Merchant of

VeniceWilliam Shakespeare

The title pertains to the lead character Antonio who is a merchant

in Venice.The title suggests the conditions

which form the background of the plot as a whole.

• Work: Play

• Genre: Comedy

• POV: Objective Third Person (uses dialogue and without author’s commentary)

• Literary Period Written: >Renaissance, Reign of Elizabeth I; 1596-1599

Historical Background:

Characterization:> heroines resemble Queen Elizabeth

(tall and fair)

> inferior characters resemble her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots (short and dark)

>Society:>Judeophobic

>Religion:>Christians are not allowed to put

interest on money-lending.

Setting:

>Time: 16th Century

>Place: Venice, Belmont in Italy

Act I:>Antonio authorizes Bassanio to use his name to loan money from Shylock.

>In Belmont, Portia discusses the terms of her father’s will with her confidante, Nerissa

>Bassanio borrows 3000 ducats in exchange of a ‘merry’ deed

Act II:>Launcelot resigns as Shylock’s servant.

>Jessica asked Launcelot to give her letter to Lorenzo, the guest of Bassanio (Launcelot’s new master)

>Jessica disguised herself as a torchbearer in Bassanio’s dinner party

>However, Bassanio cancelled the party and set sail for Belmont with Gratiano.

The 6 Previous Suitors of Portia:

>Neapolitan Prince (Southern Italy)>Count Palatine (Western Germany)

>The French Lord>The English Baron>The Scottish Lord>The Frenchman

>In Belmont, Morocco chooses the wrong casket>The Prince of Arragon also failed to do so

Ambiguous Clues in the Caskets:Gold-who choose me shall gain what many men desire

Silver- who choose me shall get as much as he deserves

Lead- who choose me must give and hazard all he has

What message is inside each casket:

Gold: All that glistens is not gold…

Silver: The fire seven times tried this…

Act III>Two days after Bassanio left for Belmont, rumors had it that two of Antonio’s ship have been wrecked.

>Two weeks before the due, Shylock looks for Antonio

>In Belmont, Bassanio starts to court Portia

Back in Belmont, Bassanio chooses the right casket.

“Turn you where your lady is And claim her with a loving kiss”

>Salerio arrives with a letter from Antonio

>Bassanio along with the others left for Venice

>Portia and Nerissa thought of a plan and secretly followed their husbands to Venice

Act IV:>The trial of Antonio

>Portia disguised as Balthasar, a replacement of Bellario served as the judge

>Tables were turned for Shylock

>Portia and Nerissa asked for their husband’s rings

Act V:>Two pairs of lovers quarreled over the missing rings.

>The rings were returned.

>Antonio received the good news.

>Lorenzo and Jessica received the deed of their inheritances.

ConflictsMan vs Fate

(Portia and the Caskets)(Antonio and the Bond)

(Shylock and The Verdict)

Man vs Man(Antonio and Shylock)

(Shylock and Portia/Balthasar)

Cont…

Man vs Society(Shylock and the Venetians)

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

ANTONIO>A leading, wealthy Venetian merchant>calm and reserved >a foil of the spirited byplay of the younger ones>his character served more of an instrument rather than a principal one>can save others from Shylock but cannot save himself

BASSANIO>typical, attractive Elizabethan lover>careless of his money>center of most development in the play>more observant than Antonio

PORTIA>one of Shakespeare’s most intelligent heroines: beauty, brains and breeding>perceptive of her world>the contrast of Shylock>her fate is tied to the caskets>more full of character than Ophelia (Hamlet’s); more restrained than Juliet (Romeo and Juliet)

NERISSA>”small, dark lady”>sympathetic lady-in-waiting of Portia>the foil of Portia in physical appearance

GRATIANO>light-hearted, talkative>witty like Mercutio of Romeo and Juliet>a foil to the seriousness of Antonio

SHYLOCK>the most interesting figure in the play>clever, sensitive>the greedy and obsessed of vengeance Jew moneylender>sees money as his only defense against his oppressors>emotionally absorbed in his religion>was punished way too much

LORENZO- a young man, impulsive, expects little from his family

JESSICA- the strong-minded , pleasure loving daughter of Shylock who hates her home and eloped with Lorenzo

Theme: “What appears valuable turns out to be

worthless.”

Morals:What you deny others of,

you will be denied of it as well.

References:>Roberts, James L. Shakespeare Merchant of Venice. © 1995. Cliffsnotes Incorporated

>Roberts, James L. Shakespeare Merchant of Venice. © 1961. Cliffsnotes Incorporated

>http://www.shmoop.com/merchant-of-venice/rings-symbol.html

Elaine Antonette P. Gunsi4 AB English A

European Literature

The Merchant of Venice

William Shakespeare