are wed to support Antonio in his time of need.

Portia

Portia is a wealthy heiress who lives at Belmont, an estate near Venice. Her father has died, and he devises a riddle involving three boxes of gold, silver, and lead to help her choose a worthy husband. The suitors must choose between the three boxes to find a portrait of Portia. The man who chooses correctly wins her hand. Portia is lucky enough to have the man she loves, Bassanio, win this challenge, and they get married. When she learns of Antonio's troubles in Venice, she disguises herself as a young man named Balthazar and presents herself at court as a legal scholar. Her reading of the contract and her cleverness allow her to help Antonio go free.

Gratiano

Gratiano is Bassanio's close friend who accompanies him to Portia's estate, Belmont, to offer moral support as Bassanio attempts to woo Portia. Gratiano shows great humor and fierce loyalty to Bassanio, a loyalty he also shows for Antonio during Antonio's trial. At Belmont Gratiano notices Portia's lady-in-waiting, Nerissa, and marries her.

Nerissa

As Portia's "waiting-gentlewoman," Nerissa is part servant, part adviser, part best friend. She advises and encourages Portia when Portia is frustrated by the suitors who swarm her home seeking her hand in marriage. She also disguises herself as a man and accompanies Portia to Venice when Portia goes there to defend Antonio. Nerissa is distinguished by her strong common sense and good judgment.

Jessica

Jessica's father, Shylock, has protected and sheltered his only child throughout her life. He limits her contact with the outside world, and Jessica feels stifled and suffocated by his overprotection. Despite Shylock's efforts, Jessica meets and falls in love with Lorenzo, a Christian. Her father would forbid the match and punish her for even talking with Lorenzo, so she disguises herself, takes as much of her father's wealth as she can carry, and elopes with Lorenzo in the middle of the night. At the end of the play, the couple end up at Belmont with Portia, Bassanio, Nerissa, and Gratiano.

Symbols

Gold

Gold represents wealth, status, and power. Bassanio needs gold to demonstrate he is a man of quality, worthy of marrying Portia. Shylock uses gold to exert power over Antonio and others because he has little power in other parts of his life. Jessica takes Shylock's gold as a show of power over her father when she leaves home. Yet the valuable parts of life have no relation to gold. Portia loves Bassanio even when she finds out he is penniless and in debt. Shylock discovers neither gold nor his attempt at revenge will improve his lot in life. Jessica has her father's wealth, but she values her relationship with Lorenzo more.

Flesh

Flesh is a symbol of life, the actual substance all living things are made of. Shylock's religion indicates that some types of animal flesh are tainted and forbids their consumption. When Antonio accepts Shylock's demand for a pound of Antonio's own flesh to secure the loan for Bassanio, he is actually placing his own life on the line as a potential sacrifice for Bassanio's happiness. When Shylock demands that pound of flesh as repayment for the loan, he demands Antonio's life as payment not for the bond but for the years of unhappiness Antonio—and Christian society in general—has caused him. The flesh itself is incidental, the real sacrifice at stake is the value of Antonio's life.

Rings

In The Merchant of Venice rings represent love and commitment between partners. For example, when they agree to marry, Portia gives Bassanio a ring that she says represents their bond of love. She cautions him that if he loses the ring or gives it away, that will represent the destruction of their love. Later she tricks him into giving her the ring, but he only gives his disguised wife the ring after Antonio urges him to do so, revealing how Bassanio's bond to Antonio remains stronger that his bond to Portia. Only after Portia reveals her trick does Bassanio see his error and shift his loyalty fully to his wife. A different ring has special significance to Shylock, who laments a rumor he hears of Jessica trading the ring her mother gave him for a pet monkey. He is undone by the way he believes his daughter has disrespected the bond her parents had by treating the ring in such a cavalier manner.

Themes

Prejudice

Shylock seeks revenge on Antonio as a representative of all the wrongs Christians have visited upon him and his people. Shylock's desire for revenge also reflects his outrage against Christians, but that outrage is a response to the prejudice he has faced as a Jew. Antonio has personally been responsible for many of the wrongs he has experienced, calling Shylock a dog and spitting on him. Antonio's friend Lorenzo also lures Shylock's only child away from home and marries her—making her a Christian at the same time. Shylock is limited to moneylending as a profession because other trades are closed to him; he resides in Venice's crowded ghetto, not even allowed to own land or choose where he lives. These prejudices create the anger that causes him to lash out at Christians, Antonio in particular; this in turn leads the Christians to act, again, on their prejudices, stripping him of his wealth and forcing him to convert to Christianity.

Mercy

At court Portia (disguised as a legal scholar named Balthazar) pleads with Shylock to show Antonio mercy, to rise above the letter of his contract and be the better man despite the wrongs Antonio has shown him. Shylock refuses, and in turn the Christians of Venice, whose very belief system hinges on the mercy of God, spare Shylock's life but punish him. He loses half his fortune, but Antonio takes away Shylock's community and identity when he demands Shylock convert to Christianity. Paradoxically, those who want Shylock to be merciful show him little mercy once he has been defeated by the letter of the law. Perhaps neither Shylock nor Antonio truly deserves mercy, but that is the point of mercy. It should be offered to those who do not deserve it.

Appearance versus Reality

Whether the truth is locked in a casket, hidden under a suit of clothes, or written into a contract, in The Merchant of Venice appearances constantly deceive. Portia's suitors, the Prince of Arragon and the Prince of Morocco, lose their chances at her hand because they are drawn to the glittery appearance of gold and silver caskets and choose the wrong casket in the challenge set up by Portia's father. Bassanio, who recognizes that great things may be hidden in humble exteriors and glittering exteriors may conceal emptiness beneath, wins the challenge by choosing the lead casket. Bassanio himself appears to be a wealthy man when he arrives at Portia's home, only later revealing the extent of his debts and poverty. In keeping with this theme, Portia disguises herself as a man so the reality of her wisdom and cleverness may be of service at court. While Shylock appears to be the play's villain, his suffering elicits the audience's sympathy.

Worth

Much of the plot of The Merchant of Venice hinges on wealth and who has it, but the real driver of the action is the emotional value placed on different objects. Bassanio and Antonio seek the loan from Shylock because Bassanio is in love with Portia, and Antonio values Bassanio enough to put his life on the line to help him win her. Even though he is offered two or three times the sum of his loan in repayment, Shylock persists in demanding the pound of flesh because revenge on Antonio is more important to Shylock than money. Portia offers this money freely because she values Bassanio's happiness more than gold. She then tricks Bassanio into giving her alter ego his wedding ring—not because of the ring's inherent value but as a test of his loyalty. Gold, silver, and jewels are only valuable to these characters because of the feelings behind these items.

Lack of Control

Few characters in The Merchant of Venice are in control of their own lives and destinies. Antonio's fortune and eventually his life is at the mercy of the waves and weather that carry his ships abroad and back to port. Portia has no control over who she marries because her father set up a riddle designed to choose her husband for her. Bassanio is controlled by the debts he owes. Jessica lives her life under the heavy hand of her father's protection. Shylock is subject to the control of the city's laws, which tell him where he can live and what kind of work he can do. Each of these characters attempts to overcome the forces that control them but with mixed results.

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