An Introduction to the Playwright:
William
Shakespeare was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564 in
Stratford-upon-Avon. His birthday is most commonly celebrated on 23 April, which is also believed to be the date he died in
1616.
Shakespeare
was a prolific writer during the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages of British
theatre (sometimes called the English Renaissance or the Early Modern Period).
Shakespeare’s plays are perhaps his most enduring legacy, but they are not all
he wrote. Shakespeare’s poems also remain popular to this day.
Shakespeare's Work:
Shakespeare's
works include 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, 154 sonnets, and a variety of other
poems. No original manuscripts of Shakespeare's plays are known to exist today.
It is actually thanks to a group of actors from Shakespeare's company that we
have about half of the plays at all. They collected them for publication after
Shakespeare died, preserving the plays. These writings were brought together in
what is known as the First Folio ('Folio' refers to the size of the paper
used). It contained 36 of his plays, but none of his poetry.
Shakespeare’s
legacy is as rich and diverse as his work; his plays have spawned countless
adaptations across multiple genres and cultures. His plays have had an enduring
presence on stage and film. His writings have been compiled in various
iterations of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, which include all of
his plays, sonnets, and other poems. William Shakespeare continues to be one of
the most important literary figures of the English language.
Shakespeare's Life:
Records
survive relating to William Shakespeare’s family. Through these, we can gain an
understanding of the context of Shakespeare's early life and the lives of his
family members. John Shakespeare married Mary Arden, and together they had
eight children. John and Mary lost two daughters as infants, so William became
their eldest child. John Shakespeare worked as a glove-maker, but he also
became an important figure in the town of Stratford by fulfilling civic
positions. His elevated status meant that he was even more likely to have sent
his children, including Shakespeare, to the local grammar school. John was
awarded a coat of arms, now displayed on the monument above the Shakespeare
grave in Holy Trinity Church. Versions of the Shakespeare coat of arms can also
be seen on Shakespeare’s Birthplace, outside of the Shakespeare Centre, and
above the entrance to Shakespeare’s New Place.
William
Shakespeare would have lived with his family in their house on Henley Street
until he turned eighteen. When he was eighteen, Shakespeare married Anne
Hathaway, who was twenty-six. It was a rushed marriage because Anne was already
pregnant at the time of the ceremony. Together they had three children. Their
first daughter, Susanna, was born six months after the wedding and was later
followed by twins Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died when he was just 11 years old.
Shakespeare in London:
Shakespeare's
career jump-started in London. When did he go there? We do know Shakespeare's
twins were baptised in 1585, and Shakespeare established his reputation in
London by 1592. But the intervening years are considered a mystery. Scholars
generally refer to these years as ‘The Lost Years’.
During
his time in London, Shakespeare became a founding member of The Lord
Chamberlain’s Men, a company of actors. The company would later become The
King’s Men under the patronage of King James I (from 1603). During his time in
the company Shakespeare wrote many of his most famous tragedies, such as King
Lear and Macbeth, as well as great romances, like The Winter’s Tale and The
Tempest.
New Place:
In
1597, William Shakespeare bought a home called New Place in
Stratford-upon-Avon. Recent archaeological evidence discovered on the site of
Shakespeare’s New Place shows that Shakespeare was only ever an intermittent
lodger in London. This suggests he divided his time between Stratford and
London (a two or three-day commute). In his later years, he may have spent more
time in Stratford-upon-Avon than scholars previously thought. Shakespeare died
in Stratford-upon-Avon on 23 April 1616 at the age of 52. He is buried in the
sanctuary of the parish church, Holy Trinity.
Introduction to The Merchant of Venice:
An Introduction to the Playwright:
William
Shakespeare was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564 in
Stratford-upon-Avon. His birthday is most commonly celebrated on 23 April, which is also believed to be the date he died in
1616.
Shakespeare
was a prolific writer during the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages of British
theatre (sometimes called the English Renaissance or the Early Modern Period).
Shakespeare’s plays are perhaps his most enduring legacy, but they are not all
he wrote. Shakespeare’s poems also remain popular to this day.
Shakespeare's Work:
Shakespeare's
works include 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, 154 sonnets, and a variety of other
poems. No original manuscripts of Shakespeare's plays are known to exist today.
It is actually thanks to a group of actors from Shakespeare's company that we
have about half of the plays at all. They collected them for publication after
Shakespeare died, preserving the plays. These writings were brought together in
what is known as the First Folio ('Folio' refers to the size of the paper
used). It contained 36 of his plays, but none of his poetry.
Shakespeare’s
legacy is as rich and diverse as his work; his plays have spawned countless
adaptations across multiple genres and cultures. His plays have had an enduring
presence on stage and film. His writings have been compiled in various
iterations of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, which include all of
his plays, sonnets, and other poems. William Shakespeare continues to be one of
the most important literary figures of the English language.
Shakespeare's Life:
Records
survive relating to William Shakespeare’s family. Through these, we can gain an
understanding of the context of Shakespeare's early life and the lives of his
family members. John Shakespeare married Mary Arden, and together they had
eight children. John and Mary lost two daughters as infants, so William became
their eldest child. John Shakespeare worked as a glove-maker, but he also
became an important figure in the town of Stratford by fulfilling civic
positions. His elevated status meant that he was even more likely to have sent
his children, including Shakespeare, to the local grammar school. John was
awarded a coat of arms, now displayed on the monument above the Shakespeare
grave in Holy Trinity Church. Versions of the Shakespeare coat of arms can also
be seen on Shakespeare’s Birthplace, outside of the Shakespeare Centre, and
above the entrance to Shakespeare’s New Place.
William
Shakespeare would have lived with his family in their house on Henley Street
until he turned eighteen. When he was eighteen, Shakespeare married Anne
Hathaway, who was twenty-six. It was a rushed marriage because Anne was already
pregnant at the time of the ceremony. Together they had three children. Their
first daughter, Susanna, was born six months after the wedding and was later
followed by twins Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died when he was just 11 years old.
Shakespeare in London:
Shakespeare's
career jump-started in London. When did he go there? We do know Shakespeare's
twins were baptised in 1585, and Shakespeare established his reputation in
London by 1592. But the intervening years are considered a mystery. Scholars
generally refer to these years as ‘The Lost Years’.
During
his time in London, Shakespeare became a founding member of The Lord
Chamberlain’s Men, a company of actors. The company would later become The
King’s Men under the patronage of King James I (from 1603). During his time in
the company Shakespeare wrote many of his most famous tragedies, such as King
Lear and Macbeth, as well as great romances, like The Winter’s Tale and The
Tempest.
New Place:
In
1597, William Shakespeare bought a home called New Place in
Stratford-upon-Avon. Recent archaeological evidence discovered on the site of
Shakespeare’s New Place shows that Shakespeare was only ever an intermittent
lodger in London. This suggests he divided his time between Stratford and
London (a two or three-day commute). In his later years, he may have spent more
time in Stratford-upon-Avon than scholars previously thought. Shakespeare died
in Stratford-upon-Avon on 23 April 1616 at the age of 52. He is buried in the
sanctuary of the parish church, Holy Trinity.
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. Its basic plot outline, with the characters of the merchant, the poor suitor, the fair lady, and the villainous Jew, is found in a number of contemporary Italian story collections, and Shakespeare borrowed several details, such the choice of caskets that Portia inflicts on all her suitors, from preexisting sources. The Merchant of Venice’s Italian setting and marriage plot are typical of Shakespeare’s earlier comedies, but the characters of Portia, Shakespeare’s first great heroine, and the unforgettable villain Shylock elevate this play to a new level.
In Merchant of Venice, 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.
List of Characters in The Merchant of Venice:
Antonio: a merchant of Venice and
intimate friend of Bassanio.
Salerio: friend to both Antonio
and Bassanio.
Solanio: friend to both Antonio and
Bassanio.
Bassanio: a young
gentleman of Venice in financial difficulty; suitor to Portia and intimate
friend of Antonio.
Lorenzo: friend of Bassanio and Antonio; Christian lover of the Jewish woman, Jessica: daughter of Shylock; Jewish lover of the Christian man, Lorenzo.
Gratiano: friend of Bassanio and
Antonio; joins Bassanio’s expedition to Belmont; romancer of Nerissa.
Portia: a wealthy
heiress of Belmont; she approves of Bassanio’s suit to her.
Nerissa: Portia’s waiting woman and
confidante; approves Gratiano’s advances.
Shylock: a Jewish moneylender of
Venice.
Morocco: an African Prince and suitor
to Portia.
Launcelot
Gobbo: a clown (comical member of the lower
class); ex-servant of Shylock who enters into Bassanio’s service.
Old Gobbo: Launcelot’s father; nearly blind
from age.
Leonardo: servant of Bassanio.
Jessica: daughter of Shylock;
Jewish lover of the Christian man, Lorenzo.
Aragon: a prince; suitor to
Portia.
Tubal: a friend of Shylock; a
Jew of Venice.
Jailer: holds
Antonio prisoner.
Balthasar: a servant of Portia.
The
Duke of Venice: the highest authority in
Venice.
Stephano: a messenger sent by Portia to
Lorenzo and Jessica.
Various
Magnificoes of Venice, Officers of the Court, Musicians, Servants, Messengers,
and Attendants
Act I, Scenes 1-3: Summary and Analysis
Act I, Scene 1
The Characters of the scene:
Antonio: a merchant of Venice
Salerio and
Solanio:
friends to Bassanio and Antonio
Bassanio: a young gentleman of Venice,
friend of Antonio
Lorenzo: friend of Bassanio and
Antonio, loves Jessica
Gratiano: friend of Bassanio and Antonio
Summary:
In Venice, Antonio is depressed, though he is uncertain why. Salerio and Solanio try to account for his sadness by suggesting he is worried about his merchant ships sailing in dangerous waters. Antonio denies this, but can suggest nothing in its place. Salerio and Solanio leave as Bassanio, Lorenzo, and Gratiano enter. Gratiano and Lorenzo jest with Antonio, lifting his spirits slightly, before departing. Left alone, Bassanio apologizes to Antonio for owing him a great deal of money. Antonio tells him not to worry about it. Bassanio then informs Antonio of a wealthy heiress in Belmont whom he wishes to court. The trouble is, he needs to borrow more money from Antonio to outfit himself properly, in order to compete with the many wealthier suitors. Bassanio suggests that, with a little more money, he will improve his chances of repaying his debt to his friend. Marrying the heiress will solve all of Bassanio’s financial problems. Antonio readily agrees to this plan; however, as all of his capital is tied up at the moment with his ships, he will be unable to lend money directly. Bassanio instead can use Antonio’s name to obtain credit.
Analysis:
This
scene is primarily exposition, conversation made to fill the audience in on the
various circumstances leading up to the events of the play. The audience learns
about Antonio’s generosity and successful business standing, Bassanio’s present
financial embarrassments, and the prospect of Portia’s wealth as the solution
to the latter’s problems. Crucial financial information about Antonio—which
will account for his future predicament—is revealed. His ships are out to sea,
tying up his available assets, and this will lead him to seek a loan from
Shylock. The news that his ships have been wrecked will make Antonio unable to
repay the money.
Act I, Scene 2
New Characters of the scene:
Portia: the wealthy heiress of Belmont
Nerissa: her waiting woman
Summary:
In
Belmont, Portia confides to Nerissa her distaste for the provisions of her
father’s will. Portia’s father devised a test for anyone seeking her hand in
marriage. A would-be suitor must choose among three caskets (ornamental boxes)—one
gold, one silver, one lead—one of which contains permission to marry Portia.
The suitor must agree, however, that if he makes a wrong choice, he will spend
the rest of his days single. This situation is aggravated by Portia’s complete
distaste for any of her potential husbands. Nerissa names them all, while
Portia enumerates her particular dislikes of each. She takes heart in the news
that each has announced he will return home, fearing the strict consequences of
her father’s test. The two women suddenly remember Bassanio, whom they find
more appealing; however, they are interrupted in their praise by a messenger
who declares that her suitors seek an audience with her, and that a new
contestant, the Prince of Morocco, will arrive soon.
Analysis:
This
short scene primarily serves as the audience’s introduction to the plot of the
three caskets, which determines who may marry Portia. The test of the caskets
will be performed three times in the play, by Morocco in Act II, Scene 8,
Aragon in Act II, Scene 9, and Bassanio in Act III, Scene 2. The audience
learns here of Portia’s inclination toward Bassanio. Her resentment of her
father’s will is also significant; Portia is too independent to be told what to
do, as becomes clear when, later in the play, she takes matters into her own hands
to resolve Antonio’s plight. Apart from these important introductions, the
substance of the scene is largely comic, a series of jokes based on various
prevailing national and ethnic stereotypes as Portia disdains each suitor in
turn. As is the case with much of Shakespeare, this scene is an excuse for the
playwright to exercise his linguistic ingenuity in constructing clever
sentences, such as “When he is best he is a little worse than a man, and when
he is worst he is little better than a beast” (lines 86-88).
Act I, Scene 3
New Character of the scene:
Shylock: a Jewish moneylender of Venice
Summary
In
Venice, Bassanio negotiates with Shylock to borrow three thousand ducats
(monetary units) for three months, for which “Antonio shall be bound.” Shylock
doesn’t agree immediately, but wishes to speak to Antonio first. Antonio
enters, provoking Shylock to vent his hatred of him in an aside. Shylock claims
to hate Antonio for being a Christian, for loaning money to people in need
without charging interest, and for publicly slandering Shylock’s own business
practices. Antonio, despite his customary scruples against usury (moneylending
for interest), personally asks Shylock to loan Bassanio the money. Still
Shylock hesitates, reminding Antonio of the merchant’s past ill-treatment of
him and suggesting Antonio’s hypocrisy in now coming to him for a favor.
Antonio is nrepentant, however, claiming that they needn’t be friends in order
to do business together. Shylock then turns the tables on his adversaries,
suddenly announcing his intention to loan Bassanio the money out of “kindness,”
i.e., without charging interest. There is one catch, however: Antonio must go
with
Shylock
to a notary and sign an agreement stating that if he fails to repay the loan on
time, he must allow Shylock to cut off a pound of his flesh. Shylock claims
this is “merry sport,” and Antonio readily agrees, treating the whole affair as
a gag. Bassanio, however, is alarmed at this arrangement and insists Antonio
not enter into the bargain. Antonio is not convinced of any real danger,
however, and agrees to meet with Shylock “forthwith” to sign the bond.
Analysis:
This
is the most complicated scene thus far in the play. Its function is to
establish the second major
complication
of the plot, the bond for a pound of Antonio’s flesh. It also introduces the
audience to Shylock, possibly the most engaging character in the play. Beyond
these plot considerations, however, the ramifications of this scene are
immense.
The appearance of Shylock announces two of the play’s central issues: the relationship between Jews and Christians, and the Venetian—and by association, the Elizabethan—attitude toward usury. The animosity between Christians and Jews is almost immediately established as the scene unfolds, and, although it is Shylock who first calls these matters to the audience’s attention, Antonio confirms that the hostility is mutual. The fact that Shylock is referred to as “the Jew” by the others suggests that their contempt for him is more than merely personal; to them, Shylock represents a group whom they are compelled to dislike for religious and even racial reasons.
It is perhaps impossible for us to decide how much of the animosity between the two Christians and Shylock is personal and how much is based on group identity. Indeed, the characters move between both sets of reasons as if there were no distinction between them, or as if their identities guaranteed the nature of their personal relations. Shylock initiates hostilities in this scene, informing Bassanio that, although he will transact business with him, “I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you” (lines 34-5). Shylock makes it clear in his speech—with the reference to “pork,” a food many Jewish sects forbid its members to consume—that even their culinary differences are religious. His initial expression of disgust for Antonio is explicitly religion-oriented: “I hate him for he is a Christian” (line 39).
Shylock’s bitterness, however, next becomes a business matter; Antonio’s interest-free loans to the needy “[bring] down/ The rate of usance” in Venice, affecting the usurer’s profits. His complaint against Antonio then takes a personal turn, as Shylock recalls, “he rails/ Even there where merchants most do congregate,/ On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift,/ Which he calls interest” (lines 45-8). The personal tenor of Shylock’s hatred is magnified in a later speech, when he confronts Antonio: “You call me misbeliever, cutthroat dog,/ And spet [spit] upon my Jewish gabardine,/ And all for use of that which is mine own” (lines 108-10). Clearly the religious dispute has moved to the level of personal insult, even to mild scuffling. Antonio shows no remorse in the face of such accusations, however, justifying his behavior on moral principles.
The issue of usury seems inextricable from the religious bickering. Antonio equally despises Shylock for his moneylending practices as for his religion and race. It is as if commerce and religion are the same; Antonio’s contempt for Shylock’s usury may stem from his Christian faith, while for Shylock, there is no contradiction between his profession and his religious convictions. There is, obviously, no one interpretation of this scene which can satisfy all of its possibilities. The Elizabethan distaste for usury no doubt inclined the play’s original audience to side with Antonio on this matter. If this is the case, however, we might, along with Shylock, detect certain hypocrisy in Antonio’s coming to him for a loan in a time of need. His principles bend to practical considerations, much like Elizabethan law, which made usury illegal but left provisions that it wouldn’t be punished if the interest rate was less than 10%. An audience’s feelings about Shylock matter a great deal in this scene, for either he will appear as justifiably resentful of Antonio’s seemingly-unprovoked treatment of him, or else as deserving such treatment for his beliefs and practices.
One final aspect of this scene that has been a source of contention among critics concerns the agreement of a pound of flesh as collateral for the loan. Shylock twice refers to the arrangement as “merry,” as though the whole affair is in no way a serious one. Some readers of the play have taken him at his word; they believe that he only becomes serious in his demand after Lorenzo, Antonio’s friend, runs off with Shylock’s daughter Jessica, who in turn steals some of her father’s money and possessions. Others argue that the entire arrangement is from start to finish motivated by Shylock’s desire for revenge against Antonio.
