SHAKESPEARE-THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

THE SILVER CASKET

Καψάσκη ΙουλιάνναΜαρινάκη Αναστασία

Νόνα ΝτορίναΠανάς Φίλιππος

INTRODUCTION

In A NutshellWritten by William Shakespeare around 1597, The Merchant of Venice is a "comedy" about a bitter and detested Jewish moneylender (Shylock) who seeks revenge against a Christian merchant who has defaulted on a loan.

Merchant's controversial and painful subject matter has earned it a reputation as a "problem play" that continues to ask a series of difficult questions 400 years after it was first staged:

Does the play endorse the anti-Semitic attitudes of its Christian characters?Does it critique the kinds of prejudices it portrays on stage?Or does it merely dramatize racial and religious intolerance without taking a stance one way or the other?Before we can even address these questions, it's important to know about the historical circumstances of the play. For Shakespeare, writing to an English audience about a Jewish moneylender might have seemed unusual. Officially, there were no Jews in 16th century England because they had been banished in 1290 under the Edict of Expulsion. Some studies suggest there were fewer than 200 Jews in Elizabethan England (only about 100 have been identified by historians). Most of these Jews were outwardly Christians and many of them were probably Marranos (Jews who practiced their religion in secret).

So how were Jews perceived in the imaginations of Elizabethan audiences?

Jews were a popular target of hatred in Shakespeare's England in large part due the trial of Queen Elizabeth's personal physician, Rodrigo Lopez, a converted Portuguese Jew (and a Marrano). In 1594 Lopez was convicted of plotting to poison Queen Elizabeth I and was executed as a traitor – meaning he was hanged, cut down (while still alive), and mutilated before a crowd of vengeful spectators.

The Lopez trial and execution inspired the revival of playwright Christopher Marlowe's The Jew of Malta (1589), in which the play's title character is a Jew named Barabas, a greedy, cunning, and murderous stereotype. In other words, Barabas fit the bill of "stock" Jewish characters that Elizabethan theatregoers of the time loved to hate.

Since there were no actual Jews publicly living in England, the worst kinds of stereotypes and legends about the entire group could prevail unchecked. Jews were accused of everything from sacrificing kidnapped Christian children on Easter to killing adult Christians for their blood to be used in Passover rituals. Christopher Marlowe's play, and his inexplicably evil Jewish villain, sparked English thinking about the long-absent English Jews.

Shakespeare, with his pulse on the popular interest, presented The Merchant of Venice around 1597, hot on the heels of the Lopez trial. What's interesting about Shakespeare's Jewish merchant, Shylock, is that, depending on how you read the story, he is not a caricature of all-things-evil like Marlowe's Barabas. Shylock is deeply flawed, but he's also complex and deeply human. When he famously asks, "if you prick us [Jews] do we not bleed?" (3.1.6), he insists on the fact that Jews and Christians share a common humanity, despite the fact that he's been spit upon, kicked, and railed against for being different.

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (PLOT ANALYSIS)

Most good stories start with a fundamental list of ingredients: the initial situation, conflict, complication, climax, suspense, denouement, and conclusion. Great writers sometimes shake up the recipe and add some spice.

Initial Situation

Antonio loves Bassanio, and Portia's father has set up the game of the caskets.

Everything is in a relatively uncomfortable place to begin with. In Venice, Antonio is sad, likely because he knows he's losing Bassanio to Portia. Portia, meanwhile, is not in her natural state either. Her father has died, and her biggest problem is this awful lottery he's set up, rendering her unable to choose her own husband.

Conflict

Bassanio is poor and needs Antonio to help him woo Portia. Antonio can only turn to Shylock, who is Jewish and thus hated. Antonio has to sign away a pound of his flesh as a guarantee on Bassanio's loan. Bassanio finally gets a go at Portia, but he's got to pick the right casket.

Everyone has at least one conflict here. Antonio knows he's losing Bassanio, but he'll still do anything in his power to make

Bassanio happy. He asks for money from Shylock, but Shylock explains the twisted past the two have together, full of hatred and mutual religious animosity. Shylock is willing to lend Bassanio the money on the weird condition that Antonio sign away a pound of his flesh. Bassanio senses this is a bad idea, but Antonio is pretty sure it will all work out. As he's already confessed he is meant to play a sad part, we're sure something will go awry here. Bassanio, at Portia's house, is faced with the fact that he must pick the right casket or never see her again. Tortured by this uncertainty, Bassanio insists on playing the casket game as soon as possible.

Complication

Antonio's not good for the money and is going to be killed. Jessica has run away. Portia has to postpone marital bliss to save Antonio. And Shylock seems hell-bent on having Antonio's flesh instead of his money back.

No sooner than Bassanio wins Portia, a letter arrives announcing Antonio's sad fate: his ventures have failed and Shylock wants his flesh. Shylock seems to be more enraged than ever, and the fact that Jessica ran away with his money adds to the anger he seems to take out on Antonio. Shylock seems perversely committed to having Antonio's pound of flesh, not the money, and Antonio is resigned to his fate. He asks only that Bassanio come and see him before he dies (which complicates Bassanio's good luck – he has to immediately leave his new bride to see his old friend). As Portia is insistent on having everything turn out her way, she sets out after the men with Nerissa in disguise to see what they can do about Antonio's case. Not only is the case complicated, but this further confusion of the cross-dressed women is sure to add some drama.

Climax

The trial: many are tested, few will win.

The play builds to the point where Antonio is practically shirtless in anticipation of the knife. Need we say more?

Suspense

Shylock is put out in the street. Bassanio and Graziano break faith by giving away their rings and the women rush home.

The Christians of Shakespeare's time would have seen Shylock's ending as a cliff-hanger. Sure, he's been ruined, but will he find salvation in his new religion (Christianity)? Meanwhile, Graziano has stopped Portia on the street and handed over Bassanio's ring. Nerissa wrings Graziano's ring out of him too. The women have just done a great (if secret) service to the men by saving Antonio, and they can rightfully expect the men's gratitude and loyalty in return. Instead, the men give up their rings to the seemingly random doctor and clerk. This shows that they put their friendship and their own affairs above their wives, and they might be faithless in marriage after all. We've yet to see how the ring situation will pan out and whether the women will forgive their men for breaking their promises and offering up their lives to save their friend. The last task is for the women to get home before their husbands and remind everyone to keep their absence a secret so they can further toy with the ignorant minds of their men folk.

