THE MERCHANT OF VENICETHE MERCHANT OF VENICE

By

William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare

LITERARY TERMS

• Allusion *Malapropism• Aside *Metaphor• Comic Relief *Pun• Double Entendre(pun) *Soliloquy• Foreshadowing *Theme• Internal Rhyme• Irony-Dramatic, Structural, Verbal

BACKGROUND• The play was written about 1596.☑Appeared in the register for first time in

1598 perhaps to prevent copyright issues.

☑Falls into the second period of Shakespeare’s writings, with Romeo and Romeo and JulietJuliet and Midsummer Night’s DreamMidsummer Night’s Dream.

☑A play that shows the extremes of anti-semitism during Shakespeare’s time.

The Characters-In groups

• The ‘wooers’ of Portia- a rich heiress– The Prince of Morocco– The Prince of Arragon– Bassanio, Antonio’s friend

Nerissa- Portia’s waiting maid

Balthasar/ Stephano- servants to Portia

CHARACTERS

• Antonio- a Merchant of Venice• Bassanio- Antonio’s friend

– Salanio– Salarino Friends to Antonio and– Gratiano Bassanio

– Leonardo- servant to Bassanio

CHARACTERS• Shylock- a rich Jewish man

Tubal- Shylock’s friend

Launcelot Gobbo- servant to (funny!) Shylock

Old Gobbo- father to Launcelot

• Jessica- Shylock’s daughter

Lorenzo- in love with Jessica; friend to Antonio

3 DISTINCT PLOTS

★Winning of Portia by the lottery of the caskets (lead, silver, and gold)

✡Settlement of Shylock’s claim

✪Final complication of the betrothal rings

SOURCES OF INTEREST IN THE PLAY

• The SpectacularSpectacular and PicturesquePicturesque

Examples include:

*strange forfeit in the bond

*luxurious setting of Portia’s home

*wooing by caskets

*the trial scene, young woman disguised

HUMOR• It is more incidental than essentialmore incidental than essential

– Play is a romantic comedyromantic comedy with Tragic Tragic undertones

– Main sources of humor:☺Portia’s witty comments

☻Gratiano’s earlier remarks

☺Launcelot’s antics

☻The Ring episode

SUSPENSE

• Formed of following uncertainties:☒Will terms of bond be agreed upon?

☒Who will choose correct casket?

☒Will the elopement succeed?

☒Will Shylock gain his end in the trial?

☒How will Bassanio and Gratiano account for the loss of their rings?

DRAMATIC IRONY• Most striking example in the play:

The trial scene, where the audience knows who the judge and clerk are.

Other examples:*husbands protestations they would sacrifice

their wives to save Antonio*having rings enticed away*Gratiano’s description of the Clerk*Parting of Shylock and Jessica before elopement*Bassiano’s choice of caskets

*Shylock’s insistence on the very words of the bond

NEMESISNEMESIS• When we feel that the punishment of a

character is peculiarly suited to his crimes, it is a form of retributive justice called NemesisNemesis.

– LawLaw becomes this to Shylock-– Antonio’s unjust treatmentunjust treatment of Shylock– Antonio’s better treatment of others

Place of $$$ in the PlayPlace of $$$ in the Play

• Shylock, Antonio, BassanioShylock, Antonio, Bassanio– All All very concernedvery concerned with money with money

CONTRASTS CONTRASTS WITH WITH

PortiaPortia- who is wealthier than all but is who is wealthier than all but is unconcerned with it.unconcerned with it.

The Extremities of REVENGE

The intensity of Shylock’s passion for revengerevenge against Antonio invests him with great dramatic interest.

“If I can catch him once upon the hip,

I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him”

Disposition of a Daughter by Disposition of a Daughter by Casket choiceCasket choice

• Details surroundingDetails surrounding:– Casket choice, – deceased father safeguarding daughter’s

choice of a husband, – reactions of the suitors to the choice

Conditions are severeConditions are severe:

*Never to tell anyone which casket was chosen

*To leave at once if wrong casket chosen

*Never to speak to a lady again to marry

Inscriptions on casketsInscriptions on casketsGold

Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire

SilverWho chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves

LeadWho chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath

Unusual aspects of the Trial• Trial is irregular for the following reasons:

– The Duke, who is the judge, openly shows openly shows sympathysympathy with the prisoner before the trial begins.

– Interested spectatorsspectators, Gratiano and Bassanio, are allowed to interfereallowed to interfere during proceedings.

– The shedding of bloodThe shedding of blood is a necessary part of the payment of the penalty, and its being forbidden is a legal and logical absurdity.

– A case in court is concerned with the direct charge only. The judge dragging in another chargejudge dragging in another charge, that Shylock has broken the law against aliens, is completely contrary to legal procedure.

Anti-Jewish Prejudice

• Showed Christians with an un-Christlike bigotry and intolerance (Antonio and Portia)

• The dramatist sympathizedsympathized with Shylock– Allowed his loathing of his persecutors to

appear VINDICTIVE

Negative Connotations

• Anti-Semitism- followed by Shakespeare based on the character

created by Christopher Marlowe

– Marlowe’s character was a Jewish monster named Barabas (note Christian context)

– Shakespeare’s ShylockShylock is a Jewish money lender that lacked admirable qualities

DISCRIMINATION

• Perhaps the most moving plea in all of Literature:

“Hath not a Jew eyes?”

**Understand that the play makes pleas to removeremove racial or religious

discrimination

INTRODUCTION

• Play is unusual:Displays the working of a prejudice

which does credit to NONE of the people who are motivated by it.

(rarely portrayed in literature)

Christian/ Jewish bias was from Medieval times and has nearly disappeared in the twentieth century

Character Portrayal• No character is entirely:

✔sympathetic or unsympathetic ✔admirable or unadmirable

Displays the complexity of human nature:No black or white characters; everyone seems to be various ‘shades of gray’

**Key to molding Character**

Act I Vocabulary

• Ague Appropriation Imputation• Argosies Ere Publican• Gaged Rhenish

Squandered• Gear Superfluity• Gudgeon Surfeit• Portly Vilely• Presages Eanlings• Signiors Fulsome