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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