Denouement

Everyone gets home to Belmont and seems happy enough. The couples squabble but reconcile. Antonio is sorry to have caused so much trouble.

There's a merry greeting at Belmont, and everything seems to be winding down until Graziano and Nerissa get in a squabble over the ring issue. Portia lets on that she won't let this get out of hand, which keeps us nicely calm and denouement-y as she eggs Bassanio on to admit that he too has given away his ring. As Portia is rather light-hearted about the whole affair (she promises to sleep with the doctor, which we know is impossible), we get the hint that the whole thing might not end too badly. Most important, this squabble gets Antonio to finally apologize, as he's been at the root of this particular trouble (and arguably would have been a pain through Bassanio's whole marriage). When he comes around to Portia's side by pledging Bassanio's faithfulness to her, we know everything will be OK.

Conclusion

Portia reveals everything. Antonio is rich again.Portia finally reveals the whole gig by presenting letters that explain how she was Balthazar and Nerissa his clerk. She accepts Antonio's apology and goes even further, ensuring that, even if he's lost his friend, he's got his money back. (This is where she delivers the news of his ships' success.) The whole play ends in relative harmony and all the marriages are consummated (though Antonio and Shylock are left in the proverbial cold).

STAGINGAdvice

Presenting Shakespeare on the stage is far different from merely reading it on the page. Although the beauty of the language and Shakespeare's talent as a writer makes the solitary reading of any of the Bard's play an enjoyable experience, there will always be something missing that can only be gained from watching it performed. The Merchant of Venice remains one of Shakespeare's most oft-produced plays and is a mainstay of both high school and College Theater in particular. Getting your production to stand out from the tens of thousands of previous theatrical presentations of this well-known tragicomedy is no easy feat. Sometimes you have to be willing to either take a dramatic risk, or else take an ideological point of view to make people wake up and take notice. The Merchant of Venice offers opportunities for both routes.The casket test scene in The Merchant of Venice presents a wealth of staging possibilities for the director willing to turn the play into a modern day political statement. To begin with, the underlying subtext of casket test scenario is almost unprecedented in Shakespearean comedy. It is nothing less than astonishing that Portia is willing to give in to her father's absolutely preposterous rules when Shakespeare's comedic heroines are often defined by the fact that they are so eager to defy both their fathers as well other figures of authority. For this reason, an intuitive and creative director would search for an element that intellectually rationalizes Portia's decision. One possible explanation is that the underlying code contained within the plot point of the casket test is that the only type of man who could correctly solve the riddle is one who views it from the proper socio-economic perspective.

At first glance, the casket test in The Merchant of Venice seems universally fair and free from any inherent social biases. Just like those standardized tests that politicians trumpet so loudly as being a perfect indicator of academic progress because they are

totally free from any bias. And, just like those standardized tests questions, the assumption is that anyone from any strata of society stands an equal chance. It is based on statistical probability and nothing else, after all. Or is it? In fact, there is an implicit inequality based entirely on class consciousness at work in the casket test. In order for any suitor to choose correctly, it is vital that he understands the value of wealth from the perspective of Portia and her class. Poor suitors tend to be predisposed to confuse the ornamental brilliance of the gold or silver caskets with possessing the true value of wealth.

The staging of this famous scene from The Merchant of Venice, then, should highlight the equitable standards of wealth that exist between Portia and Bassanio. One way to do this would be to subtly hint at similarities between the two. Perhaps they could be dressed in the same colour scheme, utilizing colours that we psychologically associate with the upper classes. Or the staging could be conducted in such a way that the physical movement of the two actors is directed toward placing them in similar positions as they move around the caskets. When choosing to adopt this approach to directing The Merchant of Venice it is essential to create a subtle realization in the mind of the audience that Bassanio has been successful in choosing the correct casket because he is of the right class and so understands the true value of wealth. Another way to subtly introduce this idea of ideological connectivity would be to have Portia and Bassanio speak in similar ways, such as having the same inflections or pronouncing certain words differently from the lower class characters. Essentially, anything that would serve to highlight their class similarity and distinguish them from the lower classes would be effective.

Shakespeare has provided many directors the opportunity to relate plays written during the Renaissance about times that Shakespeare himself considered ancient to their own times. The Merchant of Venice offers one character in particular that allows for a daring production that gets the attention of even the

most jaded theatre critic. The use of a patch on which is stitched the Star of David worn by Shylock may at first draw questions of political correctness from some members of your audience, but it could not be more appropriate. Although The Merchant of Venice is categorized as one of Shakespeare's comedies, and despite the inescapable and horrifying fact that Shylock's dehumanization has been met with both laughter and cheers by audiences throughout its history, only someone with the character flaws of a Mel Gibson cannot view Shylock as anything other than a tragic character. Despicable he may be, but is he any less deserving of the title tragic figure than Macbeth or Lear?

If The Merchant of Venice is really about anything in particular at this point in history, it is about the long history of anti-Semitism. After all, no other character in the play is as vitally interesting as Shylock. And who will argue that once Shylock gets his comeuppance, the rest of The Merchant of Venice seems sadly superfluous and uninvolving. In fact, it is not unknown for some productions to end the play following Shylock's conversion and discard all the rather tedious resolution of the romantic subplot that follows. Can anyone really deny that it would be a dynamic and bold move to underscore the idea of Shylock as a figure of systemic anti-Semitic oppression by not only having him wear a Star of David patch like Hester Prynne's scarlet letter at all times, but even by portraying him as a concentration camp survivor?. One could even take the final step and update the setting to a time shortly after World War II ended. It seems entirely fitting since Shylock's character and personality is shaped almost entirely by how the other characters view his race and religion. That Venetians couch the sentence in terms of the salvation of Shylock's eternally damned soul justifies such a bold choice of staging. The idea of juxtaposing the irony of Shylock's tragic downfall taking place within the confines of a comedy should be as profound as its inclusion in the first place.

