The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare

The Merchant of Venice is a comedy by Shakespeare which tells the story of a money-lender who refuses to grant mercy and therefore does not receive any. Although the title refers to Antonio, the merchant, the money-lender Shylock could be considered the main character of the story.

Act One introduces the reader to Antonio. He is sad, and his friends, Salerio and Solanio, are trying to cheer him up. Another of his friends, Bassanio, comes to ask for money. Antonio is a devoted friend to Bassanio, and has lent him money in the past. Although Bassanio has never paid back any of the money, Antonio agrees to let his friend take advantage of all his personal credit. Bassanio wants the money so he can court Portia, a rich heiress.

In Belmont, Portia is lamenting the method by which she must choose her husband. Her father decreed in his will that all her suitors would choose from three caskets, in hopes of getting the one with Portia's picture inside. The first one to do so would be able to marry Portia, while those who chose wrongly could not marry her - or anyone else!

Bassanio is willing to take the risk, now that he has Antonio's credit. He goes to the money-lender, Shylock, and arranges to borrow a sum of money. Since he is borrowing on his friend's credit, the penalty for forfeiting the debt is one pound of Antonio's flesh. It is no coincidence that Shylock has been seeking revenge against Antonio, who had made derogatory remarks against him.

Act Two begins with the Prince of Morocco seeking Portia's hand in marriage. Portia hopes that he will choose the wrong casket. Lancelot, one of Shylock's servants, decides to work for Bassanio instead. Bassanio accepts him, and also agrees that Gratiano, a close friend, may accompany him to Belmont.

Jessica, Shylock's daughter, says goodbye to Lancelot and sends a message by him to Lorenzo, another of Bassanio's servants. Jessica and Lorenzo are in love and wish to marry. Lancelot delivers the letter and receives the answer, then Lorenzo and Gratiano make plans for the elopement. Jessica prepares to leave her father, disguising herself as a page and gathering money and jewels.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Morocco wrongly chooses the gold casket, and Portia is relieved. In Venice, Shylock discovers the loss of his daughter (along with his goods) and appeals to the Duke of Venice for justice. Word comes that Antonio's ships may be shipwrecked. Portia's second suitor, the Prince of Arragon, also chooses the wrong casket - the silver one. Portia is told that a third suitor will soon arrive; she hopes it is Bassanio.

Act Three presents more bad news concerning Antonio's fortunes. Shylock guesses that the bond will be forfeit, and he swears he will have Antonio's heart. Bassanio arrives at Belmont and Portia falls in love with him. She begs him to wait before choosing a casket, but he correctly picks the lead casket. Gratiano and Nerissa, Portia's maid, also decide to get married. When Salerio brings word of Antonio's distress, Portia places all her wealth at Bassanio's disposal. She also gives him a ring as a token of her love. The two couples are married, and Bassanio and Gratiano depart for Venice.

Antonio has resigned himself to his fate, knowing that the Duke will dispense justice according to the contract. Adhering to contracts is basic to Venetian society. In Belmont, Portia and Nerissa pretend to go to a monastery to wait in safety, but instead they dress as a civil doctor and his clerk and travel to Venice. In Portia's garden, Lorenzo, Jessica, and Lancelot discuss love and salvation.

Portia and Nerissa, disguised, arrive in Venice as Act Four begins. The Duke appoints the doctor Balthazar (Portia) to decide the case between Shylock and Antonio. Despite Antonio's entreaties, Balthazar agrees that Shylock should have his bond, but with certain conditions. First, he must get the pound of flesh without spilling a drop of Antonio's blood, since the contract says nothing about blood! Second, he must get exactly a pound, not even a bit more or less. If he breaks these rules, he will lose his entire fortune.

Shylock backs down. However, he is accused of trying to commit murder and therefore loses most of his fortune anyway. He is required to become a Christian and to make a will leaving any property he acquires to Lorenzo and Jessica. Balthazar, asked by Antonio to accept a reward, requests the ring that Portia gave to Bassanio. At first Bassanio refuses, then he gives in. Nerissa also gets her ring from Gratiano.

In Act Five, the two new wives, now in regular dress, play jokes on their husbands. First Portia and Nerissa upbraid Bassanio and Gratiano for giving away the rings. Then, revealing that they have the rings themselves, the two women say they got them by sleeping with the young doctor and his clerk! Finally they reveal the truth about their actions. Antonio receives news that his ships have docked safely with many treasures aboard, and all ends well.

In considering The Merchant of Venice, it is important to keep in mind the views of society during Shakespeare's time. For example, charging interest on loans (usury) is taken for granted today, but in the past it was considered a crime as serious as murder. Islam forbids usury, Judaism forbids it when lending to another Jew, and it was not allowed in Christian society until at least the 16^th century. Today, if the word "usury" is mentioned at all, it generally means "excessive interest" rather than any amount of interest.

