Shakespeare Unit 6 Review: Laughs & Debates

What's This Play About?

• The Merchant of Venice follows the story of Antonio, a Venetian merchant, who borrows money from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, to help his friend Bassanio woo Portia, a wealthy heiress
• Shylock lends the money on the condition that if Antonio defaults, he can take a pound of Antonio's flesh as collateral
• Bassanio successfully woos Portia, but Antonio's ships are lost at sea, leaving him unable to repay the loan
• Shylock demands his pound of flesh, leading to a dramatic courtroom scene where Portia, disguised as a male lawyer, saves Antonio by pointing out that Shylock can take the flesh but not blood
• The play explores themes of love, friendship, justice, mercy, and the treatment of outsiders in society (particularly Jews in Renaissance Venice)
• Shakespeare interweaves the main plot with subplots involving Portia's suitors and the elopement of Shylock's daughter Jessica with Lorenzo, a Christian
• The play's ending sees the lovers united, but leaves Shylock's fate and the treatment of Jews in a Christian society unresolved and open to interpretation

Key Characters & Their Deals

• Antonio: The titular merchant of Venice, he borrows money from Shylock to help his friend Bassanio court Portia
  • Agrees to Shylock's terms of a pound of flesh if he defaults on the loan
• Shylock: A Jewish moneylender in Venice, he lends Antonio the money but harbors resentment for Antonio's past mistreatment and Christian society's discrimination against Jews
  • Demands a pound of Antonio's flesh as collateral for the loan
• Portia: A wealthy heiress from Belmont, she is bound by her father's will to marry the suitor who chooses the correct casket (three boxes of gold, silver, and lead)
  • Disguises herself as a male lawyer to defend Antonio in court and outwit Shylock
• Bassanio: Antonio's friend, he seeks to marry Portia and borrows money from Antonio to fund his courtship
  • Correctly chooses the lead casket, winning Portia's hand in marriage
• Nerissa: Portia's lady-in-waiting and confidante, she marries Bassanio's friend Gratiano
• Gratiano: Bassanio's friend, he accompanies him to Belmont and marries Nerissa
• Jessica: Shylock's daughter, she elopes with Lorenzo, a Christian, and converts to Christianity
  • Takes some of her father's money and a precious ring when she leaves
• Lorenzo: A Christian friend of Bassanio and Antonio, he elopes with Jessica

Setting the Scene: Venice & Belmont

• The play is set in two contrasting locations: Venice, a bustling city known for its commerce and diversity, and Belmont, a idyllic country estate
• Venice represents the world of business, law, and social hierarchy
  • It is a cosmopolitan city where merchants like Antonio conduct trade and interact with people from various backgrounds, including Jews like Shylock
  • The city's laws and courts play a crucial role in the play's conflict and resolution
• Belmont represents the world of love, romance, and escape from the pressures of society
  • It is the home of Portia, where her suitors come to try their luck at choosing the correct casket to win her hand in marriage
  • The scenes in Belmont provide a lighthearted counterpoint to the more serious drama unfolding in Venice
• The two settings are connected by the characters' journeys and the themes that span both locations, such as the pursuit of wealth, love, and justice
• The contrast between Venice and Belmont highlights the different values and priorities of the characters, as well as the tensions between the Christian and Jewish communities

Major Themes & Big Questions

• Justice and Mercy: The play explores the tension between strict adherence to the law (as represented by Shylock's demand for his pound of flesh) and the need for mercy and compassion in human relationships
  • Portia's famous "quality of mercy" speech highlights the importance of tempering justice with mercy
• Prejudice and Tolerance: The play depicts the prejudice faced by Jews in a predominantly Christian society, as seen through the character of Shylock and the other characters' attitudes towards him
  • It raises questions about the treatment of outsiders and the consequences of discrimination
• Love and Friendship: The play examines various forms of love and friendship, including the bond between Antonio and Bassanio, the romantic love between Bassanio and Portia, and the loyalty between Portia and Nerissa
• Appearance vs. Reality: Shakespeare uses disguises, hidden identities, and the casket test to explore the theme of appearance vs. reality
  • The play questions how we judge others based on external factors and the importance of looking beyond surface appearances
• Wealth and Materialism: The pursuit of wealth and material gain is a driving force for many characters, from Bassanio's quest to marry Portia to Shylock's focus on his money and the pound of flesh
  • The play asks us to consider the true value of wealth and its impact on human relationships
• The Role of Women: Although set in a patriarchal society, the play features strong female characters like Portia, who subverts gender roles and expectations through her intelligence and actions
  • The play raises questions about the agency and power of women in a male-dominated world