THEMES

Friendship requires sacrifice. Antonio risks his fortune–and later his life–to help Bassanio win Portia. Tubal lends Shylock the 3,000 ducats requested by Antonio. Appearances are deceiving. Neither the gold nor the silver casket contains the key to winning Portia. Instead, it is the plain lead casket. Shakespeare expresses this theme–appearances are deceiving–in a message inside the golden casket. It says, “All that glisters [glitters] is not gold” (2. 7.67). The latter quotation can also apply to characters who tie their happiness, destiny, or status to money, including Antonio, Bassanio, and Shylock. Revenge ultimately destroys its perpetrator. Shylock seeks revenge against his enemies, but it is he who suffers the downfall after Christians unite to trick him. Perhaps he would have had more success if he had pursued justice instead of revenge. Jews suffer bigotry and other forms of mistreatment because of their religion and race. Christians alienate Shylock simply because he is a Jew. In ancient, medieval, and Renaissance times, Jews almost always encountered prejudice from non-Jews around them. Scholars are divided on whether Shakespeare, in The Merchant of Venice, was attempting condemn anti-Semitism by sympathizing with Shylock or approve of anti-Semitism by ridiculing Shylock. It may well be that Shakespeare was simply

holding a mirror to civilization to allow audiences to draw their own conclusions. An essay on this page contends that Shakespeare wrote The Merchant of Venice partly to condemn the moral and ethical values of errant Christians, not the Jewish moneylender Shylock. Women can be just as competent as men, maybe even more so. Portia, disguised as a man, speaks eloquently in defence of Antonio and persuades the Duke of Venice to rule in Antonio's favour. Women can be just as ruthless as men, maybe even more so. Portia, who lectures Shylock and the court on the importance of mercy, exhibits racism after she rejects the Prince of Morocco because he is black. Moreover, she cleverly tricks and ruins Shylock without showing a hint of remorse. Don't count your ships until they're in port. Antonio confidently pledges the merchandise on his ships at sea to repay Shylock's loan to Bassanio. But all the ships are wrecked before they reach Venice. Great wealth and privilege breed apathy and disquietude. In the opening line of the play, Antonio says, "In sooth, I know not why I am so sad." Then, in the first line of Act I, Scene II, Portia expresses a similar sentiment: "By my troth, Nerissa, my little body is aweary of this great world." Nerissa, Portia's servant, understands what the privileged classes cannot understand: "They are as sick that surfeit with too much as they that starve with nothing."

MERCHANT OF VENICE - SECULAR AND RELIGIOUS VIEWS

The secular and religious views of both, Antonio and Shylock, were portrayed very bluntly. The religious opinions of both characters were that their religion was superior to infidels and also very stereotypical. In the business world, Antonio owned ships with valuable goods and was extremely generous. He always relied on their return to shore and expressed his faith in that. On the other hand, Shylock was a greedy man and used the Bible for sources of interest to collect more money. Relating to religious views Antonio and Shylock were very parallel, but in means of business the two were reverses.

"I[Shylock] hate [Antonio] for he is a Christian. . . [Antonio] hates our sacred nation." This phrase said by Shylock, a Jew, is based on the beliefs of other Jews upon other Christians. Shylock is being very stereotypical because Shylock doesn't really know Antonio, Shylock heard of Jew-hating Christians, so he thinks that all Christians hate Jews. Antonio happens to be a great man and Shylock didn’t even give him a chance, he just hates Antonio for being of different religion.

"The Hebrew [Shylock] will turn Christian; he grows kind." Antonio says this, thinking that no Jews are kind, emphasizing naiveness. Thus Antonio interprets the scenario of Shylock being Christianized as Shylock becoming more generous and more amiable. This quotation shows how Antonio thinks that his religion, Christianity, is superior to Judaism. The previous quotation illustrated how Shylock was stereotypical about Christians. Both characters have similar beliefs about other religions.

"Why, fear not, man, I will not for felt it! Within these three months- that's a month before this bond expires-I do expect, return of thrice three times the value of this bond." This phrase was said by Antonio assuring Shylock that his ships with all his

goods will return with the interest that Antonio owes Shylock for borrowing money. This shows Antonio's trust in his ships even though there were strong winds and high chances that his ships will be overturned. Antonio is very naive about the real world of business and no matter what happens he thinks he will be successful.

On the other hand, Shylock is a wise business man, but very greedy. These characteristics are displayed in the following quotation:

"Mark what Jacob did . . . and in the doing of the deed of kind

[Laban] struck them up before the fulsome ewes, which then conceiving did in earning time fullparti-colored lambs, and those were Jacob's.

This was a way to thrive, and he was blest; and thrift is blessing if men steal it not."

When Shylock gave Antonio a loan, he charged him interest justified by the story in the Bible mentioned before. Shylock compares Antonio to Laban, both being kind, therefore both must be givers of interest. My view is that Shylock puts himself on the level of Jacob, a righteous man, showing his egotistical character. His greedy personality is expressed when Shylock finds sources of interest in a farfetched manner. In truth, this passage is an act of kindness, stressing Shylock's characteristic of being narrow minded.

Antonio and Shylock are very similar people as well as opposites. Both, as proven in the story, are against the infidels to their religion and believe that their religion is the superior one. In terms of business, Antonio is generous, being willing to give thrice the loan, and Shylock is greedy, by asking for three times the loan. Antonio agrees to the deal, being very naive that

his ships will return safely, and Shylock is very clever, but sneaky, in terms of this deal. While Antonio's perspectives on the secular and religious world are very naive, Shylock makes judgements based on first impressions. Antonio and Shylock showing their good qualities, suggest that men may look perfect, but deep inside, they acquire negative characteristics.