Act I Commentary:
Scene i: Scene 1 introduces one of the
major plot points of the play as well as several of the key characters. When
Antonio, Salerio, and Solanio enter at the beginning of the scene, they are in
the midst of a discussion about why Antonio is depressed. This
"sadness," which Antonio claims to not know the source of, becomes clear
when he reveals to Bassanio that all of his fortunes are tied up to his ships
out at sea. It should also be noted that Antonio lies to Salerio and Solanio,
who both assume that Antonio is worried about his trade until Antonio reassures
them that "My ventures are not in one bottom trusted//Nor to one
place...Therefore my merchandise makes me not sad" (ll. 42-45). Antonio is
well aware that the practice of placing all of one's fortunes on sea trade is
treacherous, and because of this is unwilling to admit his situation to anyone
but Bassanio. Antonio's willingness to admit his troubles to Bassanio also
indicates the closeness of their relationship. Antonio not only confides in
Bassanio, but he often reciprocates by helping Bassanio with his problems, especially
the financial ones:
"To
you, Antonio,
I
owe the most in money and in love,
And
from your love I have a warranty
To
unburden all my plots and purposes
How
to get clear of all the debts I owe" (ll. 130-134).
Bassanio,
then, has depended on Antonio several times before for both financial and
emotional support. It is because of this history that the main plot of the play
is set into motion. Bassanio comes to Antonio in this scene in order to borrow
more money so that he can pursue Portia. Unfortunately, Antonio has no money to
give him, but tells Bassanio to borrow upon Antonio's credit to get the sum
that he needs. This is the first example of Antonio's willingness to sacrifice
himself for Bassanio, and it is what leads Antonio into the bond that
jeopardizes his life.
Scene ii: There are some key comparisons between characters that are made in this scene. Like Antonio in scene 1, Portia begins the scene by discussing her "sadness," which is attributed to her marital situation. Another parallel between the two characters is that, like Antonio, Portia cannot take action—she must accept the suitor who chooses the right box, much like Antonio can do nothing but wait until his ships return. Portia also shows a preference for Bassanio, whom she has seen once before. However, unlike Antonio, Portia displays a good deal of wit in this scene in order to alleviate her sadness, and while she is distressed at the situation, she also takes the opportunity to ridicule her suitors. Her insults show her great intelligence, a trait that will become critical in Act IV, scene 1, and her playfulness, which also appears later on in the play. Also, Portia's desire to act, which is in direct contrast to Antonio's sad resignation to his situation, gives her the impetus to solve the problem of the bond. Another character parallel that occurs in this scene is that of Nerissa and Gratiano. In scene 1, Gratiano gives a great deal of advice to Antonio to cheer him up, and Nerissa does the same in order to comfort her mistress. Nerissa's advice, much like Gratiano's, do not necessarily make much sense, and we begin to see by the end of the scene why it is that these two characters will become engaged by the end of Act II.
Scene iii: Shylock, the
antagonist of the play, makes his first appearance in this scene. Bassanio, in
an effort to secure the 3,000 ducats he needs in order to woo Portia, resorts
to borrowing from Shylock. The Christian community of Venice hates Shylock
because he is a Jew and because he charges interest when he lends money.
Antonio in particular demonstrates a great deal of contempt for Shylock in this
scene, despite the fact that Bassanio is attempting to convince Shylock to lend
him money. When Shylock reminds Antonio that Antonio has insulted him
frequently in the Rialto, often calling him a dog, Antonio replies:
"I
am as like to call thee so again,
To
spit on thee again, to spurn thee too.
If
thou wilt lend this money, lend it not
As
to thy friends...
But
lend it rather to thine enemy,
Who
if he break, thou mayst with better face
Exact
the penalty" (ll. 126-133).
Antonio's
dislike of Shylock, although they have never met until this scene, will not be
abated even if Shylock agrees to lend money to Bassanio. This hatred of Jews by
Christians was typical in Shakespeare's day, and would not have been questioned
by an Elizabethan audience.
The
religious prejudice in this play is not, however, one-sided. Shylock also hates
Antonio, as he reveals in an aside in the scene:
"I
hate him for he is a Christian;
But
more, for that in low simplicity
He
lends out money gratis and brings down
The
rate of usance here with us in Venice" (ll. 37-41).
Shylock,
then, has two reasons for hating Antonio—his religion and, more importantly to
Shylock, his status as a competitor. Antonio's refusal to lend out money for
interest has damaged Shylock's business, which is why Shylock hopes to use this
opportunity to avenge himself upon Antonio.
With
that vengeance and the insults of Antonio in mind, the bond proposed in this
scene becomes extremely problematic. Shylock proposes that Antonio give him a
pound of flesh if he fails to fulfill his part of the contract—a proposition
which horrifies Bassanio but amuses and relieves Antonio. It is not clear
whether or not Shylock actually intends to exact this payment at this point in
the play. Shylock wants revenge for the damage to his business and for the ill
treatment he receives, and he knows that a good deal of Antonio's wealth is at
sea, which can be a great risk. However, Antonio does have three months to
repay the debt, and Shylock does not know that all of Antonio's fortunes are
dependent upon his sea trade. This topic is also complicated by the evolving
ideas of the role of Shylock over the centuries. Shylock has been portrayed as
a buffoon and stock character, but has more recently been seen as a victim of
racism and cruelty. Critics who support the latter view have often argued that
it is unlikely that Shylock expects that Antonio would forfeit the contract at
this point. However, if Shylock is a buffoon, then he may most certainly expect
to secure a pound of Antonio's flesh. Shakespeare, of course, does not give us
a clear answer on the subject.
Act II, Scenes 1-9: Summary and Analysis
Act II, Scene 1
New Character of the scene:
Morocco: an African prince, suitor to Portia
Summary:
The
Prince of Morocco arrives at Portia’s house in Belmont, seeking her hand in
marriage. He asks Portia to disregard their racial difference and judge him
instead by his personal merits. Portia reminds Morocco that the choice is not
hers to make; he, like the other suitors, must face her father’s challenge of
the three caskets. She assures him, however, that she regards him “as fair/ As
any comer [she has] looked on yet/ For [her] affection” (lines 20-22). Morocco
laments that, in spite of his valor, mere chance may deprive him of Portia. Portia
refers him to the terms of her father’s will, which he accepts. They agree to
perform the test after dinner.
Analysis:
This
short scene introduces the audience to the Prince of Morocco, who will make the
first unsuccessful attempt to pass the test designed by Portia’s father to
determine who will marry her. In terms of the play’s themes, its chief interest
is its explorations of racial animosity, which we have seen earlier in the
encounter between Shylock and the two Christians. Morocco requests that Portia
“Mislike [him] not for [his] complexion” (line 1) but rather consider him for
his personal worth. Although Portia claims that this is her policy, the
sincerity of her claim is later called into question at the close of Act II
Scene 7. After Morocco fails the test and departs, Portia says in relief “A
gentle riddance…/ Let all of his complexion choose me so” (lines 78-9). Unlike
Shakespeare’s contemp¬oraries, who may have endorsed such sentiments, more
modern audiences might perhaps have an ugly impression of the attitudes of the
Christians in the play. Though Morocco is a minor character, such scenes may
inform the audience’s feeling about Shylock and his indictments of Christian
hypocrisy.
Act II, Scene 2
New Characters of the scene:
Launcelot Gobbo: ex-servant of Shylock
Old Gobbo: Launcelot’s father
Leonardo: servant of Bassanio
Summary:
This
scene opens with Launcelot Gobbo debating whether or not to leave Shylock’s
service. Just as he decides to quit, his near-blind father, Old Gobbo, arrives
with a gift for Shylock. Since his father doesn’t recognize him, Launcelot toys
with him for a time before revealing his identity. He asks his father to give
the gift instead to Bassanio—who subsequently enters with Leonardo—as a means
of begging a position in his household. The Gobbos make their pitch and
Bassanio accepts, hiring Launcelot on the spot. Bassanio then dispatches
Leonardo to prepare his household to receive Antonio for dinner. Gratiano
enters and asks Bassanio if he may attend him on his journey to Belmont.
Bassanio agrees, but not before cautioning Gratiano to curtail his ribaldry.
Analysis:
Little
of this scene actually bears much relation to the plot of the play, save the
establishment of Gratiano as Bassanio’s attendant. It is more or less an excuse
for Shakespeare to indulge his audience with a bit of linguistic comedy, in the
form of the Three Stooges-like double-talk spoken by the Gobbos. We should
note, however, that even in a scene as light as this one, Shakespeare keeps the
issue of racial hostility before his audience. Launcelot’s desire to leave
Shylock’s employ stems largely from the fact that his boss is Jewish, coupled
with his belief that the Jew “is a kind of devil” (line 24). Significantly,
Shylock is never referred to in this scene by name, but simply as “the Jew.”
Act II, Scene 3
New Character of the scene:
Jessica: daughter of Shylock
Summary:
At
Shylock’s house, Jessica, his daughter, bids farewell to Launcelot as he
prepares to leave her father’s service. She entreats him to deliver a message
to Lorenzo. After he departs, she expresses her desire to marry Lorenzo and
become a Christian.
Analysis:
This
scene sets in motion another important subplot—the romance between Shylock’s
daughter and
Bassanio’s
and Antonio’s friend. Some critics speculate that it is Jessica’s departure
with Lorenzo, coupled with her theft of her father’s money and jewels that
pushes Shylock over the edge and provokes him to pursue the pound of Antonio’s
flesh in earnest. (Others, of course, claim that this was Shylock’s intention
all along.) The anti-Semitism of the play is fueled here by Jessica’s own
self-loathing, i.e., her desire to shed her own religion and become a
Christian.
Act II, Scene 4
Summary:
Gratiano,
Lorenzo, Salerio, and Solanio prepare for an evening of street festivities.
Launcelot arrives to deliver Jessica’s message to Lorenzo. Lorenzo sends
Launcelot back with the reply “I will not fail her,” and instructs the
messenger to “Speak it privately.” Lorenzo explains to Gratiano Jessica’s plan
to flee her father.
Analysis:
This
is essentially a development of the subplot begun in Act II, Scene 3,
confirming the plan on Lorenzo’s end. Lorenzo magnifies the Christians’ dislike
of “Jew-for-Jews sake” in the following lines: “And never dare misfortune cross
[Jessica’s] foot,/ Unless she [i.e., misfortune] do it under the excuse,/ That
she [Jessica] is issue to a faithless Jew” (lines 35-37). In other words,
Lorenzo perceives the “flaw” of Jessica’s Jewishness as potentially outweighing
her personal merits.
Act II, Scene 5
Summary:
Launcelot
has come to Shylock’s house to deliver the invitation for the usurer to dine
with Bassanio and Antonio. Shylock apparently overcomes his earlier religious
scruple against dining with the Christians and accepts. He cautions his
daughter against the Christian masquers (street-revelers); she is instructed to
keep the house shut tight. Before departing, Launcelot secretly informs Jessica
that Lorenzo will come by that night. Shylock quizzes his daughter on what just
passed between her and Launcelot, but she throws him off the scent. He
expresses satisfaction at having Launcelot leave his employ, and then exits to
dine at Bassanio’s house. Jessica prepares to flee.
Analysis:
Like
the two preceding scenes and the scene to follow, Act II, Scene 5 sets up the
circumstances under which Jessica can rob her father and escape with Lorenzo.
This scene perhaps fuels the interpretation that only after Jessica’s flight
does Shylock become serious in his desire to kill Antonio, as we might well
imagine Shylock’s feeling duped by the Christians (as though Bassanio lured him
away with the invitation to dinner so Lorenzo and Jessica could elope).
Act II, Scene 6
Summary:
Gratiano
and Salerio, dressed for the street festivities, stand before Shylock’s house,
awaiting Lorenzo. As soon as he arrives, Jessica appears “above” (i.e. on the
second level of the Elizabethan stage, presumably the second floor of Shylock’s
residence), disguised as a boy. Lorenzo recognizes her and identifies himself.
He asks her to come down and be his torchbearer for the revelry, although she
is embarrassed at her present appearance. Lorenzo persuades her to descend; on
her way out, Jessica pilfers more ducats from her father. Lorenzo, Jessica, and
Salerio depart as Antonio arrives. He detains Gratiano, informing him that the
masque is canceled and Bassanio shall sail that evening. This suits Gratiano,
and the two men exit to prepare.
Analysis:
This scene more or less wraps up the subplot of Jessica’s and Lorenzo’s elopement, though its consequences—primarily consisting of Shylock’s rage—will continue to be felt throughout the play. Jessica and Lorenzo will flee to Belmont, Portia’s region, and will mind her household in her absence. In many of Shakespeare’s comedies, there are two separate locales, the court, where normal business occurs according to fairly rigid codes, and a more magical realm where rules are suspended and transformation is possible. In such plays, characters from the first realm visit the second and, on their return to the first, feel renewed. It may be Jessica’s and Lorenzo’s flight to Belmont and the play’s romantic final act which have encouraged some critics to fit The Merchant of Venice into this structural pattern. According to such an outline, Venice would be the narrow rule-bound court while Belmont serves as the enchanted land, just like the forest of Arden in As You Like It or the woods outside Athens in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. But this is an over-simplification of The Merchant, a critical attempt to force it into a pre-ordained pattern rather than attend to the play’s particulars. It ignores, for one, the circumstance of Portia’s father’s will and the challenge of the three caskets. Belmont seems to be as strictly bound by legality and technicality as Venice, and much of the play is devoted to subverting or accommodating the letter of the law in both cities. If anything, The Merchant of Venice might foreshadow Shakespeare’s later, so-called “problem comedies,” such as Measure for Measure, in which the levity is tempered by threats of danger. The possibility exists that Portia could end up with an undesirable husband, and the threat to Antonio’s life according to the terms of Shylock’s bond casts an even darker shadow.
Act II, Scene 7
Summary:
Meanwhile,
back in Belmont, Morocco prepares to undergo the challenge of the three caskets
in order to win Portia’s hand, while the lady in question looks on. The prince
surveys each casket and its inscription. The first is made of gold and bears
the message “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.” The second, of
silver, reads “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.” The third,
finally, is made of lead and warns “Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he
hath.” Portia informs Morocco that the correct casket contains her picture,
signifying success. The prince then deliberates for some time, weighing both factors:
the material of each casket and the message on it. By a process of elimination,
he chooses the gold one. Much to his chagrin, it contains a death’s head and a
scroll informing him of his error. Upset, the prince makes a gracious but hasty
exit, and Portia expresses her relief at his lack of success.
Analysis:
This
is the first of three scenes (Act II, Scene 7, Act II, Scene 9, and Act III,
Scene 2) displaying the challenge of the three caskets in action. The interest
these scenes generate is, in some respects, not a dramatic one, for although
the fear of an undesirable marriage is a very real one for Portia, it is a
great deal less of one for her audience. Indeed, the progressive workings of
these scenes are so formulaic that they are almost without any drama at all.
Each of the three caskets is successively chosen by each of the three suitors,
no choice is repeated, and, of course, the winning casket is the last one
picked. By the time Bassanio arrives in Belmont, the audience is well aware of
which choice is correct and is simply waiting for him to make it. This
contrived inevitability need not be considered a flaw, however; unlike, say,
the final scene of a detective drama, where plot and plausibility are of
extreme importance, one doesn’t read Shakespearean comedy with such demands.
The
spirit of comedy here suspends issues of realistic plausibility. The question
then becomes, what is the interest these scenes hold for an audience?
(Remember, Shakespeare was a successful and popular showman. He wouldn’t have
dropped three such scenes into his play unless they had other, non-dramatic
attractions.) The value of these scenes, perhaps, lies in the issues of reading
and interpretation which they bring to the foreground. Indeed, the bulk of Act
II, Scene 7 (lines 13-60) is devoted to the reasoning process by which Morocco
arrives at his choice of the gold casket. What the challenge of the caskets
reveals is the flexibility and ambiguity of language, and in this revelation, a
reader or theater-goer may find an analogy to his or her own experience of the
play. As the need or desire to analyze Shakespeare’s plays has already made us
aware, certain displays of language require interpretation in order for someone
to be able to act on them or even to decide what to think about them. The
suitors of Portia engage in a task not terribly different from the audience’s
own, or from the director’s own when he or she decides, for example, how the part
of Shylock ought to be acted.
It is important to remember that the choice of the lead casket is only obvious and inevitable in hindsight; Morocco is not to be deemed a fool for his incorrect choice. We might even say that, of all of Portia’s suitors, the Prince is the one most unfairly duped by the process of casket selection. His interpretation of the inscription “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire” as signifying Portia is a sound one, for as he points out, “All the world desires her; From the four corners of the earth they come to kiss this shrine, this mortal breathing saint” (lines 38-40). The courting of Portia is central to The Merchant of Venice; it sets the entire plot in motion, as Bassanio’s need of additional capital to outfit himself is the reason Antonio becomes indebted to Shylock in the first place. Perpetual chastity—the penalty for choosing the wrong casket—is a highly improbable interpretation of “what many men desire.” It is, indeed, the opposite of desire. Whereas it is relatively easy to imagine the silver casket’s inscription as the wrong choice (i.e., the man in question may not “deserve” Portia and may rather deserve the punishment for his presumptuousness), an audience may very well feel that Morocco has been lied to. The underhandedness with which Morocco is treated might be, however, in keeping with the racial hostilities permeating the play. As Shylock is automatically excluded by the others for his Jewishness, the Prince is disliked, among other reasons perhaps, for his skin color. Morocco’s first utterance in the play (line 1) is a plea for racial tolerance; he is on the defensive at the outset. Although Portia assures him in Act II, Scene 1 that his race is not a factor in her acceptance—and we must assume this is true, insofar as, by the rules of her father’s will, Portia must marry whoever makes the right choice—her tolerance is called into question at the end of this scene. After Morocco departs, Portia breathes a sigh of relief and says “Let all of his complexion choose me so” (line 79), continuing the theme in the play that one is automatically included or excluded from the circle of favorable people in Christian society according to one’s religion or race. Portia can’t even imagine meeting a black man who could satisfy her and dismisses “all” of them in one sentence.
