1. By William Shakespeare
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE By
William Shakespeare

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

3. 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 Juliet and Midsummer Night’s Dream.
☑A play that shows the extremes of anti-semitism during Shakespeare’s time.

4. 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

5. CHARACTERS Antonio- a Merchant of Venice Bassanio- Antonio’s friend
Salanio
Salarino Friends to Antonio and
Gratiano Bassanio
Leonardo- servant to Bassanio

6. 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

7. 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

8. SOURCES OF INTEREST IN THE PLAY
The Spectacular and Picturesque
Examples include:
*strange forfeit in the bond
*luxurious setting of Portia’s home
*wooing by caskets
*the trial scene, young woman disguised

9. HUMOR It is more incidental than essential
Play is a romantic comedy with Tragic undertones
Main sources of humor:
☺Portia’s witty comments
☻Gratiano’s earlier remarks
☺Launcelot’s antics
☻The Ring episode

10. 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?

11. 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

12. NEMESIS
When we feel that the punishment of a character is peculiarly suited to his crimes, it is a form of retributive justice called Nemesis.
Law becomes this to Shylock-
Antonio’s unjust treatment of Shylock
Antonio’s better treatment of others

13. Place of $$$ in the Play Shylock, Antonio, Bassanio
All very concerned with money
CONTRASTS WITH
Portia- who is wealthier than all but is unconcerned with it.

14. The Extremities of REVENGE
The intensity of Shylock’s passion for revenge 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”

15. Disposition of a Daughter by Casket choice
Details surrounding:
Casket choice,
deceased father safeguarding daughter’s choice of a husband,
reactions of the suitors to the choice
Conditions 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

16. Inscriptions on caskets
Gold
Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire
Silver
Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves
Lead
Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath

17. Unusual aspects of the Trial
Trial is irregular for the following reasons:
The Duke, who is the judge, openly shows sympathy with the prisoner before the trial begins.
Interested spectators, Gratiano and Bassanio, are allowed to interfere during proceedings.
The 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 charge, that Shylock has broken the law against aliens, is completely contrary to legal procedure.

18. Anti-Jewish Prejudice
Showed Christians with an un-Christlike bigotry and intolerance (Antonio and Portia)
The dramatist sympathized with Shylock
Allowed his loathing of his persecutors to appear VINDICTIVE

19. 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 Shylock is a Jewish money lender that lacked admirable qualities

20. DISCRIMINATION Perhaps the most moving plea in all of Literature:
“Hath not a Jew eyes?”
**Understand that the play makes pleas to remove racial or religious discrimination

21. 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

22. 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**

23. Act I Vocabulary Ague Appropriation Imputation Argosies Ere Publican
Gaged Rhenish Squandered
Gear Superfluity
Gudgeon Surfeit
Portly Vilely
Presages Eanlings
Signiors Fulsome