DEFINING JUDAISM IN SHAKESPEARE'S THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

Interpretations of an Old Testament

“I am a Jew…” declares Shylock in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, “fed with the same food, hurt by the same weapons, subject to the same diseases” as a Christian. “If you prick us, do we not bleed?” (III.i.60-61). Though the two Jewish characters in the play are just as human as the Christians, their religious views affect the way they function in Venetian society. Living in 16th Century England, Shakespeare would have had minimal if any contact with Jews, though it does seem he had a basic understanding of Jewish traditions and Jewish-Christian interaction, especially with regards to the traditional “stage Jew.” Regardless of historical authenticity, however, it is interesting to see how Shakespeare portrays two differing perceptions of Judaism and how they affect the characters. Shylock’s understanding of his religion is rooted in worship of an almighty God whose laws chiselled in stone, whereas Jessica’s understanding of religion is that it is a dynamic social construct with little emphasis on a higher being. Jessica’s view of religion allows her to befriend Christians and eventually embrace Christianity while Shylock’s conception ensures that he and Christians share a mutual hostility stemming from the incompatibilities of the two religious lifestyles.

Judaism is an orthoprax religion, which means that the correct observance of laws and rituals are emphasized over theological questions. This contrasts orthodox religions such as Christianity, in which holding the correct theological belief is of the utmost importance. Though Shakespeare would not have known these identifications by name, the precedence set by the religions and their practice was well established during his time. Shylock’s understanding of Judaism is very much orthoprax; by following these laws he will assure himself salvation. Shylock refuses to attend Bassanio’s banquet because Christians do not follow kosher dietary law (I.iii.31-35). Though he later decides to attend, there is no reason to believe he does not follow dietary guidelines.

More importantly, Shylock’s adherence to orthopraxy extends to Venetian law, another system of values that, when followed, will theoretically yield happiness. The trial scene shows Shylock trusting in and finally believing he will benefit from a system that has stripped him of his rights for so long. “O noble judge! O excellent young man!” he rejoices as Portia asserts that Antonio is bound by the contract (IV.i.244). His joy is short-lived, however, as Portia declares that not a drop of blood may be spilled if Shylock is to collect the bond, and not accept Bassanio’s bond money. Shylock’s only sign of disagreement is his half-hearted attempt to leave the court only to be denied once again by Portia. He does not argue against Portia because he knows he is bound by the exact terms of the contract, specifically “a pound of flesh” (IV.i.305). It seems amazing how easily Shylock accepts his final sentence, but is not unbelievable in light of his orthoprax views. In the end he accepts all the terms Antonio suggests and weakly slips out of the courthouse, defeated by the system he entrusted and thought would redeem him.

Shylock’s daughter, on the other hand, views religion as a social contract with a very loose code of ethics. As she is stealing from her father with intentions of leaving she laments:

Alack, what heinous sin is it in me

To be ashamed to be my father’s child!

But though I am a daughter to his blood,

I am not to his manners. O Lorenzo,

If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife,

Become a Christian and thy loving wife.

(II.iii.16-21)

Apparently this grief is not enough to keep her from robbing her father and later trading her mother’s wedding ring for a monkey, but besides this is the point. According to Jessica, religion is neither an ethnic characteristic passed down through the generations or an overarching system of beliefs, but rather a social construct. Presumably, Shylock’s “manners” are a direct result of his religion. Jessica cannot identify with Judaism, therefore, because to her mind the religion and her father are inseparable. When she takes on a new man in her life, she inherits his religion. Her identity with religion is fluid, something that is as changeable as her surname upon marriage. “Jessica the Jew” becomes not only “Jessica the Wife of Lorenzo” but also “Jessica the Christian.”

Her faith may be more orthodox than orthoprax, but it is not orthodox in the sense that Christianity is. Any connection her religion has with a divine being seems tenuous; rather, it is manifest in a strong male figure. The closest she comes to acknowledging the existence of God is in her argument with Lancelot in Act III when she retorts, “I shall be saved by my husband. He hath made me a Christian” (III.v.17-18). Jessica does not argue she will be saved by faith in a supreme being or

by divine grace, but by association with her Christian husband. It seems Jessica’s notion of religion has little if anything to do with God. She is certainly not a devout scripture-quoting Jew like her father.

Interestingly, Shylock can recite both Hebrew and Christian scriptures. He is sensitive to the differences between the two religions, especially those aspects that benefit him commercially. Even though the New Testament condemns usury, it is not forbidden under Venetian or Jewish law. Jews serve a necessary economic function and are hated for it. Shylock identifies this when he chastises Antonio:

For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe.

You call me misbeliever, cutthroat dog,

And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine,

And all for use of that which is mine own.

Well, then, it now appears you need my help.

(I.iii.108-12)

Shylock represents to Christians a necessary evil; they are not allowed to take part in usury, but it is the only way to secure a large loan. There is a tension, one that is a result of Christian law but associated with Judaism because of Christianity’s dominance.

While Shylock’s interaction with Christians has little to do with trust and respect, it seems that Jessica can truly relate to them; because her religious identity is only superficial, the tensions between Judaism and Christianity are not important to her. Shakespeare projects Shylock, though, as bearing an “ancient grudge” against Christians that dates back to the

Gospel of John (I.iii.44). This hatred is manifest in the notion that the Jews are responsible for Jesus’ death and extends to modern blood libel. Ironically, Shylock embraces this persona as the Christian characters take little notice. Antonio tells an indignant Shylock, “I am as like to call thee so again,/To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too” (I.iii.128-9). He and the other Christians see Shylock as nothing more than a dog that may be kicked and teased for fun; they do not perceive him as a real threat. Later in the scene Antonio puns, “Hie thee, gentile Jew.—/The Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind” (I.iii.176-77). The gentile/gentle pun is used frequently throughout the play to contrast “rough” Jews and “gentle” Christians. Shylock’s “roughness” sets him apart from Christians and is an essential part of his essentially religious character. Jessica, on the other hand, escapes the notion of “roughness” by associating with Christians and eventually becoming one herself.

Jewish-Christian relations is a more sensitive subject in the modern world in light of current religious intolerance, the Holocaust, and other genocides. To read the play with disgust, however, is to treat it anachronistically. Shylock is only Shakespeare’s representation of a member of a religious faith he knows little about. Nevertheless, the accuracy with which Shakespeare identifies certain religious concepts is surprising. Though the Jewish image is far from perfect in his play, it does give the reader a good idea of differing interpretations of the same religion.