Act II, Scene 8
Summary:
This
scene consists entirely of a brief conversation between Salerio and Solanio,
aimed at informing the audience of a variety of events which have occurred
while the scene in Belmont was taking place. The audience learns that Shylock
has discovered his deception, that his daughter has run off with his money and Lorenzo.
Shylock is white with rage, much to the amusement of Christian Venice. Salerio
reveals that Bassanio’s ship is underway for Belmont. He also reports the news
that a Venetian vessel has been wrecked in the English Channel, and worries
that it might be Antonio’s. Solanio recalls witnessing Bassanio’s departure,
and Antonio’s melancholy at their separation. Salerio and Solanio resolve to
seek Antonio out to attempt to cheer him.
Analysis:
This
is another scene of pure exposition, providing the audience with information
crucial to advancing various strains of the plot as they currently stand. Some
critics have made much of Shylock’s confused lamentation concerning his
daughter and his ducats, ascribing various aspects to his character based upon
his equating of the two. One ought to keep in mind, however, that this is a
reported speech; the audience doesn’t witness Shylock making such a spectacle,
which mitigates the speech’s effect on the audience.
Other critics have suggested the possibility of a homosexual relationship between Bassanio and Antonio, or at least a strong homosexual attachment to his friend on Antonio’s part. It could be argued that Antonio’s general sadness throughout the play stems from the prospect of his intimate friend turning away from their love by entering a heterosexual partnership with Portia. While the evidence of a sexual friendship between Bassanio and Antonio is too scant to insist on, it is clear that the latter’s attachment for the former extends beyond the bounds of simple friendship.
Not only does Antonio loan Bassanio money with only a shaky prospect of repayment, but he freely and willingly risks his life for his friend’s happiness. Clearly Bassanio is Antonio’s primary attachment, which makes it no surprise that, in a play that ends with three marriages, Antonio remains conspicuously single.
Act II, Scene 9
New Character of the scene:
Aragon: a prince, suitor to Portia
Summary:
The
Prince of Aragon undertakes the challenge of the caskets to win Portia’s hand,
agreeing to abide by the rules of her father’s will. He dismisses the lead
casket immediately, not thinking it worth the “hazard.” He next considers the
golden chest, reading its inscription of “what many men desire” as implying a
lack of discrimination. Finally, he selects the silver, believing he must
“deserve” that which he seeks. Much to his dismay, however, the silver casket
contains a fool’s head and a scroll informing him of his error. Aragon leaves.
A messenger then arrives, informing Portia that a Venetian lord is on his way
to try to win her. Nerissa hopes aloud that it is Bassanio.
Analysis:
This
is the second of the three casket selecting scenes. Aragon is a bolder,
less-subtle reasoner than Morocco and makes his incorrect choice quickly, firm
in his belief of his own merit. Yet for that, his justification for choosing
the silver casket is an eloquent one and may arouse an audience’s admiration.
The casket’s own interpretation of what its selector “deserves” (i.e. the
presumptuous man is a fool and deserves to be treated to a fool’s head) is,
however, a more justifiable one than that of the gold casket.
Act II Commentary:
Scene 1: The Prince of Morocco, who is
African, begs Portia to not be prejudiced against him because of his complexion.
While Portia indicates that she does not dislike him any more than any of the
other suitors who have come to call, we know from her statements in Act I,
scene 2, that she does not like any of the suitors so far, making this a
misleading statement that will become clear later in Act II.
Scene 2: This scene
functions as comic relief. Launcelot Gobbo, who is about to leave Shylock's
employment and attempt to work for Bassanio, first argues with himself as to
whether or not he should run away from Shylock. He decides to follow the
"fiend" and run, despite the loyalty that he should owe to his
master. On the way to Bassanio, Launcelot encounters his blind father and
decides to trick him by telling him that his son is dead. These two actions
show that although Launcelot, although Christian, does not necessarily act like
one. However, since he is one of the clowns of the play, he will not be
condemned for it. Meanwhile, the other "clown" of the play, Gratiano,
begs Bassanio to take him along on the trip to Belmont. Bassanio, knowing
Gratiano's temper and playfulness, warns him that he had better behave and not
interfere with Bassanio's pursuit of Portia. This is another example of the
comic Christian who, although he does not behave the way he is expected to,
will not be punished because he is a clown.
Scene 3: This scene
introduces Jessica, Shylock's daughter, who is about to elope with Lorenzo, a
friend of Antonio and Bassanio. This scene demonstrates some aspects of
Shylock's character as well as furthering the subplot of the Jessica-Lorenzo
relationship. Jessica expresses both her sorrow at losing Launcelot and her hatred
of living with her father by commenting that her home is "hell" and
that Launcelot alleviated some of the problems with his humor. She also reveals
that she is ashamed to be her father's daughter and that she is nothing like
him. All of this would indicate that the Venetian dislike of Shylock is
justified, because his own daughter does not like him. Jessica even goes so far
as to plan on becoming Christian when she elopes with Lorenzo.
Scene 4: The plans for
the elopement of Jessica and Lorenzo are solidified in this scene. Lorenzo,
while planning with Gratiano, Salerio, and Solanio, receives Jessica's letter
from Launcelot, which explains how to get her out of the house. The irony of
the plan is that Jessica must break some rules in order to succeed: she must
dress as a torchbearer (or cross dress, as torchbearers are male), and she will
participate in a masque, which her father will forbid her to even watch in the
next scene. Jessica, then, will act like a Christian in order to marry and
actually become one.
Scene 5: This scene draws contrasts
between the Jewish mindset, as represented by Shylock, and the dominant Christian
behaviors in Venice. Shylock, who prefers not to dine with Christians, has
agreed to eat with Bassanio and Antonio in order to seal the bond. Shylock, who
believes in omens, has a dream about moneybags, which he considers bad luck,
and does not want to go to dinner, although he chooses to. Meanwhile, Shylock
orders Jessica not to participate in the masque that will come, and to lock
herself away from the Christians, because he wants to maintain a
"sober" house, as opposed to the Christian frivolity about to occur.
Not only is Jessica planning on participating in the frivolity, as we know from
the previous scene, but she will become a member of the community by marrying
Lorenzo.
Scene 6: Love is not
always as devoted as it should be in this scene. Lorenzo, who has ordered his
friends to meet him at Shylock's house, is late, which Gratiano notes as odd
because lovers are usually early. Jessica, on the other hand, tests Lorenzo's
love one last time before leaving. She also is embarrassed to be seen as a boy,
which should not be her primary thought while she is eloping with her lover.
However, both get underway despite this with a good deal of Shylock's money and
jewels.
Scene 7: In this scene,
the prince of Morocco makes his choice of the caskets. The inscriptions on the caskets
display what love means to different people. To some, love is gaining one's
desire, and this is embodied in the gold casket. However, desire is not
necessarily love, and those who confuse the two are doomed to unhappiness. It
is for this reason that gold is the wrong choice, and Shakespeare warns us with
this casket that we should not be fooled by appearances, nor should we be led
by our desires, which will only bring death and corruption. Portia's last
comment in this scene is critical. When the prince leaves, Portia says: "A
gentle riddance. Draw the curtains, go. Let all of his complexion choose me
so" (ll. 78-79). This statement shows Portia's racism, which she attempted
to hide in scene 1. Although Portia is arguably the most intelligent and
rational character in the play, she is also prejudiced. However, this would
have been accepted as normal in Shakespeare's day.
Scene 8: Racism and
concern for their friend color this conversation between Salerio and Solanio.
Solanio makes fun of Shylock by mimicking his cries for his daughter and his
money, and even remarks that the boys of Venice mimicked him as well. It is
clear that Solanio and Salerio believe that what bothers Shylock most about the
situation is the loss of his money, not his daughter. Because of this, both
characters know that Shylock will avenge himself upon Antonio if he can.
Salerio and Solanio also recount the parting of Antonio and Bassanio. In their
descriptions of the event, both note that Antonio loves Bassanio tremendously,
even so far as to "only love the world for him" (l. 50). Expecting
Antonio to be depressed once again, the two go off in order to cheer him up.
Scene 9: It is now the Prince of Aragon's turn to choose one of Portia's caskets. He immediately disregards the gold one for the reasons discussed in scene 7. Aragon instead chooses the silver casket, which is engraved with the words "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves." The problem with this casket is that people too often assume that they deserve more than they actually do, especially in cases of love, where intense feelings often override good judgment. This is the case with Aragon, who believes that he deserves to be rewarded with Portia's hand. His foolishness in believing that he deserves more than he has received is reflected in the blinking idiot's picture found in the casket. Aragon's mistake has provided Portia with the answer to the caskets, which she can then "guide" the right suitor (Bassanio) toward.
Act III, Scenes
1-5: Summary and Analysis
Act III, Scene 1
New Character:
Tubal: a Jewish
friend of Shylock
Summary:
In Venice,
Salerio and Solanio discuss Antonio’s financial state. Salerio has received
confirmation that one of Antonio’s merchant vessels was wrecked in the English
channel. As the two lament this ill news, Shylock enters. He is bitter with
both men for their knowledge of Jessica’s elopement before the fact, but they
simply mock him in return. The conversation turns to Antonio, on whom Shylock
is intent on wreaking his revenge according to the terms of the bond. Salerio
asks Shylock what good a pound of Antonio’s flesh will do him, but Shylock
dismisses this line of questioning as irrelevant. He is after vengeance, not
reimbursement.
Salerio and
Solanio learn from a messenger that Antonio awaits them at his house. As they
leave, a friend of Shylock’s, Tubal, arrives with news concerning both Jessica
and Antonio. In Genoa, Tubal learned that another of Antonio’s ships was lost
coming away from Tripoli. Shylock rejoices at the news, but this is soon tempered
by the knowledge that Jessica has been frivolously spending his money. He is
dismayed to find that she has traded (for a monkey) a ring given him by his
wife, but Tubal comforts him by reminding him of Antonio’s bad luck. Shylock
asks Tubal to arrange to have an officer arrest Antonio, and they part, making plans
to meet later at their synagogue.
Analysis:
The plot thickens for Antonio, threatening to make him a pound thinner. Not one, but two, of his ships, the audience learns, have come to ruin, throwing his finances into chaos and bankruptcy. Shylock already feels he has grounds to detain the merchant, in order to insure his adherence to the terms of their bond. The next time Antonio appears on stage (Act III, Scene 3), he will be in the custody of a jailer. As is the case in most scenes in which he appears, however, Shylock steals the show here. He utters one of the most famous speeches of the play, if not of Shakespeare generally, the “Hath not a Jew eyes?” monologue (lines 55-69). This speech may initially strike a reader or audience member as an eloquent plea for racial and religious harmony, climaxing in the dramatic lines, “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?” (lines 61-63). There is, however, a sinister undercurrent running throughout the speech; Shylock follows the above lines with “And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” (line 63). In this line, the plea for harmony explicitly spills over into the harsher “eye-for-an-eye” sentiments of Mosaic Law. Keep in mind that the tension in this speech is between its forceful eloquence and its purpose as a justification for performing brutal violence against Antonio. The skilled talkers in Shakespeare’s plays—be they as silly as Polonius in Hamlet or as repulsive as Caliban in The Tempest—always command an audience’s attention and consideration. One must acknowledge a certain righteousness in Shylock’s position. He has been abused at the hands of the Christians before, and now he has just cause to suspect Antonio’s complicity in his daughter’s flight. One interesting detail which perhaps does more than any other to humanize Shylock and enlist audience sympathy is his grief over the loss of a ring given him by his wife (whose absence from Shylock’s household throughout the play may indicate that he is a widower). Shylock’s outrage over his daughter’s theft moves from the economic to the personal, as he wouldn’t have parted with this item for any price. The audience may be more perplexed than ever at the end of this scene, as both Shylock’s venom and his humanity increase.
Act III, Scene 2
Summary
Act III, Scene 2 contains the first major climactic moment in the play, as one of its two main plots—Bassanio’s quest for Portia and the challenge of the three caskets—comes to a resolution. The scene opens with Bassanio and his attendants at Portia’s house in Belmont. For the first time in The Merchant of Venice, Portia exhibits enthusiasm for her potential suitor. She bids Bassanio to delay his choice, so that, in the event of his failure, they will still have had a chance to spend time together. Bassanio refuses, however, impatient to get the trial over with. Portia makes a speech praising him and wishing him success. A song is sung while Bassanio deliberates in silence.
After the song, Bassanio reasons aloud over the caskets. Unlike his predecessors, Bassanio primarily concentrates on the material of the caskets rather than the descriptions. Distrusting the lure of appearance, he chooses the leaden one, which contains a picture of Portia and a congratulatory note. Bassanio kisses Portia, according to the instructions. Portia proclaims her unworthiness, before giving herself and all of her possessions over to Bassanio. She offers him a ring, with the proviso that if he take it from his finger or lose it, he indicates the end of his love for her. Bassanio swears to keep the ring, till death do them part.
In the mirth which ensues, Gratiano suddenly reveals that he and Nerissa are to be wed and receives permission to do so at Bassanio’s and Portia’s wedding. At that moment, Salerio arrives from Venice, accompanied by the fugitives, Jessica and Lorenzo. Salerio delivers a letter from Antonio to Bassanio. As Bassanio reads, Portia observes that he loses his gaiety, and she demands to know the message. Bassanio reveals to her his indebtedness to Antonio and the fact that all of the latter’s ventures at sea have failed. Salerio informs his friends of Shylock’s absolute refusal to settle for anything less than the terms of his bond (i.e., the pound of Antonio’s flesh).
Perceiving the closeness between her future husband and his friend, Portia offers to pay the debt to Shylock twelve times over. All she requests is that Bassanio marry her before setting out. When she discovers that Antonio’s life is at stake and that he begs to see Bassanio one last time before dying, however, Portia dispatches Bassanio immediately. He promises to return as soon as possible.
Analysis:
Act III, Scene 2 is one of the longest and most important scenes in the entire play. Its primary purpose is to show how Bassanio solves the riddle of the caskets and win Portia. Beyond that, it sets up or continues the other storylines which will lead to the resolution of the pound of flesh plot.
The first item of significance in the scene is the fact of Portia’s enthusiasm for Bassanio’s attempt to win her hand. This is unprecedented in the play and, true to the spirit of comedy, Portia obtains her choice even though the terms of her father’s will allow her no choice.
The next major aspect of the scene is Bassanio’s solution to the challenge of the caskets. He announces his logic at the very beginning of his attempt: “So may the outward shows be least themselves;/ The world is still deceived with ornament” (lines 73-4). In other words, he knows the lure of the surface may be ¬misleading and refuses to be taken in by mere appearances. Interestingly, Bassanio eschews the inscriptions of the caskets entirely and this, the audience might feel, is wise. Already we have seen how the same words can be bent to virtually opposite ends. Although it could be argued that the legend on the gold casket is misleading, the silver and lead caskets’ inscriptions could easily be read as invitations or as warnings. This is not to say that Bassanio avoids linguistic matters entirely; far from it. He instead balances his distrust of appearances against the cultural significance of all three metals. By his rationale, the least worthy casket by outward appearances—lead, a metal of no cultural worth—becomes the correct choice. And so it is. Bassanio’s future marriage to Portia guarantees him financial security and the wherewithal to pay his debts to Antonio. This, we might recall, was ostensibly his motive for seeking Portia’s hand in the first place, though it appears that he and Portia, at this point in the play, are genuinely in love. Paying off Antonio becomes a largely irrelevant concern, in any case. Portia seems to have more money than she knows what to do with; Antonio discharges his friend from his debts as long as Bassanio returns to Venice before his execution; Shylock will never collect on his 3,000 ducat loan in skin or cash. After all these complications, the audience may feel, Bassanio and Portia had better be in love!
As one plot is resolved, another more minor plot is introduced in the form of the ring Portia gives Bassanio to seal their love. Portia ends up generating the remaining portion of the play beyond Act IV, Scene 1 with her mischievous shenanigans involving the ring. Otherwise the play would end after Act IV, Scene 1, once the pound of flesh plot is concluded. The reason for this extra plot perhaps stems from a desire on Shakespeare’s part to thicken the mix of his play with some pure comedy. Though the threat against Antonio’s life ends happily, it may have been deemed too grim a scenario to end the comedy on.
Act III, Scene 3
New Character:
The Jailer: holds Antonio on Shylock’s behalf
Summary
Meanwhile, back in Venice, Shylock encounters Antonio on the streets, albeit in the custody of the Jailer hired to guard him and accompanied by Solanio. Antonio begs a word with the usurer, but Shylock won’t even listen to him. “I’ll have no speaking; I will have my bond” (line 17) he cries before departing. Solanio tries to encourage Antonio, saying the Duke will not permit the fulfilling of the bond, but Antonio is resigned to his death. He knows it is important to law and order (as well as the economy) in Venice that the Duke uphold Shylock’s legal right to have his bond fulfilled. Antonio seems to have reconciled himself to his impending doom, so long as Bassanio returns to Venice to see him one last time.
Analysis:
For the most part, this scene serves to put us back in touch with Venice after the previous long scene in Belmont, to assure the audience that things are indeed going as badly as Bassanio and company think they are. Aside from this, it advances the image of an unyielding, bitter Shylock and a melancholy, resigned merchant of Venice. Antonio’s last lines are interesting, however: “Pray God Bassanio come/ To see me pay his debt, and then I care not!” (lines 35-6). After his magnanimous, even passionate displays towards Bassanio, these lines ring with an almost spiteful bitterness. Perhaps there is some sexual jealousy on Antonio’s part, the way he recalls Bassanio from his future bride’s side in order to tell him, “I would die for you.”
Act III, Scene 4
New Character:
Balthasar: a servant of Portia.