Funny Bits & Controversial Moments

• The play is classified as a comedy, but it contains both humorous and controversial elements that have sparked debate and varying interpretations over time
• Humorous moments:
  • Portia and Nerissa's witty exchanges and their playful teasing of their husbands about the rings they gave away while disguised as the lawyer and clerk
  • Launcelot Gobbo, Shylock's servant, provides comic relief with his misunderstandings and wordplay
  • The banter between Gratiano and Nerissa, which mirrors the relationship between Bassanio and Portia
• Controversial moments:
  • Shylock's "Hath not a Jew eyes?" speech, which humanizes him and highlights the prejudice he faces, but is undercut by his portrayal as a vengeful stereotype
  • The forced conversion of Shylock to Christianity at the end of the trial, which can be seen as a troubling resolution that reinforces the play's anti-Semitic elements
  • The treatment of Jessica's elopement and conversion, which some interpret as a positive escape from her father's oppressive household, while others see it as a betrayal of her Jewish identity
  • The play's ending, which celebrates the happy unions of the Christian couples but leaves Shylock's fate unresolved and raises questions about the true nature of justice and mercy in the play's world
• These controversial moments have led to ongoing debates about the play's stance on anti-Semitism, religious intolerance, and the complex characterization of Shylock

Shakespeare's Language: What's the Deal?

• The Merchant of Venice, like all of Shakespeare's plays, is written in Early Modern English, which can sometimes be challenging for modern audiences
• Shakespeare's language is known for its richness, complexity, and poetic qualities
  • He uses a variety of literary devices, such as metaphors, similes, puns, and wordplay, to convey meaning and emotion
  • For example, Portia's "quality of mercy" speech is filled with vivid imagery and metaphorical language to argue for the importance of mercy
• The play features both prose and verse, with different characters and situations warranting different forms of speech
  • Prose is often used for more casual or humorous exchanges, such as the conversations between Launcelot Gobbo and his father
  • Verse, particularly iambic pentameter, is used for more formal, serious, or emotionally heightened moments, such as the courtroom scene or the lovers' declarations of affection
• Shakespeare's language is also notable for its ability to reveal character and motive through the way individuals speak
  • Shylock's speech patterns, for instance, reflect his intelligence, wit, and bitterness towards the Christian society that oppresses him
  • Portia's eloquence and quick-thinking are demonstrated through her verbal sparring and her ability to navigate complex legal arguments
• Understanding the nuances of Shakespeare's language is key to appreciating the depth and complexity of the characters and themes in The Merchant of Venice
  • Close reading and attention to the text can help modern audiences unpack the layers of meaning and emotion in the play's language

Important Quotes to Remember

• "The quality of mercy is not strained" (Act 4, Scene 1): Portia's famous speech on the importance of mercy and compassion, delivered during the trial scene as she argues for Shylock to show mercy to Antonio
• "If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?" (Act 3, Scene 1): Shylock's powerful monologue that emphasizes the shared humanity of Jews and Christians, challenging the prejudice he faces
• "All that glisters is not gold" (Act 2, Scene 7): The inscription on the gold casket, warning against judging by appearances, which proves to be a key theme throughout the play
• "Love is blind, and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit" (Act 2, Scene 6): Jessica's comment on the nature of love, foreshadowing her own elopement with Lorenzo and the play's exploration of romantic relationships
• "The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose" (Act 1, Scene 3): Antonio's warning about the dangers of using religion to justify wrongdoing, which takes on ironic significance given the Christian characters' treatment of Shylock
• "I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes?" (Act 3, Scene 1): The opening line of Shylock's famous speech, which asserts his humanity and the fundamental similarities between Jews and Christians, despite the prejudice he faces
• "The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils" (Act 5, Scene 1): Lorenzo's speech on the power of music to soothe the soul, reflecting the play's themes of harmony and discord in human relationships

Modern Takes & Why It Still Matters

• The Merchant of Venice remains a popular and frequently performed play, despite its controversial elements and the challenges it poses for modern audiences
• Modern productions often grapple with the play's anti-Semitism and the complex characterization of Shylock
  • Some productions lean into the play's comedic elements and romanticize the Christian characters, while others emphasize the tragic dimensions of Shylock's story and the prejudice he faces
  • Directors and actors have interpreted Shylock in various ways, from a villainous caricature to a sympathetic victim of oppression
• The play's themes of justice, mercy, prejudice, and the treatment of outsiders continue to resonate with contemporary audiences
  • Its exploration of religious and cultural tensions, as well as the consequences of discrimination, remains relevant in a world still grappling with these issues
• Modern adaptations and retellings of the play have sought to address its problematic elements and reinterpret the story for new contexts
  • For example, the 2004 film adaptation directed by Michael Radford presents a more nuanced and sympathetic portrayal of Shylock, emphasizing the prejudice and injustice he faces
• The play's enduring popularity also stems from its compelling characters, rich language, and the timeless human struggles it depicts
  • The complex relationships between the characters, the power dynamics at play, and the questions the play raises about identity, loyalty, and the nature of justice continue to captivate audiences and inspire new interpretations
• Studying and engaging with The Merchant of Venice allows modern readers and viewers to confront the play's difficult themes, explore the complexities of human nature, and reflect on the ongoing relevance of Shakespeare's works in our own time