Shylock, the Jewish moneylender in The Merchant of Venice, is the victim of constant prejudice on account of his religion. Shakespeare shows us this in two ways: he has many of the characters, Gratiano, Salerio, Antonio and Solanio actually say cutting and nasty things to or about Shylock based on his religion, such as:

Antonio: Mark you this, Bassanio: the devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. (the "devil" here is Shylock)

Antonio: The Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind. (based on the strange belief that Jews are somehow less kind than Christians)

Solanio: Here comes another of the tribe. A third cannot be matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew. (This about the inoffensive Tubal, a friend of Shylock's)

Shylock also refers to the treatment he gets at the hands of Antonio. "You call me misbeliever, cutthroat dog, and spit on my Jewish gaberdine"

Shylock is also guilty of such sentiments. He says of Antonio "I hate him for he is a Christian" before getting into his real complaint--that Antonio lends money for free and thus cuts into his moneylending business.

These nasty opinions and ideas are about religion, not race. Jessica becomes one of the gang the moment she changes her religion. But that does not really matter as the play (or rather this particular plotline) is about how prejudice can bring out the desire for revenge in its victims.

ESSAY

Written sometime between 1596 and 1598, The Merchant of Venice is classified as both an early Shakespearean comedy (more specifically, as a "Christian comedy") and as one of the Bard's problem plays; it is a work in which good triumphs over evil, but serious themes are examined and some issues remain unresolved.

In Merchant, Shakespeare wove together two ancient folk tales, one involving a vengeful, greedy creditor trying to exact a pound of flesh, the other involving a marriage suitor's choice among three chests and thereby winning his (or her) mate. Shakespeare's treatment of the first standard plot scheme centers around the villain of Merchant, the Jewish moneylender Shylock, who seeks a literal pound of flesh from his Christian opposite, the generous, faithful Antonio. Shakespeare's version of the chest-choosing device revolves around the play's Christian heroine Portia, who steers her lover Bassanio toward the correct humble casket and then successfully defends his bosom friend Antonio from Shylock's horrid legal suit.

In the modern, post-Holocaust readings of Merchant, the problem of anti-Semitism in the play has loomed large. A close reading of the text must acknowledge that Shylock is a stereotypical caricature of a cruel, money-obsessed medieval Jew, but it also suggests that Shakespeare's intentions in Merchant were not primarily anti-Semitic. Indeed, the dominant thematic complex in The Merchant of Venice is much more universal than specific religious or racial hatred; it spins around the polarity between the surface attractiveness of gold and the Christian qualities of mercy and compassion that lie beneath the flesh.

The Merchant of Venice - Summary of the Play

Bassanio, a Venetian nobleman with financial difficulties, wishes to compete for the hand of Portia, a wealthy heiress of Belmont, in order to restore his fortune. He asks his friend Antonio, a successful merchant of Venice, to loan him the money necessary to undertake such an attempt. Antonio agrees, but, as all of his assets are tied up at sea, he will have to use his credit in order to obtain the money for his friend. They go to Shylock,

a Jewish moneylender and enemy of Antonio’s. Shylock agrees to lend them 3000 ducats, but only if Antonio will sign a bond offering the usurer a pound of his flesh if the loan is not repaid in three months’ time. Despite Bassanio’s misgivings, Antonio assents to the arrangement.

Meanwhile, in Belmont, Portia laments to her serving woman, Nerissa, the terms of her late father’s will. They state that whoever seeks to marry Portia must solve the riddle of the three caskets—one gold, one silver, one lead, each with an inscription—or, failing in the attempt, agree to remain a bachelor for the rest of his days. Various suitors attempt the test and fail, until Bassanio arrives. Portia favors him and is delighted when he succeeds. His man, Gratiano, also proposes to Nerissa. She accepts.

But all is not well in Venice. Lorenzo, a friend of Bassanio and Antonio, elopes with Shylock’s daughter, Jessica. This enrages Shylock, who vows to show no mercy... »

http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/stage/staging/index.html

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

ANTONIO

Antonio is a rich Venetian merchant, Bassanio's best friend , Shylock's archenemy and the man who puts up a pound of flesh as collateral so Bassanio can borrow money in order to woo Portia in style.

When the play opens on the streets of Venice, Antonio appears onstage and tells his friends that he's very sad but doesn't know why: "In sooth, I know not why I am so sad. / It wearies me, you say it wearies you" (1.1.1).

So why's Antonio so sad? Solanio suggests that Antonio's "mind is tossing on the ocean" because all his money is tied up in various mercantile ventures (1.1.1). But Antonio gives a pretty detailed explanation of why that's not true and declares, "my merchandise makes me not sad" (1.1.2). When Solanio says, "Why then, you are in love" (1.1.2), Antonio's response seems half-hearted. "Fie, fie" (1.1.3), he says, which isn't exactly convincing. So is it possible that Antonio is lovesick?

His depression certainly suggests that he is. In the 16th century, people thought love really could make a person sick, or "melancholy." This is why in Hamlet, Polonius thinks Hamlet is acting like a madman. Ophelia's dad is convinced that everyone's favorite Danish prince is "mad for [Ophelia's] love" (Hamlet, 1.2.8).

If Antonio is in love, who's the object of his affection? For a lot of audiences and literary critics (like W.H. Auden) the answer seems to be his best friend, Bassanio. As soon as Antonio has a chance to speak to his friend privately, the first thing on his mind is the woman Bassanio is wooing. It becomes clear that Antonio has asked about it before and has been promised an answer this day. One might clearly draw a link between Antonio's sadness and the weight of Bassanio's impending courtship – Antonio is suffering because he is about to lose his friend.

The question in the subtext is whether the feelings Antonio has for Bassanio go well beyond the bounds of friendship and cross over into the territory of romantic love. This might explain Antonio's sadness, his willingness to do anything for Bassanio, and most important, his constant need to contrast his friendship

with Bassanio to Portia's love for him. He calls Bassanio away from what should be his wedding night to see him in Venice, and as he prepares to die in court, he tells Bassanio to have Portia be the judge of these proceedings. She will have to decide whether "Bassanio had not once a love."