Summary:
Portia begins this scene in discussion with Lorenzo, during which she commits the management of her household to his and Jessica’s hands. She informs him that she and Nerissa are going to a monastery to pray until her husband comes home. After Jessica and Lorenzo exit, however, Portia instructs her servant Balthasar to deliver a letter to her cousin Dr. Bellario (a lawyer) and bring whatever clothes and instructions he offers to the ferry, where she will be waiting. He goes, and Portia informs Nerissa that they are to travel to Venice disguised as men, for purposes she will explain shortly.
Analysis:
From this point in the play onward, Portia takes a central and commanding role. It’s as if, freed from the strictures of her father’s will after Bassanio’s triumph, Portia now seeks to make up for lost time by solving Antonio’s dilemma. Not only is she convinced of Antonio’s worth on the basis of his friendship with Bassanio (as she informs Lorenzo), but also, one might speculate, she feels indebted to him for enabling his friend’s trip to Belmont.
Portia acknowledges the fact that being a woman has kept her sidelined from the action thus far, in a speech which the Elizabethan audience probably would have found humorous, but which more liberal-minded audiences today would no doubt receive with more sympathy. The play is fraught with images of women’s servitude, and their problematic positions as second-class citizens. Clearly, Portia is submissive to her father even after his death, and her wealth and power are transferred to her husband immediately following her marriage. It is important to note that these constraints are placed upon and accepted by the most powerful woman in the play. In even more subtle terms, as the couples pair off in Act III, Scene 2, they wager about who will be the first to have a male child, underscoring the desirability of males over females to the Elizabethans. In an exercise of what little power she has, Portia camps it up with some swagger at the expense of the men in her society, poking fun at their self-aggrandizing bluster and making bawdy references to their anatomy. What Portia and Nerissa are about to do, as the audience will learn shortly (in Act IV, Scene 1), is disguise themselves as a lawyer and his clerk, in order to arbitrate the bond between Antonio and Shylock, in another subtle way showing that in order to move in the Venetian circles of power, they must disguise their gender.
Act III, Scene 5
Summary:
Launcelot teases Jessica about her genealogy, claiming that being a Jew, she is damned. On the subject of genealogy, Lorenzo walks in and announces that Launcelot has gotten “the Moor” (i.e., a black woman) pregnant. Launcelot and Lorenzo match wits good-naturedly for a time, before the former departs. Lorenzo and Jessica flirt for a few lines before departing for dinner.
Analysis:
This is a gratuitous scene, thrown in solely for laughs rather than plot. It does, however, flirt comically with two of the play’s themes. Jessica’s Jewish ancestry is mocked here, although in a purely light-hearted way. It seems that suddenly, no one takes Jessica’s ethnicity seriously anymore, which is quite a reversal from previous scenes. Keep in mind that, even for Lorenzo—who is in love with Jessica—the issue of her race at one point threatened to outweigh any of her particular behavioral characteristics.
Also invoked here is the trouble with words, which previously had manifested itself in relation to the challenge of the three caskets. Lorenzo, exasperated with the linguistic displays of Launcelot, laments “How every fool can play upon the word!” (line 43). Lorenzo’s plea to Launcelot—”I pray thee understand a plain man in his plain meaning” (line 57)—is a humorous and perhaps nostalgic wish for language to be fixed in its meaning and not available to multiple interpretations.
Act III Commentary:
Scene 1: Act III is typically the turning point of Shakespeare's plays, and this play is no exception. Scene 1 is the turning point in the Antonio-Shylock plot. The first part of the scene is an exchange of insults between Salerio, Solanio, and Shylock. Salerio and Solanio, like Antonio, feel no need to spare Shylock's feelings over the loss of his daughter and part of his fortune, and take the opportunity to tease Shylock over his misfortunes.
This is typical treatment for Shylock in the Venetian business world because of his religion. Shylock bemoans this treatment in one of the famous speeches from this play:
"Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands,
organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?—fed
with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject
to the same diseases, healed by the same means...
If you prick us, do we not bleed? And
If you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you
In the rest, we will resemble you in that" (ll. 51-59).
Shylock expounds the hypocrisy of the Christian treatment of Jews, who are just as human despite being of a different faith. Salerio and Solanio's reminder to Shylock of Antonio's misfortunes at sea provide Shylock with the means of revenge for the ill treatment that he has suffered in the name of his religion. Shylock is not, however, completely sympathetic in this scene. Upon receiving the report from Tubal about Jessica, Shylock fervently wished that his daughter were dead instead of spending his money. Although the loss of his daughter appears to hurt Shylock, it is clear in this scene that the loss of his jewels and money bothers him more. Enraged at the report and sustained by Tubal's news of Antonio's last ship becoming shipwrecked near Tripoli, Shylock chooses to arrest Antonio and exact his forfeiture as his revenge for his losses.
Scene 2: This scene is the turning point in the Portia-Bassanio plot of the play. Having spent time with
Bassanio, Portia, who is now in love with him, begs him to delay his choice so that she may spend more time with him. Bassanio, however, lives "upon the rack" in a state of impatience, partially because he is in love with Portia and longs to have the matter resolved once and for all, but also because he knows he must repayAntonio as quickly as possible.
During Bassanio's examination of the caskets, Portia provides her lover with a vital clue to the correct box through the song. The song's meaning indicates that love should not be an issue of appealing to the senses, but something internal. While this may have been good enough to provide Bassanio with the correct answer, Portia gives him more direct clues through the sounds of the song. The first two lines of the song, which end in "bred" and "head," both rhyme with "lead," which is the correct casket. The mention of the bell in the last line is also meant to recall the idea of lead, which is what bells are made of. This line is repeated in order to reinforce the idea of lead.
Bassanio does indeed choose the lead box, as he determines that appearances or empty promises should not fool him. The lead box, which threatens that "He who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath," is the definition of true love. Love is the willingness to sacrifice oneself for someone else, without the expectation of a reward. Bassanio has learned this lesson twice in the play, not only from Portia's song, but from the actions of Antonio as well. Bassanio lays claim to his nervous love, who then gives him a ring. Portia then exacts a promise from Bassanio that he will never lose the ring, unless he intends to signal the end of their love. This promise will become important at the end of Act IV.
Scene 3: Antonio's arrest in this scene displays more of both his and Shylock's characters. Although Antonio attempts to speak to Shylock, Shylock refuses to hear any of what Antonio has to say. Shylock's excuses for this are that he has sworn an oath on the Sabbath to have the bond, and that, since Antonio has always referred to him as a dog, he will simply fulfill Antonio's expectations. During this exchange, Shakespeare creates a link between Christianity and mercy. The suggestion here is that if Shylock had been Christian, he would have had mercy on Antonio. Since he is not, he will not "yield to Christian intercessors" (ll. 15-16).
Antonio's character is further developed in this short scene as well. Antonio first assumes that the only reason Shylock insists on the bond is that Antonio has hurt him financially in the past. He does not see that his treatment of Shylock influences Shylock's motives in any way. Antonio also gives up on the idea of living in this scene, and allows his depression and resignation to take over. It is Antonio's friends (especially Portia) who save him, as he will do nothing to save himself.
Scene 4: Portia and Nerissa choose to assist in the problems of Antonio in this scene. Like Jessica in Act II, they will both cross dress in order to accomplish what they desire, but unlike Jessica, Portia and Nerissa are not in the least embarrassed about it. Portia especially chooses to put herself at risk in order to help the person who has helped her fiancé.
Scene 5: After all of the seriousness of the Antonio-Shylock plot, Shakespeare arranges for more comic relief in this scene. Launcelot teases Jessica by insisting that she is damned for the sins of her parents, especially her father. While he is most certainly joking, Launcelot's comments are typical of the Elizabethan attitude toward non-Christians. However, Jessica has become Christian by marrying Lorenzo, which is a vast "improvement," although it will raise the price of pork.
There is also a small hint of the issue of racism in this scene. Lorenzo informs Launcelot that one of the servants, a Moor (African), is pregnant with Launcelot's child. Instead of being concerned, Launcelot laughs and jokes about the situation. The intimation here is that he need not take the Moor's pregnancy seriously because she is African.
Act IV, Scenes 1-2: Summary and Analysis
Act IV, Scene 1
New Characterof the scene:
The Duke of Venice: highest authority in Venice
Summary:
Bassanio and his attendants are back in Venice and wait with Antonio in the presence of the Duke to discover the fate of the merchant of Venice. Shylock enters the court, and the Duke makes a personal appeal to him to not only spare Antonio’s life but also, in light of the merchant’s recent losses at sea, to reduce the amount of the debt. But Shylock will have none of it, demanding that the bond be executed. When questioned on his motives, Shylock responds that he simply hates Antonio and is not obliged to have any particular justification.
Bassanio offers Shylock twice the amount of Antonio’s debt, but the latter remains firm. Shylock reminds the Duke that it is necessary to uphold the law in order to maintain Venice’s good standing in international trade. The Duke declares that he will make no decision until he hears from Bellario of Padua, who he has asked to come decide the matter. Nerissa enters, dressed in men’s clothes, posing as a messenger from Bellario. She gives the Duke a letter, which he reads while Gratiano and Shylock bicker. The Duke reveals that the letter recommends a young doctor (lawyer) to the Venetians to help decide the case. The Duke sends for the man while the letter is read to the court.
This “man” is actually Portia, disguised as a lawyer. She questions Shylock and Antonio on the particularities of their case, and asks Shylock if he would be merciful. He refuses, of course. Bassanio, offering to pay the debt twice over, asks the disguised Portia if they might bend the law in this particular case. Much to Shylock’s delight, however, she declares this cannot be, for it would set a dangerous legal precedent in Venetian law. Portia asks Shylock if he’ll take three times the amount of the debt and spare Antonio’s life, but he refuses to budge. She decrees that the bond must be adhered to. Antonio thus steels himself for death. Before Shylock can start slicing away, however, Portia points out that although he is perfectly entitled to Antonio’s flesh, he has no claim to spill any of the merchant’s blood. Moreover, should he do so, his “land and goods/ Are by the laws of Venice confiscate/ Unto the state of Venice” (ll. 309-311). Shylock is dismayed by this news and seeing no way to obtain Antonio’s flesh without bloodshed, asks for the money instead. Portia prevents Bassanio from handing over the money, however, insisting that justice must be served. She points out, however, that Shylock will be subject to execution if he takes more or less than a pound of flesh.
Realizing that his sinister jig is up, Shylock attempts to slink away with only the original 3,000 ducats. Portia won’t allow this, however, as he has already “refused it in open court.” Shylock sees he is trapped and is prepared to leave court empty-handed. But Portia produces another law, decreeing that if any foreigner “by direct or indirect attempts/ …seek[s] the life of a citizen,” he loses half his goods to the citizen, the other half to the state, and his “life lies in the mercy/ Of the Duke…” The Christians take great delight in this, and the Duke spares Shylock’s life though confiscates his wealth.
Embittered, Shylock asks that he be killed, as he cannot sustain himself without his goods. Antonio intercedes, however, and asks the Duke to pardon the state’s portion of the fine, in exchange for the following conditions: Antonio must receive half of Shylock’s goods to use in trust for Lorenzo and Jessica; Shylock must become a Christian; and he must will all his possessions upon his death to Jessica and Lorenzo. The Duke agrees to this arrangement, as does Shylock, who has little choice. Shylock then pleads illness and hobbles away from the scene a broken man.
The Duke requests that Portia dine with him, but she begs off, claiming she must return to Padua. The Duke leaves. Bassanio and Antonio offer to pay the disguised Portia the 3,000 ducats earmarked for Shylock, but she refuses, claiming satisfaction in justice. Bassanio presses, so Portia asks for his gloves, which he gives her, and his ring, which he holds back. He pleads first the ring’s worthlessness, and then his sentimental attachment to it. Portia scorns him in pretended outrage, and she and Nerissa depart. Antonio then persuades Bassanio to let the lawyer have he ring, for the service “he” rendered. Bassanio relents and sends Gratiano with his ring to find the pair.
Analysis:
This scene marks the resolution of the second major plot complication of The Merchant of Venice, namely the pound of flesh scenario. There doesn’t seem much point in denying that the play climaxes with this particular scene, and that the remaining scenes constitute little more than some good-natured dénouement. It is also the last scene of which Shylock is part, and so central is he deemed to the play that several productions have ended here, omitting the rest altogether. This is perhaps appropriate, for with Shylock go all the issues which have been preoccupying the audience for the length of the play. The sole remaining concern is the subplot of the rings, which was only introduced into the plot in the preceding scene and is quite extraneous to the major business on stage.
Shylock enters the scene well past the point of reconciliation; he wants Antonio dead, and will accept no amount of money in exchange for foregoing the terms of his bond. The issue of Jewishness comes to a head at this point, as the Christians attribute Shylock’s stubbornness to an inbred racial/religious sensibility. Antonio even asks his friends not to try to change Shylock’s mind, for, he feels, “You may as well forbid the mountain pines/ To wag their high tops and to make no noise/ When they are fretten with the gusts of heaven;/ You may as well do any thing most hard/ As seek to soften…/ His Jewish heart” (lines 75-80). Shylock’s rigidity is seen to stem from his constitution. The usurer himself, however, belies this claim, for, we may recall from Act III, Scene 1, Shylock insists he learned this behavior from “Christian example.”
The Christian animosity towards Shylock’s Jewishness is made most apparent, however, in the terms of Shylock’s punishment. The most conspicuous of Antonio’s three conditions for Shylock is the demand that he must convert to Christianity. Some stage productions of The Merchant have given a great deal of weight to this detail, representing it as the crushing blow to the usurer. This is a convincing interpretation, insofar as Shylock appears to take his religion very seriously throughout the play. Moreover, shortly after the demand has been made and agreed to, Shylock must leave the court, pleading illness. It’s as if the idea of conversion is physically repugnant to him. Given his treatment at the hands of the Christians, it may very well be.
An issue somewhat related to these religious matters is the traditional opposition between the letter and the spirit of the law. Some critics have suggested that the dispute between the Christians and Shylock boils down to the latter’s stubborn insistence on formally codified laws as opposed to the spirit in which such laws were written. They further insist that this trait is in keeping with the Elizabethan conception of Jews as cold-hearted exploiters of legal language, a sensibility expressed today in the stereotypes of the lawyer as a shrewd manipulator of language against truth and justice, and as typically Jewish. This binary opposition between Jew/letter and Christian/spirit seems forced, however, when held against the background of Act IV, Scene 1.
The Christians, especially Portia, are brutally clever manipulators of the law, as evinced through their juxtaposing of various laws to transform Shylock from a violated creditor waiting to receive his due, to an impoverished supplicant of the Duke, suing for mercy. Portia proves particularly adept at pulling laws out of her assumed hat of “Doctor.” It is difficult to say how convincing an audience might find her reasoning that the bond doesn’t entitle Shylock to spill any of Antonio’s blood; one could argue that the bond doesn’t exclude it either, or that the idea of spilling blood is presumed in the idea of cutting off a pound of flesh. (The bond doesn’t specifically entitle Shylock to hold the knife with his hand, but it would be difficult to imagine arguing on such grounds.) In any case, it seems petty to fault Shylock for adhering to the letter of the law because, as a Jew in a Christian society, what else does he have to protect him? The “spirit” in Venice is not very friendly to him. The Christians clearly don’t want Shylock to have his way and continue to maneuver until they succeed at circumventing his legal claims, however brutal.
The theme of Antonio’s possible homosexual love for Bassanio perhaps attains its loudest crescendo here. The morbidity and melancholy which Antonio has from time to time exhibited throughout the play reaches new depths, as throughout the scene he demonstrates a peculiar willingness to die. This eagerness might be accounted for if, as Solanio insists in Act II, Scene 8, Antonio “only loves the world” for Bassanio’s presence. Perhaps Antonio feels he has already lost his friend to the world of heterosexual love and would just as soon be killed by Shylock as not. As Antonio steels himself for slaughter, he tells Bassanio, “Commend me to your honorable wife./ Tell her the process of Antonio’s end,/ Say how I loved you, speak me fair in death;/ and when the tale is told, bid her be judge/ Whether Bassanio had not once a love” (lines 272-6) In other words, Antonio suggests, no heterosexual relationship could supplant, replace, or even compare with the love he and Bassanio shared.
The last item one might note about Act IV, Scene 1 is the continuance of the subplot of Portia’s ring. Upon Shylock’s quitting the court, there’s no particular reason for Portia and Nerissa to maintain their secret identities. But rather than reveal themselves, the women instead embark upon some gratuitous tomfoolery at the expense of their future husbands. Portia creates the new conflict out of thin air. It’s as if, freed from her father’s will and armed with a new sense of subjective agency, Portia is reluctant to relinquish her new-found power. Perhaps she is sowing her wild oats, given that, according to the custom of the time, all of Portia’s property and possessions will become Bassanio’s upon their marriage, and he will be her lord and master. Rather than go directly from one guardian to another, Portia wishes to prolong her freedom and express herself through her own action. This is offset, however, by the fact that her action remains hidden by her disguise, and at its boldest, remains all in fun; she offers no challenge to this social order, especially in light of the fact that her actions are, in the end, a service to her husband. It should be noted, finally, that Bassanio initially passes Portia’s test of his devotion by refusing to part with the ring. But rather than reveal herself then, she storms off in pretended anger, giving Bassanio time to cave in. Portia is determined to have her fun, it seems.
Act IV, Scene 2
Summary:
Gratiano overtakes Portia and Nerissa as they seek Shylock’s house in order to have the usurer sign the deed willing his properties to Lorenzo. Gratiano offers Portia the ring and an invitation to dinner. She accepts the former and declines the latter. Nerissa, meanwhile, determines to lure Gratiano into the same trap Portia laid for Bassanio, and sets off with Gratiano, ostensibly in search of Shylock’s house, in order to obtain her future husband’s ring.
Analysis:
This scene simply serves to advance the ring plot by giving Portia the chance to obtain Bassanio’s ring and allowing Nerissa the same opportunity with Gratiano, in order to complete the comic symmetry.