Before Shakespeare was born, Jews had been expelled from England by Edward I's Edict of Expulsion. However, in the late 15^th century small numbers returned to England. Christopher Marlowe, a contemporary of Shakespeare, presented his anti-Semitic play The Jew of Malta in 1589. Shortly thereafter, a Jewish person was accused in a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I, and most English Jews fled to mainland Europe. England was highly anti-Semitic when Shakespeare wrote The Merchant of Venice, which was first performed in 1597. In keeping with this cultural bias, Shylock is characterized by Shakespeare as miserly, vengeful, stubborn, foolish, and perhaps even evil.

Shylock loves money and could be considered miserly (this is shown by his distress at the loss of money and jewels taken by Jessica, and by his reaction when penalized for trying to kill Antonio). However, he gives up a chance for a large amount of money in order to get revenge for Antonio's harsh words. This shows he is vengeful - getting revenge against anyone who wrongs him is very important to Shylock. He is also stubborn. He keeps insisting "I'll have my bond!" and will not give in, even when offered three times the original amount of money. Shylock can be considered foolish also. Because he has such a strong drive for revenge, he fails to realize that there can be loopholes in every contract. In the end he does not have his bond or his money.

Antonio, the merchant of Venice, is portrayed as kind, merciful, lawful, melancholy, and passive. He is kind to Salerio and Solanio, reassuring them that they are as important to him as Bassanio. When Bassanio criticizes Gratiano's foolishness, Antonio tactfully changes the subject. He is kind and merciful when he agrees to put all his credit at Bassanio's disposal, even though Bassanio already owes him money. Again, he shows kindness to Lorenzo and Jessica by giving them his half of Shylock's estate, although his own finances are in danger due to the uncertain fate of his ships.

Antonio is a law-abiding, moral man. He does not believe in usury or the charging of interest on loans. Because he respects the law, he is willing to accept the court's decision even if it goes against him. In the beginning of the play, he reveals his melancholy temperament. He discusses his depression with Salerio and Solanio: "In sooth I know not why I am so sad." Antonio is also passive in some ways. After his extension of credit to Bassanio (which allows many of the other events to occur), Antonio does not do much. The action of the play happens while he observes.

Portia is very clever. She uses her ingenuity to find a subtle way to tell Bassanio which casket is the right one. The little song sung while he is choosing clearly hints that looks can deceive. She also shows her imagination when she uses the letter of the law to Antonio's advantage, decreeing that Shylock may have his pound of flesh, but not a drop of blood! Portia is rebellious at heart. She doesn't like her father's method of selecting a husband, and probably would not follow it if it were not legally binding. She says to Nerissa, "So is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father." Finally, Portia is a practical joker. She plays a mean trick on Bassanio when she is in disguise, taking the ring away from him. The trick worsens when she tells him that she regained the ring by sleeping with the doctor. She does not appear concerned about his feelings at all, and carries the practical joke too far. However, Bassanio forgives her.

The Merchant of Venice illustrates that lack of mercy brings downfall, while mercy brings blessings. Shylock does not show any mercy towards Antonio - all he cares about is getting back at the merchant for his unkind remarks. Because Shylock is not merciful, he suffers. He comes close to losing his life, but manages to escape with a fine and a gift of half his estate to Lorenzo and Jessica. Antonio and Portia are more merciful. Antonio, in particular, is rewarded for his loving attitude. He is merciful toward his old friend Bassanio, and he is almost killed as a result. When Portia saves his life, he is willing to be kind to Shylock At the end of the play, Antonio has his life, his friends, and his ships (with their treasures) waiting for him. He is in good shape.

Portia shows mercy to both Antonio and Shylock. She saves Antonio's heart from Shylock's vengeful blade, but allows Shylock to escape with only part of his fortune gone. She has the husband she loves, the satisfaction of helping her friends, and a little fun along with her good deeds.

The play also shows that looks can deceive. Both the Prince of Morocco and the Prince of Arragon are faced with this truth. The Prince of Morocco chose the gold casket because gold is beautiful and valuable, and because the inscription read "who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire." He assumed that the choice of the gold would give him the prize of Portia, but he was wrong. The Prince of Arragon also was mistaken when he chose the silver casket. Silver is shiny and beautiful too. The inscription on the silver casket said "who chooseth me must give and hazard all he deserves." This prince was on the right track, because he realized that he must take a risk, but he did not understand that appearances are not always good indicators. Bassanio finally made the right choice (with a little help from Portia). He was able to look past the outer trappings and use his reasoning ability instead. The outcome of the casket test illustrated that looks can deceive.