Antonio cannot love Bassanio the way he wants to; he can give him neither marriage nor money (as Portia can). If he were to sacrifice his life for Bassanio, he would be doing something greater than Portia ever would or could. His offer of a pound of flesh is a symbolic chance for his flesh to be meaningful to Bassanio. Even after Antonio is released, he pressures Bassanio to give away Portia's ring, claiming that his own love for Bassanio and what Balthazar deserves should be more important than Portia's commandment.

This tension is weakly resolved at the end of the play when it is revealed that Portia has given Antonio his life back twice – once in court disguised as Balthazar and once more with the news of the successful ships. Portia has warmly welcomed Antonio, but her actions have managed to assert that her love for Bassanio, and her power (shown by what she can give) supersede Antonio's friendship with Bassanio to her marriage.

Antonio According to Actor Jeremy Irons

In an interview with NPR, actor Jeremy Irons said he sees Antonio as a melancholy "father-figure" to Bassanio. "He rather loves the boy like a son," says Irons, who even goes so far as to invent a back-story for the character that's not original to Shakespeare's play. When Irons played the role in the 2004 film adaptation, he imagined that Antonio had once been married and, after losing his wife during childbirth, he decided to surround himself with young friends like Bassanio.

Self-Sacrificing Martyr

Antonio sure seems like the most devoted friend ever, but, as you've probably noticed, he's also kind of a martyr. When he's sent to jail and it's looking like Shylock is going to get his pound of flesh, Antonio writes a letter to Bassanio, asking his friend to return to Venice:

"Sweet Bassanio, my ships have allmiscarried, my creditors grow cruel, my estate isvery low, my bond to the Jew is forfeit; and sincein paying it, it is impossible I should live, alldebts are cleared between you and I, if I might butsee you at my death. Notwithstanding, use yourpleasure: if your love do not persuade you to come,let not my letter." (3.2.16)

Is Antonio trying to guilt-trip Bassanio into leaving Belmont in order to prove his love for his self-sacrificing friend? Perhaps, but we can rather understand why Antonio wants his friend by his side as he faces almost certain death at the hands of Shylock. Later, at the trial, Antonio says dramatically: "Give me your hand, Bassanio; fare you well. / Grieve not that I am fall'n to this for you" (4.1.8).

Antonio's Relationship with Shylock

Antonio is clearly very generous, and he most definitely loves his friend Bassanio, but he's got an ugly side as well. A blatant anti-Semite, Antonio is hostile toward Shylock and condemns Jews and their practice of usury (charging interest on loans, especially overly-high interest). (Did we mention that Antonio gives out interest-free loans to his Christian friends in order to undermine Shylock's money-lending business?) At one point, Shylock complains:

[…] he hates our sacred nation, and he rails, Even there where merchants most do congregate, On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift—Which he calls interest […] (1.3.9)

When Antonio is confronted about his aggressive behavior, he's completely unapologetic. Even after Shylock reminds Antonio that he's called him a "misbeliever, cut-throat dog" and has spat upon his coat (1.3.17), Antonio doesn't deny it: "I am like to call thee so again," he says. "To spit upon thee again, to spurn thee too" (1.3.8).

Antonio's not the only one who taunts Shylock, but he sure seems like the worst offender. So does Antonio's abuse at least partially explain Shylock's villainy? Shylock thinks so, especially when he declares: "the villainy you teach me I will execute" (3.1.6).

BASSANIO

Bassanio is Antonio's best friend and the lucky man who gets Portia, the richest and most beautiful woman in Belmont.

The thing to know about Bassanio is that he loves his lavish lifestyle, but he's really bad with money, which is why he ends up borrowing from Shylock. When we meet Bassanio, one of the first things out of his mouth is:

Tis not unknown to you, Antonio, How much I have disabled mine estate By something showing a more swelling portThan my faint means would grant continuance (1.1.4)

Translation: "Everyone knows I live way beyond my means and have blown all my money." Not only that, but Bassanio's spending has buried him under a big pile of debt and he's hoping to pay it all off. When he says "To you, Antonio, / I owe the most in money and in love" (1.1.4), it becomes pretty clear that Bassanio has been sponging off his rich friend. And even though Bassanio says he loves Antonio, Bassanio looks, sounds, and smells like a big user, the kind of person willing to take as much as his generous friend has to offer.

So how does Bassanio plan to get out of debt? By borrowing even more money so he can marry a rich heiress, Portia, who will pay off all his loans and help him continue his lavish lifestyle. He's even willing to let his best friend risk his life by putting up a "pound of flesh" as collateral so he can take out a personal loan from Shylock.

If you thought Bassanio was bad for using Antonio, it is also interesting to see how he talks about Portia: "In Belmont is a lady richly left, / And she is fair [...] Her name is Portia, nothing undervalued [...] Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth" (1.1.6). It's clear that Bassanio sees Portia as a ticket to a luxurious life.

We're not saying Bassanio doesn't care about Portia. There does seem to be some real affection between the two when they're hanging out in Belmont. However, Bassanio's loyalty to his new wife is questionable and he seems to value his friendship with Antonio more than anything else. Bassanio admits that Antonio is his number one priority when he rushes from Portia's house to Antonio's trial. "Antonio," he says. "I am married to a wife / Which is as dear to me as life itself, But life

itself, my wife, and all the world / Are not with me esteemed above thy life" (4.1.8).

Bassanio seems to float through life, reaping the benefits of his rich friends. In the end, Bassanio gets everything he ever wanted: a rich wife who is devoted to his happiness not to mention that his best friend is saved from Shylock's vengeful lawsuit.

GRAZIANO

Graziano is a friend of Antonio and Bassanio. He's also quite impulsive. When Bassanio travels to Belmont to win Portia, Graziano wants to accompany Bassanio, but Bassanio warns him to behave himself: "But hear thee, Graziano; / Thou art too wild, too rude and bold of voice" (2.3.5).