Act IV Commentary:
Scene 1: This is the climax of the play. Although every character in the room, except Antonio, attempts to persuade Shylock to be merciful, the treatment of Shylock is no better than it has been throughout the entire play. Gratiano constantly insults him, Bassanio criticizes him, the Duke constantly refers to him as "Jew," and even Antonio, who needs Shylock's mercy, calls him hard-hearted. In fact, the only character in the scene that treats Shylock in a respectful manner is Portia.
Respectful or not, Shylock is determined to have his bond. When Shylock explains why, he merely says that it is what he desires because he does not like Antonio and the law is on his side. He has no other reason for demanding the pound of flesh, nor does he feel that he needs further justification. When the duke asks him how he dares to expect mercy when he gives none, Shylock's response is that he has done nothing wrong:
"What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong?...
The pound of flesh which I demand of him
Is dearly bought, is mine, and I will have it" (ll. 89, 99-100).
Shylock's argument, then, is that he has the law on his side, and he does not need to concern himself with issues of morality or the true nature of justice. Shylock's error here is that he insists on the law as words, but not intent. He also rejects the notion of mercy, which will become problematic for him later on in the scene. When Portia determines that the only way out of the bond is for Shylock to be merciful, she delivers another of Shakespeare's famous speeches. Shylock asks why he must be merciful, and Portia replies that mercy cannot be compelled, but must be given freely, as it is given freely by kings and by God because it is a royal attribute. Portia also points out that although Shylock asks for justice, he should consider that if God only considered justice and not mercy, no one would ever be saved. Because of this, we should show mercy as well. However, Shylock is bent upon revenge, and refuses to hear Portia's arguments.
Without the mercy of Shylock, Portia must find a legal way to help Antonio out of his predicament. When Bassanio begs her "to do a great right" in releasing Antonio by doing "a little wrong" by bending the law, Portia refuses because it will set a precedent that could destroy the Venetian legal system. She then carefully examines the bond, and stalls by allowing Antonio to say farewell to his friend. This gives Portia time to notice that the bond does not mention blood (although Shylock intended to have blood along with the flesh), nor does it allow for more or less than one pound of flesh. Because Shylock insists on the letter of the law, Portia insists upon it as well, and Shylock is incapable of exacting his penalty because he cannot do so without taking blood or cutting exactly one pound. Then, in accordance with the law, Portia informs Shylock that any alien seeking the life of a citizen loses all of his possessions and his life is forfeit. Thus Portia's warning about being merciful for the sake of needing mercy comes true, and it is Shylock who requires mercy by the end of the scene.
The last section of the scene might be viewed as Portia's revenge for a comment Bassanio makes about her. When Antonio makes his farewell speech to Bassanio, Bassanio states that he would sacrifice Portia in order to save Antonio, clearly showing that his affections for Antonio are stronger than those for his wife. Portia, as the judge, asks for the ring she gave Bassanio in Act III, scene 2 as a reward for helping his friend. This is a test of Bassanio's love for Portia, and he fails it by giving up the ring at Antonio's behest. Portia will use the ring to teach Bassanio a valuable lesson about love in Act V.
Scene 2: While Portia finishes the final paperwork for the case, Nerissa decides that she will test her husband, Gratiano, by attempting to gain his ring from him, which he promised to keep just as Bassanio had done.
During the previous scene, Gratiano expressed a wish that his wife were dead so that she could ask God to help Antonio—a comment that Nerissa did not appreciate. Nerissa decides to join in on Portia's, and does succeed in obtaining Gratiano's ring. The last section of the scene might be viewed as Portia's revenge for a comment Bassanio makes about her.
Act V, Scene I: Summary and Analysis
New Characterof the Scene:
Stephano: a messenger.
Summary:
Lorenzo and Jessica are in the garden in front of Portia’s house in Belmont, whispering sweet nothings in each other’s ears. Stephano, a messenger, enters and announces that Portia will soon return. Launcelot Gobbo arrives and makes the same announcement with respect to Bassanio. Lorenzo dispatches Stephano to ready the household for Portia’s return. Lorenzo babbles for a time about the moon and music.
Portia and Nerissa enter and encounter the two mooning lovers, who welcome them home. Portia orders that no one in her household mention her and Nerissa’s absence. Bassanio, Antonio, Gratiano, and their followers arrive. Portia welcomes them home to Belmont and is introduced to Antonio.
The company notice Gratiano and Nerissa quarreling. Portia inquires why, and it is revealed that Gratiano gave away the ring Nerissa had given him, which he promised never to remove from his hand. Portia chastises Gratiano, claiming that her betrothed, Bassanio, would never do such a thing. Gratiano reveals that Bassanio too gave his ring away and pleads that they both sacrificed their rings to the judge and clerk, who would take no other payment. Portia and Nerissa feign disbelief, insisting the men must have given the rings away during some tawdry sexual encounter and vowing never to sleep with their future husbands until the rings are recovered.
Antonio attempts to intercede on his friends’ behalf, promising that never again will Bassanio break his oath. To seal the bargain, Portia produces a ring, which turns out to be the same as the one she gave him in the first place. She claims to have recovered it by sleeping with the doctor. Nerissa also insists that she regained her ring from the clerk using a similar method. Having thoroughly bewildered all parties concerned, Portia reveals that she and Nerissa were the doctor and the clerk. She also gives Antonio a letter, informing him that three of his ships have in fact returned and are laden with riches. Nerissa tells Lorenzo of Shylock’s new will, naming him heir of the usurer’s estate. There is general merriment, and the company goes inside Portia’s house.
Analysis:
Act V, Scene 1 is the final scene of the play, and its primary purpose seems to be to restore the comic mood threatened by Shylock’s attempt on Antonio’s life. The frivolous final subplot is resolved here; Portia reveals that she and Nerissa were the doctor and the clerk, and thus that Bassanio and Gratiano simply gave the rings back to their original owners. Clearing away any remaining ill residue from the previous scenes, Portia also reveals that some of Antonio’s ships have returned safe, thus restoring his previous good fortune as a businessman. The spirit of comedy wins the day.
Shakespeare’s primary agenda in this scene, as in so many, is a linguistic one; in other words, much of the dialogue here is aimed at displaying his wit and ingenuity, with a barrage of puns, double-entendres, and metaphors. Lorenzo’s sole purpose in this scene, for example, is to make long decorous speeches, which advance nothing in the play, save its poetry. In particular, Shakespeare milks the humorous potential in Portia’s and Nerissa’s secret activities for as many double meanings as possible. Nerissa’s accusation, that “The clerk will ne’er wear hair on’s face that had [the ring from Gratiano],” for example, has two main senses, one for most of the characters—i.e., Nerissa claims to suspect Gratiano of giving his ring not to a clerk but to another woman—and an extra one for Nerissa, Portia, and the audience—i.e., the clerk, who was actually Nerissa, therefore a woman, will indeed never grow a beard. The chief interest and delight in this scene, one might argue, is the sight of Bassanio and Gratiano squirming, while Portia and Nerissa rattle off string after string of accusations which the women know are both false and true, depending on how one interprets the words. This ties the last scene into the recurring theme of multiple interpretations of words which runs throughout the play. The difference here is that unlike the scenes involving the three caskets, in which much was at stake depending on how one reads the words in question, the final scene offers us this linguistic play for its own sake—just for laughs, as it were—in a spirit of comedy where several interpretations are available and no one—audience and cast alike—is obliged to settle on a single reading to the exclusion of all others. And such is perhaps the ultimate attraction of Shakespearean comedy.
Act V Commentary:
Scene 1: This final scene, which is often viewed as comic because of the resolution of the rings, begins with Jessica and Lorenzo, who appear to be in the middle of a disagreement. Jessica is upset and depressed, and claims that Lorenzo stole her soul with false vows. A messenger comes to temporarily disrupt this argument to notify Lorenzo of Bassanio's impending return. However, even when Lorenzo orders music, Jessica's spirits are still not lifted, and her last comment in the play is that she is not merry when she hears music. The last impression of Jessica, then, is one of depression and anger, which does not fit with the lightness of the rest of the scene.
Once the other characters enter, the mood shifts. Bassanio arrives and introduces Portia to Antonio. The ring plot then comes to the surface when Nerissa and Gratiano fight over the loss of Nerissa's ring. Gratiano first attempts to dismiss the situation by calling the ring worthless and trite, but Nerissa dismisses that by reminding him that it is not the material value of the ring, but the emotional value, that is important. She then insists that a girl has it (which we know to be true). Portia then blames Gratiano for the quarrel, stating that she knows that her husband would never make the same mistake. Of course, Gratiano tells Portia that Bassanio has given up the ring, most likely to absolve himself of some of the blame. After some jokes about the ladies sleeping with the so-called "doctor" and "clerk," Bassanio and Gratiano learn their lesson and promise to properly value their wives. Antonio finds that his ships have come to harbor, and everyone, except the Jews of the play, have a happy ending.
Important Questions and Answers: MOV
1. What evidence in The Merchant of Venice, Act 1, Scene 1 indicates Antonio is in love with Bassanio?
While the presence of an overt same-sex relationship would have been strictly taboo when The Merchant of Venice was written, the exchanges between Antonio and Bassanio can be interpreted as an exceptionally deep friendship, a fatherly love, or a charitable Christian love. However, modern adaptations of the play interpret Antonio's love for Bassanio as romantic based on the evidence present in the text: Once Salarino and Solanio have ruled out anxiety over his ships as a cause for Antonio's sad disposition, they have another suggestion: Solanio: Why then you are in love. Antonio: Fie, fie! The structure of these two lines is notable and appears deliberate in the printing. They are written in verse, and the placement of Antonio's response makes it an essential part of Solanio's line, which indicates the speed of Antonio's response. Solanio has barely finished speaking before Antonio refutes him. This could be read as the quick and emphatic response of a man with something to hide. It's subtle but telling that Bassanio arrives moments after Solanio suggests Antonio is in love. In his dialogue with Bassanio, Antonio makes no secret of loving Bassanio, but the timing here raises the possibility that Antonio is in love with Bassanio. Once they are in private, Antonio's first question to Bassanio is about the woman Bassanio has gone to see. The scene has established that Antonio has been preoccupied with something, and the speed of this initial question indicates it has been burning in Antonio's mind. Bassanio acknowledges Antonio's love in his response, saying "To you Antonio/I owe the most in money and in love." Antonio replies by assuring Bassanio that all he has is at Bassanio's disposal, and he later expresses offense when Bassanio implies there might be a limit to what Antonio would do for him. Antonio says, "And out of doubt you do me now more wrong/In making question of my uttermost/Than if you had made waste of all I have." Antonio has given freely to Bassanio and clearly values his own ability to provide for Bassanio's happiness over any of his material wealth.
Antonio Bassanio Solanio Salarino Worth Appearance versus Reality Gold
2. How does Bassanio's description of Portia in Act 1, Scene 1 in The Merchant of Venice contrast with Lorenzo's words about Jessica in Act 2, Scene 6?
When Antonio asks Bassanio about the woman he went to see—meaning Portia—Bassanio does not immediately speak of her. Instead, he outlines his debts. When he does speak of Portia, he opens by saying, "In Belmont is a lady richly left,/And she is fair; and fairer than that word,/ Of wondrous virtues." He references her money first, her beauty second, and her "virtues" third. He never details what those virtues include. He does not mention any specific traits and goes on to describe the competition for her hand. A cynical interpretation of his response might assume he is primarily interested in her wealth, and the description is certainly not one of a man overcome by passion. In contrast, when Lorenzo goes to collect Jessica from her father's house in Act 2, Scene 6, he speaks of his love for her freely, with little prompting from his friend Gratiano: 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. Lorenzo is specific about what he loves in Jessica. Only moments before, Jessica gave him a large chest filled with gold and jewels to take with them, but Lorenzo seems uninterested in this bounty. He is interested in her wisdom, her beauty, and her honesty. Most importantly—and obviously—Lorenzo says he loves Jessica, a word conspicuously absent from Bassanio's talk about Portia. Lorenzo concludes his speech by placing Jessica in his soul, while Bassanio concludes his description of Portia by saying if he is successful in wooing her "I should questionless be fortunate!" Bassanio's focus is on what he stands to gain by winning Portia, and the subject of his sentence is himself. Lorenzo's focus is on Jessica; she is the subject of his sentences as she is of his life. Based on these first impressions, Lorenzo's feelings for Jessica are clearly much deeper than Bassanio's for Portia.
3. How Gratiano is characterized in his speech in lines 84 to 110 in Act 1, Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice?
Gratiano is a man unapologetic about his enthusiasm for living, and he has no desire to change. He says, With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come And let my liver rather heat with wine Than let my heart cool with mortifying groans. He is happy to age and wear out his body with the trappings of merriment, laughter, and wine, than to allow himself to age and grow bitter and cold. If he jokes too much and too freely, he prefers his own approach to that of reputed wise men who remain silent and serious only because they would be called fools if they spoke. Perhaps others think Gratiano a fool as well, but if so, he has earned the reputation by his own merits and by being true to himself. He says all these things in an effort to bring Antonio out of his melancholy in Act 1 and tells Antonio he loves him because he is loyal to his friends and wants them to be as happy as he is.
4. Based on what Portia says about her suitors in The Merchant of Venice, Act 1, Scene 2, what is she looking for in a husband?
Portia's description of her suitors indicates that her options are uniformly unappealing. She objects to the Neapolitan prince who does "nothing but talk of his horse." The County Palatine does "nothing but frown." She finds the French lord's moods too inconsistent, and she finds a Scottish lord too quarrelsome. She thinks the English baron, Falconbridge, is physically attractive, but they do not speak the same language, which makes a relationship impossible. Her greatest objection seems to be to her German suitor, who drinks profusely. She says of him, "When he is best he is a little worse than a man, and when he is worst he is little better than a beast ... I will do anything, Nerissa, ere I will be married to a sponge." Once Portia has made explicit what she finds unappealing about the men who pursue her, her requirements are not substantially different from what most people look for in a partner. She wants someone who is interesting to talk to and whom she can talk to. She wants a pleasant disposition and a reasonably predictable personality. Most importantly, she wants a husband who exhibits self-control, does not behave like a "beast," and can be trusted not to squander her fortune on drink.
5. Based on their conversation in The Merchant of Venice, Act 1, Scene 2, what kind of friendship do Portia and Nerissa have?
Nerissa's title is "waiting-gentlewoman," which means she is technically Portia's servant. She is a high-ranking servant, but still an employee. However, the two women have a close and very open friendship. When Portia complains of being "aweary of this world," Nerissa reminds her of her great fortune. Portia wants for nothing, is beautiful, and has scores of admirers. Nerissa speaks frankly, even cheekily, to Portia. When Portia says Nerissa's sentences of advice are good, Nerissa says, "They would be better if followed." At the same time, Nerissa shows sympathy for Portia's complaint of having her dead father take away her right to choose her own husband and gently reassures Portia of her father's wisdom and goodness. She listens patiently to Portia's complaints about her suitors, which are valid, and encourages her with the memory of Bassanio saying he is "best deserving a fair lady." The friendship is one sided in the sense that this and other conversations between them center on Portia's needs, but Portia clearly values Nerissa as a grounding influence and a source of sensible feedback. In turn Nerissa clearly has her lady's best interests at heart. The relative equality between the two women is also visible in the structure of their dialogue, which is written in prose rather than verse. In Shakespearean plays prose is reserved for casual speech, and verse lines indicate formality and propriety.
6. When introduced in The Merchant of Venice, Act 1, Scene 2, what does Portia's dead father's riddle, which will determine who marries Portia, indicate about the role of women?
Portia vows that she will follow her father's wishes in choosing a husband. The details of the challenge do not become clear until Act 2, Scene 7. In that scene the audience sees that Portia's father has created a kind of shell game to choose his daughter's husband from beyond the grave. He has set up three chests, each with an inscription that provides a clue, and the man who chooses the chest with Portia's portrait inside wins her hand. In Act 1, Scene 2 Portia is clearly frustrated by this arrangement. She laments, "I may neither choose who I would nor refuse who I dislike. So is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father." Her father's written will has imposed his intentions on her. Of course, if her father were alive, social convention of the time would give him control over his daughter's marriage, but Portia might have had input on the decision. Under the system her father has devised, she lacks even the illusion that her opinion matters. In a time when arranged marriages were commonplace for the upper classes, this arrangement reads as an exaggerated parody of the lengths parents might go to find a daughter a "suitable" mate. All of Portia's suitors are men of high rank and wealth, but they are personally repellent. In this seeming game of chance, it appears she may be forced to marry any one of them, creating a socially acceptable but unhappy marriage.
7. In what ways is Antonio's and Shylock's conflict over lending money with interest in The Merchant of Venice, Act 1, Scene 3 based in religious belief?
As common as the collection of interest, or usance, is when lending money today, the practice provides the basis for Antonio and Shylock's conflict. Antonio, as a Christian, is prohibited by his religion from charging interest on money he loans to others. This policy enrages Shylock because Antonio lending money for free drives down the interest rates he and his colleagues can charge on their loans. While Antonio may mean well, he directly affects Shylock's livelihood. As a Jew, Shylock is limited to moneylending for his income because his religious law allows him to charge interest, but the city's law prohibits him from owning land or engaging in many other professions. During their exchange in Act 1, Scene 3, Shylock attempts to explain why he believes it is acceptable for him to charge interest for the money he lends. He recounts the Biblical story of Jacob, who is charged with watching his uncle's flock of sheep. As payment, Jacob collects the multicolored lambs born during the year he cares for the flock, and he sets up multicolored branches in the females' line of sight during breeding time to attempt to influence the color of their offspring. The strategy works, and Jacob collects a large flock of his own. Shylock explains that Jacob's efforts to influence breeding and increase the flock is similar to the act of charging interest on money, so his own practices are justified by the religious text. Antonio rejects this viewpoint and argues Jacob is simply creating an advantage for himself in basic trade as a merchant might. Antonio whispers to Bassanio that the devil, Shylock, can cite scripture for his own purposes, rejecting Shylock's argument. Still, Antonio does not explain why his own interpretation of Jacob's strategy to increase his flock assigns Jacob more honor or honesty. The exchange demonstrates that business practices are not the only point of difference between Shylock and Antonio; they differ in their fundamental religious beliefs, which makes their conflict about something much deeper than money.
8. Why is Shylock opposed to eating dinner with Bassanio and Antonio in The Merchant of Venice, Act 1, Scene 3?
When Bassanio asks Shylock to join him and Antonio for dinner, Shylock responds with sarcasm, saying, "Yes, to smell pork. To eat of the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite conjured the devil into." Although some of the dietary restrictions have been relaxed in modern times, at the time of the play, Jewish law requires Shylock to follow strict dietary standards. These standards are especially strict regarding meat: which animals may be consumed, how animals are killed, how the meat is stored. Based on Jewish law, pork is not allowed because pigs do not chew cud. Shylock's reference to "the Nazarite" alludes to a Biblical story in which Jesus of Nazareth performs an exorcism and casts demons out of a man's body and into a flock of pigs, which would have been acceptable because pigs were already considered unclean under Jewish law at the time. Shylock's use of this story indicates the depth of his own piety, as he refuses to even smell pork, let alone eat it. He also implies hypocrisy on the part of Christians, who freely eat pork even though their own scriptural stories imply pigs are tainted.
9. How do Antonio's, Bassanio's, and Shylock's viewpoints differ toward the bond they seal in The Merchant of Venice, Act 1, Scene 3?
Shylock refers to the bond, which requires Antonio to give up a pound of his own flesh, as "merry sport." His expressions of hatred toward Antonio and his earlier aside wishing for an opportunity to get Antonio at his mercy and take revenge reveal that Shylock's talk of the bond as a joke are a cover for his true intentions. He knows taking a pound of Antonio's flesh will kill him, so his suggestion is rooted in malice, and his tone conceals that malice toward the Christian. Bassanio recognizes Shylock's malice for what it is. Even though Antonio expresses cynicism toward Shylock's justification of his work as a moneylender, countering Shylock's story of the Biblical Jacob by telling Bassanio the devil can use scripture to justify his own ends, he seems to abandon this cynicism when Shylock offers the terms of their loan. Bassanio, however, does not buy Shylock's friendly attitude. He cautions Antonio against accepting these terms and tries to back out of the deal. Antonio says he believes Shylock has shown such kindness that he may convert to Christianity, which shows a somewhat naive level of trust in a man who is asking for a pound of one's flesh. Shakespeare uses the word kindness to play with the three men's interpretations of the situation. Shylock tells Antonio he's not going to charge interest on his loan, saying, "This is kind I offer" and goes on to say, "This kindness will I show." It's likely he's thinking of repaying Antonio's many insults and injuries "in kind." Bassanio seems to understand this double meaning when he remarks, "This were kindness!" His use of the subjunctive "were" might refer to either meaning of the word. If the contract is made, if Antonio were to default, Shylock would get his payment in kind. On the other hand, if he were to repay the loan as agreed, Shylock's offer would have been a kind and generous one. Antonio himself, however, chooses to have faith and see "much kindness in the Jew."
10. What elements of Shylock's portrayal create sympathy for his character in The Merchant of Venice, Act 1, Scene 3?
Shylock describes the wrongs Antonio has done him in lines 116 to 139. Antonio has scolded Shylock in public for his moneylending and called him "misbeliever" and "cutthroat dog." These public insults sew animosity, and Shylock points out that he has "borne it with a patient shrug." He does not retaliate by calling Antonio names—perhaps because Antonio has more power in Venetian society than Shylock does. Antonio has not limited his abuse to words; Shylock cites occasions when Antonio has kicked him and spat on his clothing. The phrasing he uses—"void your rheum upon my beard"—conjures an especially gross image of Antonio spitting a glob of phlegm very near Shylock's face. Spitting is an unsanitary and highly personal insult since it is an invasion of another person's space and hygiene to inflict ones bodily fluids on another in such a manner. When confronted with these wrongs, Antonio does not offer apology or conciliation of any kind. Social convention asks us to apologize when we become aware we have wronged another person. Christian morality, which Antonio follows, likewise asks people to seek forgiveness when they have done wrong. Antonio does not appear to believe he has done anything wrong, and instead of apology, he doubles down on his abuse saying, "I am as like to call thee so again,/To spet on thee again, to spurn thee, too." He asks Shylock to lend him the money not out of friendship but for business and the ability to collect interest from his enemy. Even though Shylock is plotting against Antonio as he dictates the terms of the loan, Antonio's lack of remorse for mistreating Shylock provides rationale for Shylock's desire for revenge.
11. Why do Portia's suitors have to swear not to approach another woman in marriage if they lose her father's challenge in The Merchant of Venice?
Once the rules of the challenge Portia's father set up before his death are made clear, it becomes apparent that the challenge is not a simple game of chance. Each casket is inscribed with a clue that is designed to direct a worthy man to the box that holds Portia's portrait. Even though the element of chance is reduced in the challenge, if any man is allowed to accept the challenge and choose between the three caskets, it substantially raises the odds of an unworthy man undertaking the challenge on a whim and winning Portia's hand. To protect against this possibility, Portia's father has added the requirement that those who accept the challenge swear never to marry another woman even if they lose the challenge. Although it's unclear how such a provision might be enforced, this first hurdle limits the pool of suitors who are willing to risk a lifetime of loneliness for the mere chance to marry Portia, which at least ensures the winner will have a basic level of devotion to her.
12. What does Launcelot Gobbo's and Old Gobbo's misuse of language indicate about each of them in The Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Scene 2?
Old Gobbo's misuse of words is more obvious than his son's. He tells Bassanio Launcelot has "an infection to serve" when he probably means an affection and later refers to the "defect of the matter" when he probably means effect. Lancelot hopes his father's words can "frutify" his intentions when he probably means fructify. The misused vocabulary appears for humorous effect in the play as the purpose of both Gobbo men is to provide comic relief. However, it also illustrates their lack of education and finesse. These are lower-class men than Bassanio. They are poorer than Shylock and less learned than he, but in Venetian society they have greater freedom and status than Shylock has. Their judgment of Shylock and distaste for him may illustrate how, despite their low rank, they recognize his defects as an employer. Thus, it highlights the flaws of a social system that bases status on race and religion instead of merit and illustrates how such a system perpetuates prejudice and mutual hostility.
13. What passages in The Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Scenes 3 and 4 raise the possibility that the Christians dislike Shylock on his own merits rather than blind prejudice?
Act 2, Scenes 3 and 4 feature Shylock's daughter Jessica. She is a Jew like her father, but she is not subject to the same hostility her father faces. It is possible that Jessica enjoys greater favor with the other characters because she is a woman or because she plans to marry a Christian and convert. However, marriages between Christians and Jews were not encouraged and were often considered taboo in Christian society. It is more likely that Jessica is not subject to the same scorn Shylock faces because she is a nicer person than he is. Shylock is angry and bitter from years of mistreatment, and he makes no secret of returning the scorn he has faced. Jessica, on the other hand, is friendly toward Launcelot and others. Launcelot calls her "most beautiful pagan, most sweet Jew" because she has treated him well during his time with her family. Lorenzo says "If e'er the Jew her father come to heaven,/It will be for his gentle daughter's sake." Lorenzo is in love with Jessica, so he is biased in her favor, but his statement also speaks to her traits that earned his love.
14. How does Act 2, Scene 5 of The Merchant of Venice illustrate Jessica's reasons for wanting to elope with Lorenzo?
Shylock is extremely protective of Jessica, which isolates her from even the most casual social contact. He is driven by his prejudice against the Venetians. As a young woman living in a vibrant city, she is undoubtedly interested in the things happening around her, but Shylock tells her to keep the windows of their house locked and not to look outside. She is not to even allow the sounds of the outside world into their home or her ears, lest they corrupt her. Shylock does not know about her involvement with Lorenzo, of course, but neither has he taken any steps to arrange for her to have a Jewish suitor even though she is of an appropriate age for marriage. Had he done so, he might have prevented her from eloping with a Christian. There is no evidence in the play that she has any friends within her own community either, another factor that may have led her to pursue a clandestine relationship with a Christian. Her only friend appears to be the house servant Launcelot Gobbo. However, Shylock has alienated Launcelot and driven him to find another job, which means if Jessica continues living with her father, she will be even more isolated than before. If the alternative is marriage and becoming part of Lorenzo's social circle, her choice seems easy and obvious.
15. In The Merchant of Venice how are Jessica and Portia similar?
Jessica and Portia are both women controlled by their father's wishes. Portia complains that her father has taken any element of choice from her as she attempts to find a husband using the complicated challenge her father has left behind, which essentially allows him to choose a husband for her from the grave. Her position in Belmont leaves her somewhat isolated, and her best friend is a servant, Nerissa. She has few other acquaintances. Jessica's situation is a much bleaker version of Portia's. Her father, Shylock, controls her every move and contact with the world outside their house. While Portia's father has created a very limiting challenge that may prevent his daughter from ever marrying, Shylock has allowed no visible opportunities for Jessica to meet a husband within the Jewish community. He keeps her isolated in their house, and like Portia her best friend is a servant, Launcelot Gobbo. By establishing these similarities between two women so outwardly different, the play provides insight into the limited options all women face in Renaissance Venetian society. Their lives are governed by their fathers until they marry; then they will be governed by their husbands.
16. In The Merchant of Venice how do Jessica and Portia differ?
Neither Portia nor Jessica likes the level of control their fathers exert over their personal lives. Because Portia's father is dead, she feels she can do little to change her circumstances. Even though she doesn't like the method her father has instigated for choosing her husband, she accepts it and vows to follow his will. Her obedience hints at a relationship far more positive than the one Jessica has with Shylock. The play does not set forth a consequence for Portia should she opt to abandon her father's wishes, so despite her complaints, she has apparently chosen to do as he wishes even though he is not there to stop her. On the other hand, Jessica's father is alive and irritable. If Shylock were to discover her communication with Lorenzo, there is little doubt he would punish her, perhaps severely. He keeps her locked away from the world even when he thinks she is obedient. Instead of acquiescing to Shylock's wishes as Portia does with her father, Jessica takes the risk of rebellion. She liberates herself from her father's control. She actively chooses her own husband, and she chooses a man who would meet with her father's sternest disapproval.
17. What personal flaw is evident in the Prince of Morocco's speech that indicates his unworthiness of Portia in The Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Scene 7?
Until the audience and Portia see Portia's father's plan in action, the challenge involving the three caskets seems at best like a haphazard way to choose a husband. However, once the Prince of Morocco undertakes the challenge and his reasoning becomes visible, the audience realizes the purpose of the challenge is to weed out unworthy suitors. The Prince of Morocco chooses the gold casket, drawn by the lure of "what many men desire." He believes this statement applies to gold as well as to Portia. Portia is pursued by many suitors, but the Prince of Morocco is taken in by outward appearances, and this is a tendency that defines his personality. When he first arrives, he introduces himself by asking Portia not to judge him for his complexion, so he is clearly preoccupied with how his own appearance affects others. As he chooses his casket, he reflects repeatedly on Portia's beauty, which seems to be her most important characteristic in his opinion. He relates to the world around him only according to surface appearances.
18. How does Solanio and Salarino's gossip in The Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Scene 8 create sympathy for Antonio?
Antonio has endured some setbacks in recent days. A rumor is circulating that a ship has been lost near England. Solanio and Salarino suspect the ship is one of Antonio's, as does the rest of the city. The loss of a ship places Antonio one step closer to Shylock's clutches, and Solanio and Salarino cite Antonio's kindness as reason to sympathize with his financial losses. More importantly, Antonio appears grieved by Bassanio's departure. Salarino describes Antonio's eyes as "being big with tears" when he bids Bassanio farewell. He shakes Bassanio's hand in farewell but turns his face away to hide his sorrow. Solanio observes "I think [Antonio] only loves the world for [Bassanio]." In other words, the only thing in the world that brings Antonio true joy is Bassanio. His life is only worth living because Bassanio is in it. Whether this love is romantic or platonic at its core, it is a singularly strong connection. The prospect of Antonio losing this friend to marriage, which will change the nature of their relationship as marriage does, creates a connection between the audience and Antonio because it relates to a universal experience. Everyone has lost a close friend to a romantic connection or lost a romantic partner to someone else.
19. Why is Shylock's initial reaction to Jessica's departure presented secondhand through Solanio and Salarino's gossip in The Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Scene 8?
Solanio and Salarino's gossip about Shylock's reaction to Jessica running away with Lorenzo allows them an opportunity to demonstrate their prejudice against Shylock. They seem to mock his pain at losing his sole family member, imitating his cries through the city square. More importantly, they are able to portray Shylock in keeping with the stereotype about Jewish moneylenders, a stereotype that assumes such men are greedy at the expense of all else. Their account of Shylock's words in lines 15 to 23 has him repeating the word ducats five times. He describes these ducats and enumerates how many bags of them are gone. In addition two full lines are devoted to the jewels he has lost. He says the word daughter five times also, but two of these mentions are to emphasize that she is the one who stole the ducats. Their breakdown of his language indicates he places greater value on the ducats than the daughter. However, it is important that this portrayal is filtered through Solanio's perception because it raises the possibility that his account is unreliable and the reality was less aligned with stereotype.
20. Why does the Prince of Arragon's choice of caskets reveal him to be a fool in The Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Scene 9?
The Prince of Arragon chooses the silver casket, which is inscribed with the words "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves." This inscription, with its obvious allusion to entitlement and deserving, should serve as a warning to a thinking man not to choose the silver casket. The challenge has been devised by Portia's father to choose a worthy husband for her. A father who goes to this kind of trouble to look out for his daughter's interests is not a man likely to believe anyone is really worthy of his daughter, least of all a man who comes to the challenge with an ego inflated enough to believe he deserves her. The Prince of Arragon falls into the trap easily because he is a man with exactly such an ego. In his reasoning over the choice he sets himself apart from and above other men, thinking himself too good to choose gold. Furthermore, his inability to use simple logic to see the silver casket is a trap that brands him a fool.
21. In The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 1, why do Salarino and Solanio believe Shylock shouldn't be surprised by Jessica's departure?
When Shylock accuses Salarino and Solanio of knowing—"none so well as you"—about Jessica's plans to elope, they defend themselves by telling Shylock he should have known his daughter was sufficiently grown to want to leave home. Solanio says, "And Shylock for his own part knew the bird was fledge, and then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam." Shylock has been in denial about Jessica becoming an adult and made no preparations to set her up with a husband or home of her own. Solanio and Salarino emphasize that it is the natural order of things for children to leave their parents and have their own lives. Shylock should not be surprised that Jessica wants what all young people want. When he says that his "own flesh and blood" has rebelled against him, Solanio does not even dignify the statement with a serious response, making a nasty joke about whether Shylock's body is capable of rebelling at his age. Children rebel against parents, and they are more likely to do so when the parent is as stifling as Shylock has been to Jessica.
22. What does Shylock's speech in lines 57 to 72 of The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 1 say about human nature and prejudice?
Known as the "hath not a Jew" speech, Shylock's soliloquy is one of the best-known passages from The Merchant of Venice because of its appeal to the common experiences of all humanity. Shylock responds to a lifetime of prejudice with a range of emotions, starting with pathos and ending with rage. He begins by describing how all human bodies are the same with "hands, organs, dimensions." Then he moves into the common feelings all humans have, "senses, emotions, passions." All humans eat and are subject to injury and disease and respond to stimuli from the weather to physical contact. Shylock's listing of these common experiences represents his attempt to convince Solanio and Salarino that he is as human as they are and that prejudice is unnecessary because all humans have common values, strengths, and weaknesses. His tone becomes darker when he talks about the human desire for revenge. He is correct in his belief that Christians seek revenge just as freely as he does as a Jew. Shylock owns this part of his humanity; he embraces it. He sees no reason—if we all share a common humanity—why the right of revenge should be limited to only one group.
23. In Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 1, how does Shylock's response to news about Jessica differ from Solanio's stereotyping in Act 2, Scene 8?
In Act 2, Scene 8, Solanio's account of Shylock's distress at losing Jessica emphasizes Shylock's focus on losing the money Jessica takes with her. Solanio's version paints Shylock with a greed that is recognized as stereotypical of the Jewish moneylender. However, Shylock's reaction to Tubal's news about Jessica somewhat contradicts that stereotype. His reaction is exaggerated, but not entirely focused on monetary loss. Shylock declares he wishes his daughter—he doesn't use her name—were dead and the money in her coffin. This desire implies that he is overcome with shame at her abandonment and her theft and would prefer to have lost her and the money to the grave than in such an embarrassing manner. He also expresses sentimental value for one of the items Jessica has taken—a turquoise ring Jessica's mother gave him during their courtship. He says, "I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys." This ring is special because of its origin, not because of its monetary value. Even though Shylock is concerned with his wealth—as his work requires—it is not his sole concern or even his most important worry.
24. In The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 1, how does Shylock's response to news about Jessica reinforce Solanio's stereotyping in Act 2, Scene 8?
Even though Shylock's discussion with Tubal about the search for Jessica contains moments of sentimentality and expressions of shame at her leaving, the conversation centers heavily on money. Shylock says, "I know not what's spent in the search! Why, loss upon loss. The thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief." He no longer refers to Jessica by her name. In this passage he does not even call her "my daughter." She is "the thief"; her whole relationship to her father is now defined by the manner of her leaving and the items she has taken from him. Shylock exaggerates his anguish further when he learns the diamond he spent to find Jessica, worth 2,000 ducats, has gone to waste. He claims "The curse never fell upon our nation till now, I never felt it till now." For him to equate the loss of 2,000 ducats to the suffering of his people over centuries is insensitive at best and indicates the kind of greed that Solanio attempts to illustrate when he gossips about Shylock.