Apparently Graziano pulls himself together in Belmont and he finds himself falling in love with Portia's serving woman, Nerissa, during the visit. When Bassanio gets engaged to Portia, Graziano immediately announces his plans to wed Nerissa:

My eyes, my lord, can look as swift as yours:You saw the mistress, I beheld the maid;You loved, I loved for intermission.No more pertains to me, my lord, than you. (3.2.2)

In other words, while Bassanio was busy falling for Portia, Graziano had his "eye" on Portia's woman in waiting. Notice the parallelism in the second and third lines of this passage: "You saw" / "I beheld" ; "You loved" / "I loved." This technique emphasizes the fact that Graziano's engagement to Nerissa mirrors, or parallels, Bassanio's engagement to Portia.

So why does Shakespeare orchestrate this double wedding? Well, it seems like Graziano and Nerissa's coupling says a lot about Bassanio's relationship with Portia and the nature of love and marriage in general. When Graziano makes his big announcement and admits that Nerissa only agreed to marry him if Bassanio won the casket contest, the couples' abrupt declaration of "love" doesn’t seem very genuine. Same goes for Bassanio and Portia, whose marriage is fuelled, in the beginning, by Bassanio's desire for Portia's money.

Graziano's behavior seems to copy once more Bassanio's, later in the play, too. Bassanio gives away Portia's ring after the trial, and Graziano gives away Nerissa's ring (4.2).

JESSICA

Jessica is Shylock's only daughter. She hurts her father’s feelings and pride by running off to marry a Christian (Lorenzo) and helps herself to her dad's ducats and some treasured family heirlooms.

Being Shylock's Daughter

Before we dismiss Jessica as a selfish woman who steals from and abandons her father, we should keep in mind that life at Shylock's house is not so great. It becomes even worse when their clown/servant Lancelot leaves: "I am sorry thou wilt leave my father so," Jessica says to Lancelot. "Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil, / Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness"

(2.3.1). Shakespeare gives us a little taste of life at Shylock's in Act 2, Scene 5: when Shylock and Jessica appear onstage together, Shylock barks orders at his daughter (while screaming at his servant). He demands that Jessica stay inside and "lock up [the] doors" so the sounds of music don't drift in from the streets (2.5.5).

While we can understand why Jessica wants to escape her former life, we cannot do otherwise but wonder when we find out that she has traded her dead mother's turquoise ring for a monkey after running off with Lorenzo. Her thoughtlessness devastates her father:

Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal: it was myturquoise; I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor:I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys. (3.1.14)

Jessica's Conversion

Jessica not only runs away from her father's house, she also converts to Christianity, and both are portrayed as acts of abandonment. When Lancelot the clown says Jessica is "damned" to hell because she's the "Jew's daughter," Jessica declares "I shall be saved by my husband. He hath made me a Christian" (3.5.3). The idea here is that Jessica's marriage to a Christian man will automatically make her a Christian too. The concept comes from 1 Corinthians 7:14 in the New Testament: "The unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband."

As literary critic Janet Adelman points out in Blood Relations, "marriage appears to occur to [Jessica] largely as a way to escape" being her father's daughter:

Alack, what heinous sin is it in meTo be ashamed to be my father's child!But though I am a daughter to his blood,I am not to his manners. O Lorenzo,

If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife,Become a Christian and thy loving wife. (2.3.2)

Here it becomes clear that Jessica not only hates her father's rude "manners" but also associates Shylock's conduct and behavior with being Jewish, which is why she can't wait to "become a Christian."

LANCELOT

Lancelot is a clown and a servant – first Shylock's and then Bassanio's. Like all Shakespearean clown figures, Lancelot's job is to fool around, make smart comments, and bag on all the other characters in the play. When Lancelot leaves Shylock's "hell" house to serve Bassanio, we're reminded of how awful it is to live with Shylock (for both Lancelot and Jessica).

LORENZO

Lorenzo is a friend to both Antonio and Bassanio. More important, however, he's the man who elopes with Jessica. Unlike Bassanio, when Lorenzo talks about Jessica, he says he loves her because she's smart, beautiful, and loyal:

Beshrew me but I love her heartily;For she is wise, if I can judge of her,And fair she is, if that mine eyes be true,And true she is, as she hath proved herself,And therefore, like herself, wise, fair and true, Shall she be placed in my constant soul. (2.6.6)

We also notice in this passage that Lorenzo says "beshrew me [evil befall me] but I love her heartily." Clearly Lorenzo has at least some anxiety about marrying the daughter of a "faithless Jew" (2.4.7).

In a play that's full of anti-Semitic characters, we are pleasantly surprised to read about Lorenzo's willingness to marry Jessica and would like to view this fact as a signal of his progressive, open-minded attitude about race and religion.

NERISSA

Nerissa is Portia's woman in waiting. At the beginning of the play, she acts as a sounding board to Portia. She listens to Portia complain about her life and the unfairness of the casket contest and tells her to accept it and be glad instead that her father was wise enough to plan for his daughter's future. This, of course, tells us that Nerissa is a very practical girl.

PORTIA

Before we even meet Portia, we hear about how desirable she is: "In Belmont is a lady richly left, / and she is fair" (1.2.4).

The heiress to her dead father's fortune, Portia's wealth makes her even more desirable in the eyes of Bassanio, who sees Portia as the answer to all his financial woes – if he can marry her that is. As Bassanio points out, he's not the only man who'd like to marry the heiress: "Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth, / For the four winds blow in from every coast / Renowned suitors" (1.2.4) willing to risk everything for a chance to marry Portia.

Not only is every potential suitor out to get his hands on Portia's wealth, but Portia doesn't even get to choose her husband,

because her (dead) father set up a contest/test involving three caskets to ensure his daughter married the "right" man. It turns out that Portia's father knew how attractive Portia would be as a rich, young woman, so he did what any wealthy 16th century Shakespearean father would and made sure his only daughter would marry the man of his choosing.