25. In The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 2, what does Jessica and Lorenzo's presence at Belmont reveal about gossip and hearsay in other scenes?
In Act 2, Scene 8 Salarino and Solanio recount how Antonio assured Shylock and the Duke of Venice that Jessica and Lorenzo did not leave Venice with Bassanio. This may be true because the play does not specify how they reached Belmont, but it seems suspicious that they have ended up in the same place as Bassanio at the same time. In Act 3, Scene 1 Tubal tells Shylock news of Jessica and Lorenzo sighted in the city of Genoa, another possibility, but they do not seem newly arrived at Belmont when they appear in Act 3, Scene 2. Tubal also reports how Jessica has traded her mother's ring for a monkey, but no monkeys are visible at Belmont. Perhaps the monkey is in another location, but its conspicuous absence implies the more likely conclusion that the monkey never existed. Much of the news that surfaces in Venice is based on secondhand accounts and hearsay, with Salarino and Solanio providing a primary conduit for such information, but Tubal supplementing it as well. Jessica and Lorenzo's peaceful presence in Belmont provides evidence to support the conclusion that the rumors and hearsay that drive the plot are often incorrect or incomplete. These erroneous accounts are not only misleading but dangerous. Antonio almost dies because news reaches Venice that all his ships have been lost, but in Act 5, Scene 1 three of his ships arrive safely back in Venice. These examples show the value of verifiable facts over rumor and gossip.
26. In The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 2, how does the song in lines 65 to 74 provide hints to guide Bassanio through the challenge?
The song asserts that fancy "is engendered in the eye." This means that fancy—shallow affection and attraction—is based entirely on appearance, what can be seen with the eye. Fancy is not love. It is inconstant and might change just as what the observer sees changes. In this respect the song is a cautionary tale. It tells Bassanio that affections based on appearance are not substantial or valuable. The song goes on to describe how fancy dies "in the cradle where it lies" after being fed with gazing. The interest in a person or object wanes when the eye has had its fill and wants to look at something else, and this fleeting nature means that fancy will never have the chance to grow and mature into something substantial like love. Hence it dies in the cradle. Bassanio appears to understand this message because his first line after the song ends reads like a response that establishes cause and effect: "So may the outward shows be least themselves."
27. What dramatic irony appears in Bassanio's reasoning as he chooses a casket in The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 2?
Bassanio's choice of casket rests on his understanding that the outward appearance of something is not representative of what is inside it. This principle is the crux of the casket challenge, which is designed to discourage suitors who are shallowly obsessed with external appearance and what they believe they deserve. Although Bassanio is sensible enough to choose the correct casket during the challenge—to understand that things and people of great value and substance may hide under plain exteriors—he has not lived his life according to this principle, a contrast the audience understands. The main conflict in the play results from Bassanio's need for money so he can present an appearance that will convince Portia of his prosperity. He does not confess the truth behind this image until he receives word Antonio's life is in danger, and he needs Portia's help. Bassanio knows exterior appearance often conceals a different reality because that is the reality he lives in.
28. Why do Portia and Bassanio make multiple allusions to classical mythology as Bassanio faces the casket challenge in The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 2?
Portia first compares Bassanio to the hero Hercules rescuing a woman from a sea monster near Troy. This elevates the challenge before them to a hero's task of rescuing a maiden in distress. In reality Portia is not exactly a virgin sacrifice to a sea monster. She is a comfortable woman of means and high status who will go on living comfortably whether Bassanio wins the challenge or not. Bassanio is risking a great deal in accepting the challenge, as he will be prohibited from marrying anyone else if he fails, but this is not the same as facing a sea monster. In mulling over how "the outward shows be least themselves" and how "The world is still deceived with ornament," Bassanio mentions several examples, including three from classical mythology: cowards who sport "The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars" Medusa's "crispèd snaky golden locks" Midas's "gaudy gold" These allusions and Portia and Bassanio's desire to draw parallels between their love and the epics of ancient times highlight the comfort they enjoy in their lives as well as their need to create stories for themselves that make this odd ritual with the caskets into something romantic and legendary.
29. What is significant about the ring Portia gives Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 2?
Because Portia and Bassanio's courtship has evolved through the highly artificial ritual surrounding the caskets, they have not had an opportunity to spend a lot of time together, get to know one another, and indulge in a romance. They have essentially met and moved immediately into marriage. Symbols of devotion, such as rings, take on special importance under these circumstances. They need to create shared experiences and understandings to compensate for the stories and memories they have yet to create. Portia promises Bassanio all she has, but she is also relinquishing her independence and sole control over her properties by marrying him. The ring signifies their bond, but the caveat she places on the ring—that if he "part from, lose, or give away" this ring it will "presage the ruin of your love"—also allows Portia to retain control over Bassanio. His continued ownership of the ring is an ongoing test of his loyalty and devotion to her.
30. Why does Bassanio compare his courtship of Portia to the mythical quest for the golden fleece in The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 2?
Bassanio refers to the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece when speaking with Antonio before journeying to Belmont in Act 1, Scene 2. This parallel is an attempt for him to elevate his journey to woo Portia to the status of heroic legend, and the comparison makes some sense. Jason and his friends set sail to another land, just as Bassanio sets sail to Belmont. For Jason the prize is the golden fleece of a mystical ram. For Bassanio the fleece is Portia, the prize at the end of the quest. Bassanio's quest is less dangerous than the one Jason and his fellows attempt in legend, but Bassanio needs to believe he is engaged in a heroic activity to justify the risk Antonio has taken to make this quest possible. He makes the reference to Antonio because he needs Antonio to believe it as well. Ironically, Antonio is the one facing real danger in this scenario even though he never leaves home.
31. What is surprising about Gratiano's decision to marry Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 2?
Throughout the previous scenes of the play, Gratiano has presented himself as a happy-go-lucky character who enjoys parties, socializing, and drink. He has not directly called himself a confirmed bachelor but has not presented himself as someone interested in settling down. He is seldom serious, always ready with a joke. Bassanio was afraid to bring Gratiano on this trip for fear Gratiano might embarrass him, so his decision to settle down comes as something of a surprise to Bassanio. Even after Gratiano explains how he "beheld" Nerissa and was taken with nervous sweat and a dry mouth, Bassanio questions him, "And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith?" His choice of words—"good faith"—implies Bassanio believes there is a chance Gratiano might not be serious, that he might be acting out of self-interest or making a joke. Yet Bassanio doesn't belabor the point, accepting Gratiano's affirmation of his good faith without further question.
32. In The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 2, what indicates Gratiano and Nerissa are well suited for one another?
Gratiano and Nerissa play similar roles for Bassanio and Portia respectively, providing constant companionship. They offer frank advice to the people they care about, as Gratiano does with Antonio in Act 1, Scene 1 to break Antonio out of his bad mood. Nerissa does the same for Portia in Act 1, Scene 2. They are both forces of good cheer, humor, and common sense. Nerissa also appears to understand, or at least tolerate, Gratiano's bawdy sense of humor. After the very serious and heartfelt moment of confessing their intent to marry and receiving congratulations, Gratiano offers to make a bet with Bassanio and Portia as to which couple will have a son first. Nerissa says, "What, and stake down?" Gratiano replies, "No, we shall ne'er win at that sport and stake down." His joke equates the stake with sexual arousal, necessary for having a son. The scene ends without a specific reaction from Nerissa, but she has spent sufficient time with Gratiano to know this is the kind of humor she can expect from him.
33. In The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 2, what does Portia's reaction to the news about Antonio reveal about her personality?
Portia has never met Antonio, but his predicament allows her an opportunity to demonstrate her devotion to Bassanio and her generosity of spirit. She shrugs off the 3,000-ducat sum of Antonio's debt and offers to pay Shylock twice or even four times the original value of the bond. Portia is exceedingly wealthy, so such an offer is easy for her to make. But since wealth can bring with it stinginess just as easily, this is still a very generous offer to make for a stranger. More importantly, Portia is generous with Bassanio himself. In Act 4, Scene 1 Bassanio will refer to Portia as his wife, and he and Portia will treat one another as spouses in Act 5 Scene 1, but the details of this scene reveal Portia's willingness to postpone her actual wedding for Antonio. She first asks Bassanio to "go with [her] to church and call [her] wife" before he leaves for Venice. After Bassanio reads Antonio's plea for Bassanio to come to Venice, Portia seems to drop this idea and urges Bassanio to "dispatch all business and begone!" The couple are married in the sense that they have made promises to one another and a ring has been given, but the ceremony will have to wait until Bassanio's return. She is patient and trusting, filled only with concern for the welfare of a man she does not yet know.
34. Why does Shylock repeat the word bond so frequently in his lines in The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 3?
Shylock speaks a total of 16 lines in the first part of Act 3, Scene 3. In those lines he repeats the phrase, "I will have my bond" five times and says "Speak not against my bond" once. This repetition shows the single-mindedness of Shylock's thinking and action now. He refuses to talk with Antonio or consider yielding to "Christian intercessors." His thinking and speech border on the obsessive with this repetition. He cares for nothing except his bond, and he may feel the bond is all he has left in the world to care about. Shylock's household is empty. His wife is long dead. His daughter has fled the city. Even his servant Launcelot has moved on to a more appealing master. The word bond itself is also evocative of the situation Shylock and Antonio find themselves in. Antonio is literally bound in prison now, a state it doubtless makes Shylock happy to see since he mocks Antonio as "the fool who lent out money gratis." But the bond also connects Shylock to Antonio; his own fortunes are tied to what happens to Antonio next.
35. In The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 3, why does Antonio believe even the Duke of Venice can't stop Shylock?
The Duke of Venice is the highest authority in the city. In other cities rulers may govern like tyrants and issue edicts, but Venice is reputed to be a progressive society. Therefore, the duke is not above the law any more than his citizens are. Venice's progressive reputation has made it a center of trade, as Antonio points out when he says "the trade and profit of the city consisteth of all nations." The outcome of this case places the city's international reputation on the line. If the duke intercedes in this case and unilaterally nullifies Shylock's bond, it sets a dangerous precedent for the rule of law and the validity of all contracts in Venice. There will be nothing to stop other unsatisfied traders and merchants from bringing their own cases before the duke expecting their contracts to be nullified when an investment doesn't turn out as expected. Once contracts cannot be relied upon to be honored, the business that sustains the city will evaporate, and the entire society will suffer. For the good of his people, the duke must uphold Shylock's contract.
36. Why doesn't Antonio care that he's about to die in The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 3?
Antonio's attitude in Act 3, Scene 3 is one of a man resigned to his fate. He knows it is pointless to try to reason with Shylock, who is driven by a hatred of years, perhaps decades, in the making. He knows the duke cannot intercede on his behalf without undermining the rule of law that ensures Venice's prosperity. Bassanio, the person Antonio cares for most in the world, is about to marry and move to Belmont. Whatever the precise nature of Antonio's love for Bassanio, their close relationship will be irrevocably changed, which creates deep sadness for Antonio. He says he only wants to see Bassanio once more before he dies, then he does not care what happens to him. Finally, Shylock's badgering, the loss of his ships, the loss of his friend, and the stress of the bond have taken a physical toll on Antonio. He acknowledges he has lost so much weight through worrying about this ordeal, he doubts he has a pound of flesh to spare. In this context Antonio will find in death a release from worries about his business and freedom from Shylock's harassment.
37. In The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 4, what is Portia's opinion of Antonio even though they have never met?
Portia believes Antonio must be the soul of honor and goodness. She tells Lorenzo she believes people who establish long-term friendships—"whose souls bear an equal yoke of love"—either have or develop "a like proportion of lineaments, of manner, and of spirit." She concludes that Antonio must be very much like Bassanio in personality to sustain such a long friendship with him. In this respect Portia's assessment of Antonio is mostly correct. The prejudice evident in his relationship with Shylock aside, Antonio is an extremely devoted and loyal friend. He has made an enormous sacrifice to help Bassanio find a wife; he has placed his life on the line to help Bassanio be happy. He has not risked his life to save Bassanio's life or provide him with something truly essential to survival, only to help Bassanio become more comfortable. For his part Bassanio has taken many previous loans from Antonio and has professed his love and gratitude, but there is no evidence to indicate that he might be willing to make a similar sacrifice for a friend. When Portia says she believes Antonio is a good man because of his association with her husband, she might more accurately say Bassanio is a better man because of his association with Antonio.
38. How does Portia feel about posing as a man in The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 4?
Portia's description of her plan, thus far, to disguise herself and Nerissa as men reflects excitement at the prospect. She makes an off-color joke about the disguise that references the differences between male and female genitalia when she says, "They shall think we are accomplished with what we lack." Portia has not made such references before, which indicates she is already embracing the freedom a masculine appearance will afford her. She speaks fondly of turning "mincing steps into a manly stride, and speak of frays like a fine bragging youth, and tell quaint lies how honorable ladies sought my love." The evidence present in Act 4 shows Portia doing none of these things—except walking with a manly stride. She is a serious and focused student of the law when she comes to court to defend Antonio. Her description of what she will do and say while in disguise reflects how she views adopting a different persona as an adventure and how she thinks men spend most of their time getting into fights and pursuing women, or at least saying they do.
39. In The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 5, what do the jokes Jessica and Launcelot Gobbo share reveal about the nature of their relationship?
Launcelot makes a number of jokes in Act 3, Scene 5 that reflect deep prejudice against Jews and those who associate with them, and his ability to say such things without offending Jessica reflects how close and casual their friendship is. They have known one another for a long time, and Jessica has called him a "merry devil" in the past. Launcelot takes his humor to an extreme level, making jokes about both of Jessica's parents and implying she might be better off if she were an illegitimate child. He goes on to tease her about her husband for "making of Christians," a reference to Jessica's conversion to Christianity and her later production of Christian children. Jessica tells Lorenzo that Lancelot has said "there's no mercy for [her] in heaven" and that Lorenzo is "no good member of the commonwealth." If these were not statements made by a man well known as a fool and a clown, they must certainly offend because the words are insulting on their own merits. Lancelot's lower social status in this case protects him because fools are often allowed to say things in jest that others cannot.
40. In The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1, how does Antonio's professed patience at Shylock's rage reflect his own prejudice against Shylock?
In Act 1, Scene 3 Shylock claims to have borne Antonio's insults with patience over the years. Now the situation is reversed, and Antonio claims before the court that he is the one who endures Shylock's abuse with patience. This is true, but Antonio's position denies that he has ever done Shylock any wrong. Antonio has "a quietness of spirit" in response to Shylock now, but not long ago he threatened to continue calling Shylock dog and spitting on him in the street with little second thought. Antonio did not show this patience toward Shylock when he was engaging in the loan of 3,000 ducats that has brought them to court. Shylock previously described himself as the victim and Antonio as the aggressor, but now Antonio reverses that order. Neither man can see that each has victimized the other, and their mutual animosity and prejudice have brought them both here to court, to the edge of ruin.
41. What words and actions paint Shylock as a true villain in The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1?
Previous scenes with Shylock have left some rationale for his anger and presented him with some redeeming qualities. In Act 1, Scene 3 he is scheming and hateful toward Antonio, but he also details the grievances and abuses he has suffered at Antonio's hands. In Act 3, Scene 1 he may seem more concerned about his loss of money than about the loss of his daughter, but he also makes a passionate plea defending his own humanity and pointing out that the Christians have no room to judge him harshly for wanting revenge. On Shylock's day in court, however, he is intractable and his explanations for being there and for wanting Antonio's flesh amount to him saying "It is my humor" and leaving it at that. There is little balance to his malice as he will not hear pleas for mercy or reason. Instead, Shylock is seen sharpening his knife on the bottom of his shoe in court before a verdict has even been reached. It is a chilling action that reflects his overconfidence at the pending decision as well as his apparent relish and anticipation for what he is about to do—kill a man with the law's approval in front of a room full of people.
42. How do Gratiano and Bassanio potentially make matters worse for Antonio in The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1?
Gratiano and Bassanio's words and behavior in court show the kind of attitude and prejudice that over the years has escalated Shylock's distaste to hatred and finally to murderous rage. They lack any sort of empathy or understanding of Shylock's anger, which leads them to exacerbate it during the court proceedings. Perhaps Shylock is truly too stubborn to relent in his quest for revenge on Antonio, but when Bassanio calls Shylock an "unfeeling man" and Gratiano calls him a "damned, inexcrable dog" these words hardly prime Shylock to hear or be open to pleas for mercy when Portia and the duke deliver them. They fail to recognize that Shylock seeks Antonio's life for leveling similar insults. All they are doing is reminding Shylock of the insults that have led him to this place. For all the duke's pleas for mercy, for all Portia's pleas for mercy, none of these characters show Shylock any mercy until after he has nearly killed Antonio. The insults and hostility continue leading up to and throughout most of the trial, and this hostility only enables Shylock to continue the cycle of his hostility.
43. What is the flaw in Portia's plea for Shylock to show Antonio mercy in The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1?
The flaw in Portia's plea for Shylock's mercy is the same flaw present in Antonio's previous attempts to convince Shylock to change his mind: at no point do Antonio, Portia, the duke, or anyone else tell Shylock that they have been wrong in their mistreatment of him or offer an apology or amends. Portia's characterization of mercy as one of the highest ideals of humanity is a correct one, and one directly in line with Christian doctrine. She confirms this when she says mercy is "an attribute to God himself." However, according to Christian doctrine, God's mercy is directly tied to human repentance, which means someone who has done wrong must acknowledge that wrong and ask for forgiveness. "Mercy seasons justice," in Portia's words, but such seasoning is tied to a confession of some sort. While Antonio laments his own broken state in court, calling himself the weakest of the flock, he offers no direct acknowledgement of wronging Shylock. While Portia pleads with Shylock for mercy, she offers no apology on Antonio's—or society's—behalf. Even when the duke later shows Shylock mercy by not putting him to death for plotting against Antonio, Shylock expresses some understanding that he has been wrong, but the Christians do not make a similar display toward Shylock. Their refusal to acknowledge what they have done reflects the anti-Semitism ingrained in Christian Venetian society. Christians are the majority and have the right both legally and culturally to abuse Jews. This is so much a trait of their society that they no longer recognize it.
44. How do Bassanio and Gratiano unknowingly damage their new marriages during the court proceedings in The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1?
In lines 295 to 306 both Bassanio and Gratiano swear they would sacrifice their wives to spare Antonio's life. Bassanio says, "Life itself, my wife, and all the world are not esteemed to me above thy life. I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all here to this devil, to deliver you." The statement is almost certainly an example of hyperbole, an extreme exaggeration to illustrate the depth of Bassanio's love for Antonio. After all, offering up another person to be sacrificed to Shylock's rage would not solve the problem at hand, only transfer it to someone else. If Portia were the target of Shylock's malice, it is easy to imagine Bassanio declaring he would sacrifice his friend as dear as life itself to save her. Gratiano echoes these sentiments, saying he wishes his wife were in heaven (therefore dead) so she might invoke the powers of heaven to change Shylock's mind. Again this is likely hyperbole. While Bassanio and Gratiano do not know their wives are present in the room, they do make these announcements in a public forum, the content of which could get back to Portia and Nerissa. However, since Portia is masquerading as Balthazar, the young doctor of law, and Nerissa as Balthazar's clerk, both Portia and Nerissa hear their husbands' words directly and each one makes a remark indicating her displeasure in an aside. Even if Portia and Nerissa understand these statements are exaggerated, the words still indicate a division in their husbands' loyalty. In the heat of conflict, Bassanio and Gratiano express not just extreme sympathy for Antonio's cause but a desire to sell out their wives to express that sympathy. Such statements do not create a solid foundation for a successful marriage.
45. What does Bassanio's decision to give his ring to Portia after the trial reveal about his feelings for her in The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1?
When Bassanio decides to give Portia his ring after the trial, he does not know he is giving it to her. Bassanio thinks he is giving the ring to a stranger named Balthazar, who has just saved his best friend's life. To Bassanio's credit, he does resist Portia's initial request for the ring and remains firm even when Portia berates him for insisting she take "some remembrance" then refusing her request. In short Bassanio's loyalty and love for his wife is almost sufficient to allow him to pass her test. Almost. It is clear Bassanio does love Portia, but when Antonio makes a simple statement—"let him have the ring"—Bassanio relents immediately. Portia does not hear this part of their exchange, but it is possible she can guess Antonio has prevailed on Bassanio to offer the ring. As much as he loves Portia and values her good opinion, he still values Antonio's opinion and affection more.
46. Why is Antonio's and the duke's mercy for Shylock less merciful than it appears in The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1?
Antonio and the duke allow Shylock to keep some of his fortune so he may use it to sustain his livelihood. Shylock points out that a death sentence is preferable to depriving him of the means to make a living and keep a house, and Antonio relents. Antonio's decision here is significant because much of his conflict with Shylock has centered on his disapproval of Shylock's line of work. Here Antonio has the opportunity to end Shylock's moneylending—to which Antonio objects—for good, but Antonio chooses not to do so. This action is as close as Antonio comes to acknowledging he has wronged Shylock in the past by preventing him from making a living. However, Antonio tacks on a mandate that Shylock must convert to Christianity, which may serve the same purpose. Christian doctrine prevents the lending of money with interest, as pointed out in Act 1, Scene 3. Shylock is rules-oriented enough that he may decide to follow this doctrine, and if he does not, Shylock's potential customers might well elect not to do business with a Christian moneylender who flouts doctrine in such a way. Furthermore, the conversion will make Shylock a social pariah. He has too much bad blood with the Christians of the city, especially after this trial, to be accepted among them. By converting he will be forced to leave his community and his synagogue, the nation of which Shylock is so proud. Shylock's life is spared through the court's mercy, but his identity is destroyed.
47. What evidence appears in The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 2 that Portia is angry about Bassanio giving her his ring?
Portia elects not to join Bassanio and Gratiano for dinner after the ring is delivered, which provides one indication of her anger. The rejection is abrupt and short: "That cannot be." She offers none of the excuses or apologies that might usually accompany turning down hospitality when it is offered. Her thanks for the ring is likewise short and impersonal: "His ring I do accept most thankfully." She then asks Gratiano to guide her clerk to Shylock's house. There is no warmth in her tone, only the bare minimum of politeness in her words. When Nerissa plans to get Gratiano's ring as well, Portia is confident that Gratiano will prove as faithless as Bassanio. She vows to "outface them and outswear them too." The circumstances surrounding the ring have now become a competition of lies and deceptions that will punish the husbands, however briefly, for neglecting and disobeying the wishes of their wives.
48. Why do Jessica and Lorenzo compare themselves to tragic lovers from classical myths in The Merchant of Venice, Act 5, Scene 1?
Jessica and Lorenzo enjoy a moonlit stroll and talk about how famous couples from classical legends enjoyed the same moonlight while in the bloom of love. Lorenzo references the hero Troilus, who was betrayed by his lover Cressida at Troy. Jessica mentions Thisbe, who caused her lover to kill himself when he thought she had been eaten by a lion. Lorenzo cites Dido, a queen who killed herself after the hero Aeneas abandoned her. Jessica mentions the sorceress Medea, who was betrayed by the hero Jason. Whereas Bassanio and Portia in Act 3, Scene 2 wish to associate themselves with the heroes of classical myths—including Jason and his quest for the golden fleece—here Jessica and Lorenzo invoke these stories ironically—that is, meaning the opposite of what they say. Unlike the doomed couples in these stories, Jessica and Lorenzo have faced adversity and successfully overcome it. They are hopeful for the future and make jokes about doomed lovers to distance themselves from those mythical lovers' negative fates.
49. How does Portia's deception about the rings in The Merchant of Venice, Act 5, Scene 1 give her power that she has lacked through much of the play?
For a woman who runs an estate and has tremendous financial independence, Portia has little control over her own life. When she is introduced in Act 1, Scene 2, she complains how her father has deprived her of the chance to choose her own husband. Even though she ends up with the husband she wants, this happens according to the means her father set up, not through her own action. When Portia exercises social power, she does so through disguise or deception. She exercises power over life and death during her appearance in court in Act 4, Scene 1, but she must do so in the guise of a man. Despite her wealth, she would never be allowed to speak in such a capacity as herself. When Bassanio gives away her ring, Portia learns she is not even the most important person in her marriage: Antonio holds more sway over her husband than she does. Portia takes control of her marriage by revealing the ring to Bassanio and scolding him harshly for losing it. She raises the possibility that she could find another man if she wished by perpetrating the ruse that she had an affair with the legal scholar Balthazar, her own alter ego. Lastly, she reveals that she was Balthazar, which shows Antonio and Bassanio what a debt they owe to her as well as demonstrating her intelligence and resourcefulness in outwitting a courtroom full of men.
50. What elements prevent the ending of Act 5, Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice from being entirely happy?
The ending of The Merchant of Venice has many trappings of a comedy. Three couples—Lorenzo and Jessica, Bassanio and Portia, and Gratiano and Nerissa—retire to their marital beds, seemingly happy and content. Amends have been made for Bassanio and Gratiano parting with their wedding rings—although the conflict is resolved so quickly it's possible the underlying problem of their divided loyalties has yet to be truly resolved. The last line of the play is a bawdy joke from Gratiano who says, Were the day come, I should wish it dark Till I were couching with the doctor's clerk. Well, while I live, I'll fear no other thing So sore as keeping safe Nerissa's ring. He says that if it were already day, he would be looking forward to night, when he would be back in bed with Nerissa. But he references her alter ego in court, where she was disguised as the legal scholar's clerk. His reference to "Nerissa's ring" uses a pun to refer to the ring he wears on his finger as well as an Elizabethan slang term which used ring to refer to female genitalia. These elements are the very definition of a happy ending. However, the play does not end so well for two main characters. Antonio is now the odd man out in his social group. He has his life, and his fortune has been restored by the arrival of his ships—previously believed lost. Yet Antonio is alone. He has no partner of his own, and all his friends have left him to be with their wives. Anyone who has been the only single person at a party filled with couples can relate to the loneliness Antonio must be experiencing. He is the title character, the merchant of Venice, but he ends his story lacking the love that makes life worthwhile. Antonio's enemy, Shylock, is in a still worse position. He is old, widowed, and now childless because of Jessica's desertion. His fortune has been halved, and he has been forced to abandon his faith and has therefore lost all his friends and his cultural identity.
51. How does The Merchant of Venice demonstrate that prejudice creates a cycle of self-destruction for Antonio and Shylock?
If, as Portia says in Act 4, Scene 1, mercy blesses both the giver and the receiver of mercy, prejudice curses both giver and receiver. Antonio's prejudice against Shylock leads him into a situation that almost kills him. His actions toward Shylock, which Shylock enumerates in Act 1, Scene 3, provoke Shylock to seek revenge. Had Antonio never acted upon his attitude toward Shylock, never called him names, never spat upon him, never interfered in his business, he might have avoided Shylock's ire. Antonio is confident that his ships will return and allow him to repay the bond, but his agreement to Shylock's ludicrous request for a pound of Antonio's flesh also reveals Antonio's reluctance to back down from Shylock. Because of his prejudice he hates Shylock and doesn't want him to have the upper hand, which allows Shylock to obtain power over Antonio. Even when Antonio is in prison in Act 3, Scene 3 and on trial for his life in Act 4, Scene 1, Antonio does not relinquish his prejudice. He would rather die than offer Shylock any apology or true understanding. Antonio narrowly escapes death, but he learns nothing about prejudice. His request for Shylock to convert to Christianity reveals how his prejudice remains alive and well after the ordeal ends. In turn Shylock's prejudice against Christians in general and Antonio in particular brings about his own ruin. Shylock's prejudice becomes apparent in Act 1, Scene 3 when he says he hates Antonio "for he is a Christian." His resentment against Christians arises again when Jessica runs away with Lorenzo, and Shylock fixates on Lorenzo's Christianity in Act 3, Scene 1. Shylock's hardness toward Christians, with Antonio representing all his kind, leads Shylock to refuse to bend or show mercy to Antonio. Shylock is convicted of attempted murder and loses control of his fortune and his place in his own community as part of the sentence.
52. What evidence in The Merchant of Venice supports labeling Bassanio as the true villain of the play?
Bassanio does not display the kind of deliberate malice that characterizes how Shylock and Antonio treat each other. Bassanio's villainy is passive, rooted in selfishness and carelessness that set negative events in motion. In Act 1 he acknowledges how his long history of debt has gotten him into trouble. Although he doesn't want to hurt Antonio, Bassanio knows he can count on Antonio for a loan. Antonio only borrows money so Bassanio can marry a woman wealthy enough to pay his debts. Bassanio offers some protest against Shylock's terms for the loan, but he ultimately allows Antonio to sign the bond. Bassanio does not offer his own body as an alternative to his friend's or walk away from the proceedings. His verbal protest is weak, and he accepts the money once it is obtained. Bassanio's wife Portia gets involved with Antonio's situation and his trial in Act 4 because her marriage to Bassanio obligates her to do so. Again, without the bond, brought about by Bassanio's debts, no trial would take place, and Antonio's life would not be at risk. Shylock would not be seeking his ill-advised revenge and would not lose his fortune or his religion. Portia places herself in a situation of extreme risk by impersonating a doctor of law before the Duke of Venice. Although she seems to enjoy her role in the trial, it might go badly for her if she were discovered. Bassanio's careless and impulsive decisions do not end after the trial. He nearly derails his marriage in Acts 4 and 5 by deciding to give away the ring Portia gave him and cautioned him never to part from. He's actually lucky the person he gives the ring is Portia in disguise. Had the ring truly been lost forever, the confrontation with her might have gone differently. Bassanio is too easily swayed by Antonio, and his decision creates strife for Gratiano as well. Most of the major conflicts in the play either originate with or are exacerbated by Bassanio's actions, which show how villainy can happen through thoughtless action as easily as through malice.
53. How do the women in The Merchant of Venice defy traditional gender roles?
Portia is an independently wealthy woman who competently runs her estate without the help of a man. Suitors seek to marry her, and her comments in Act 1 indicate she might like the companionship of a partner. However, her willingness to remain "as chaste as Diana" the rest of her life rather than disobey her father's wishes shows she feels no need to marry except, perhaps, to rid her home of unappealing suitors. In Act 3 she agrees to marry Bassanio and gives him a ring. Traditionally the man gives the woman a ring. Portia also immediately takes charge of the problem with Antonio, offering Bassanio whatever money he needs to free his friend, breaking with the tradition that the man controls the purse strings. Most importantly, in Act 4 Portia relishes playing the part of a man and proves herself more intelligent than any of the men in court when she finds a way to save Antonio's life through a close reading of his contract. Finally, when Portia confronts Bassanio in Act 5 about the lost ring, she brazenly claims to have had an affair with "Balthazar," showing a level of sexual liberation not typical of Renaissance women. Nerissa's defiance of gender roles involves many of the same actions as Portia's. She, too, gives her husband a ring and impersonates a man. Nerissa distinguishes herself with her plain-spoken nature. She does not mince words or hold back her honest feelings, whether with Portia in Act 1 or with Gratiano in Act 5. Jessica also defies gender expectations with her outwardly rebellious behavior. Unlike Portia, Jessica is all too happy to defy her father's wishes, an act frowned upon in Jewish and Christian society alike. In Act 2 she conducts a secret courtship with a Christian man and boldly steals her father's money to run away with him. Her disguise as a boy reflects her rejection of the traditionally feminine. Although society places her below her husband, her conversations with Lorenzo in Acts 3 and 5 indicate they relate to one another as equals based on mutual love and respect.
The Merchant of Venice | 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.
The Merchant of Venice | Motifs
Ships
Venice is a city built on a series of islands, connected by a network of waterways and canals. Ships are the primary means of transportation and show mobility and motion in this environment. Bassanio, for instance, travels by sea to Belmont to court Portia. When Jessica and Lorenzo flee the city, they likely do so by ship as well. These characters have the privilege of mobility; only Shylock, stationary in Venice, has no affiliation with ships or travel.
Ships are also the foundation of Venice's busy and lucrative trade with the rest of the world. Antonio's fortunes are entirely based on the ships that carry the goods he trades as a merchant, and it is the loss of those ships that almost costs him his life.
Disguise
Disguise is a part of Venetian life, as the citizens of the city are described as "masquers" who go about the city wearing masks as part of their revelries and celebrations. When Jessica escapes from her father's house, she does so dressed as a boy. Portia and Nerissa disguise themselves as young men so they can be heard at court and, later, test their husbands' loyalties to them.
It is worth noting that, in William Shakespeare's time, it was illegal for women to act on the stage; female roles were portrayed by boys or young men. So disguise was a necessary part of the play. The audience knew it, and Shakespeare played on this awareness in his dialogue, as when Lorenzo and Jessica discuss her embarrassment over being dressed "in the lovely garnish of a boy," as Lorenzo puts it (Act 2, Scene 6). The audience, knowing Jessica was a boy anyway, found this sort of banter amusing. Also, since men had to perform their roles, Shakespeare often had the supposedly female characters masquerade as boys or men—which was naturally very convincing. As a result, it was believable that even their husbands would not recognize Balthazar and his clerk as their wives.
Allusion
Allusion is a literary device in which the playwright makes a passing reference to something, someone, or someplace of cultural or artistic significance. The allusion is not explained, but the audience is expected to understand the reference and see how it relates to the events on the stage. Biblical and classical allusions abound in The Merchant of Venice. Shylock, Antonio, and other characters often refer to the Bible when discussing the ethics of issues such as moneylending, revenge, and mercy. Throughout the play, characters draw on classical mythology to illustrate the points they are making. The first allusion to a classical topic comes in the very first scene, when Solanio says, "Now, by two-headed Janus/... Nature hath framed strange fellows in her time" and, a few lines later, "That they'll not show their teeth in way of smile/Though Nestor swear the jest be laughable." Janus was the Roman god of beginnings and endings, especially associated with doors and gates; he was always shown with two faces—one looking forward and one backward. Nestor was a wise old king who advised the Greeks at Troy. Another allusion is to the classical tale of Jason and the Argonauts, who undertake a dangerous quest to acquire a golden fleece.
Wordplay
Another literary device found throughout The Merchant of Venice is wordplay, especially punning. Puns explore multiple or similar meanings of words to add richness, depth, and often humor to Shakespeare's dialogue. A good example is Portia's pun on the word will in Act 1, Scene 2 when she says, "So is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father." Her own will is her desires or intention regarding the choice of a spouse, but her father's will carries the pun; it refers both to his intentions for her regarding her marriage and to his last will and testament, in which he set up the challenge for her suitors.
Another type of wordplay is the riddles inscribed on the three caskets used in Portia's father's challenge to her suitors. For instance, the gold casket reads, "Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire." This can be read in several ways. Based on the fact that Portia is still single at the start of the play, her suitors probably often think along the lines of the Prince of Morocco—that, like gold, Portia is "what many men desire." But her father may well be thinking that many men when they are old, in pain, or very ill desire death since the gold casket contains a skull.
Yet another form of wordplay is using words that sound similar but have different meaning. In Act 2, Scene 2, for example, when Old Gobbo says of his son Launcelot that the boy "has a great infection to serve," he probably means "a great affection." Such linguistic near misses would have amused Shakespeare's contemporary audiences greatly. In the same scene Launcelot says to his blind father, "Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of the knowing me. It is a wise father that knows his own child." This is an insult veiled in what appears to be a compliment. But Launcelot does not mean his father is wise; since Old Gobbo doesn't "know" his son, a closer analysis shows that Launcelot is actually calling his father foolish. Shakespeare uses such wordplay to reinforce the idea that a surface reading is often the wrong one, that appearances can be deceptive.
The Merchant of Venice | 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 than 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.
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