As you can imagine, Portia is not happy about this at all and says as much to Nerissa:

O me, the word 'choose!' I mayneither choose whom I would nor refuse whom Idislike; so is the will of a living daughter curbedby the will of a dead father. Is it not hard,Nerissa, that I cannot choose one nor refuse none? (1.2.3)

Notice the repetition of the word "choose" in this passage. Portia's point is pretty clear – as "a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father," she's still not independent of her father's control – even if he is dead, Portia is still expected to obey his wishes.

But Portia is not only a beautiful, rich woman honouring her deceased father despite her will. As the play develops and we see Portia in action, it becomes clear that she is also smart.

1. Portia and the casket contest

Portia clearly wants to marry Bassanio. When Bassanio shows up to try his luck at the casket lottery, Portia has her band of musicians play a tune (full of not so subtle hints) that helps Bassanio make the right choice (3.2.1).

2. Portia saves Antonio's life and her marriage

Portia disguises as a lawyer and saves Antonio's life during the big trial scene, thus showing her intelligence, determination,

loyalty to her husband as well as her bravery and courage in a man dominated world.

3. The ring trick

After Bassanio wins Portia by choosing the right casket, Portia gives him a ring and makes him promise to never part with it (3.2.7). Bassanio parts with the ring when Portia (disguised as Balthazar the lawyer) asks for it as a symbolic reward for saving the life of his best friend. Why does Portia do this? Perhaps she acts so because she wants to test her husband’s loyalty. Or maybe because she already knows that Bassanio will give up her ring, with all it symbolizes, as a gesture of gratitude to the "man" who saved Antonio's life. When Portia later confronts Bassanio about losing her ring, he feels guilty about betraying her.

So, even though Portia is limited by her circumstances as a woman and has to obey her father and navigate relationships with men who want her for her money, status and or beauty, she manages to play by society's rules and use them to her own advantage. In the end, Portia manages to outsmart everyone.

SHYLOCK

How to Play Shylock

Shylock is a Jewish moneylender, father to Jessica, enemy to Antonio, and one of the most complex characters of The Merchant of Venice – and arguably of all of Shakespeare's work.Over the years, theater and film productions of the play have portrayed Shylock in various ways. As literary critic Ann Barton points out in The Riverside Shakespeare, "Shylock has sometimes been presented as the devil incarnate, sometimes as a comic villain gabbling absurdly about ducats and daughters. He has also been sentimentalized as a wronged and suffering father nobler by far than the people who triumph over him."

In other productions, Shylock is portrayed as a justifiably angry man: he is hated by the Venetians; despised for his religion, culture, and occupation; betrayed by his daughter; and ultimately undone by the very city in which he lives. You could argue that Shylock's hatred and desire for vengeance is a natural result of his circumstances. In the 2004 film adaptation of Merchant, Al Pacino's famous portrayal of Shylock is sympathetic and emphasizes his victimization and humanity.

Materialistic Shylock?

Throughout the play, Shylock's attitude toward money and human relationships undergoes some scrutiny. When we hear about Shylock's response to Jessica's elopement, it seems like he's more worried about the gold Jessica stole than the fact that his daughter is gone. Solanio tells us that Shylock screamed "'My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter! / Fled with a Christian! O my Christian ducats!" (2.8.2).

But, later, when we actually see Shylock talking to Tubal about Jessica's elopement, it seems like Shylock isn't as materialistic as Solanio makes him out to be. Check out Shylock's response to the news that Jessica traded an important family heirloom:

Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal: it was my

turquoise; I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor:I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys. (3.1.14)

The turquoise ring Jessica discarded is important to Shylock because it was a gift from his dead wife, not because it's worth a lot of money. So here, we can see that Shylock isn't exactly the money-grubbing villain he's been made out to be.

Shylock's Opinions on Jews and Christians

Shylock's pained response to Jessica's actions reveal that he is deeply human, a point that he makes at a pivotal moment in the play, when Salerio and Solanio taunt him with Jessica's elopement:

Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs,dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed withthe same food, hurt with the same weapons, subjectto the same diseases, healed by the same means,warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, asa Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed?if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poisonus, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we notrevenge? If we are like you in the rest, we willresemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian,what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christianwrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be byChristian example? Why, revenge. The villany youteach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but Iwill better the instruction. (3.1.6)

Here Shylock insists on the fact that Jews and Christians share a common humanity. He also exposes the hypocrisy of the Christian characters who are always talking about love and mercy but then go out of their way to alienate Shylock because he is Jewish and different.

Yet as powerful as this speech is, elsewhere in the play Shylock tends to emphasize the differences between Jews and Christians. When Bassanio invites him to dinner, Shylock mutters "I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following, but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you" (1.3.8). Is Shylock just being hateful, or is his disdain justifiable? We know Shylock has been abused in the past (he's been trash-talked, spit upon, called a dog, and worse), and it seems like there's not a scene that goes by in which some character isn't hurling anti-Semitic insults.

It's Complicated

Even though we can see that Shylock is a victim of bigotry, he often makes it hard for us to pity him entirely. Shylock is often rude and base in his interactions. He's abrupt with his daughter and mean to his servant, and his house is described as a "hell" on more than one occasion. Plus, he wants Antonio dead and pursues his "bond" (a pound of Antonio's flesh) when the Christian merchant is unable to pay back his loan.

Even if critics can't agree on how to interpret Shylock, one thing is certain: he is an outsider who is alienated from just about everyone – even his own daughter, who can't wait to run away. By the end of the dramatic courtroom scene, Shylock is a broken man – he's humiliated in court, stripped of much of his wealth, and forced to convert to Christianity.

THE DUKE OF VENICE

His role in the play is to uphold the law, which is why Shylock goes to him after Jessica robs him and runs away to marry Lorenzo(2.8.1) as well as when he wants to collect his "pound of flesh" from Antonio (3.2).

As Antonio points out, "the duke cannot deny the course of law." Venice had laws in place to protect non-Venetian traders, who supported the city's economic well-being. ("For the commodity that strangers have /With us in Venice, if it be denied, / Will much impeach the justice of his state" [3.3.4].) At the big trial scene, the Duke can't help Antonio, because Shylock's legal contract is solid. The best the Duke can do is use his authority and try to convince Shylock to show mercy, which Shylock completely ignores.

Sources - references

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