Play
Comedy
The Merchant
of Venice
Author
Years Written
Original Language
William Shakespeare
c. 1596–97
English
THEMES
All That Glitters
Is Not Gold
When charming Bassanio needs money to pursue beautiful Portia, his friend
Antonio strikes a deadly deal with the moneylender Shylock. After his ships
sink, Antonio is unable to repay Shylock with money—so he must pay with a
pound of flesh cut from his chest. Bassanio and Portia must find a way to
reason with the demanding Shylock.
Prejudice
Appearance vs. Reality
Beset on all sides by anti-Semitism,
Whether locked in a box or hidden
Shylock may not be solely to blame
behind a disguise, the truth is more
for his vindictive nature.
complex than it seems.
Mercy
Worth
The letter of the law is not
Our emotions can dramatically
always the best form of justice.
change the value we see in
people and things.
Symbols
Gold
Flesh
Rings
Symbolizes status and power—but
Represents life, which suddenly
Stand for the strongest of
not the most important things in life
seems valuable when threatened
human bonds, making even a
simple one priceless
The Merchant of Venice
by the Numbers
2
3
Major sources on which
Caskets Portia’s father
Shakespeare based The
prepared before his death to
Merchant of Venice: Il
determine the choice of her
Pecorone (1378) and the
husband
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
1564–1616
Shakespeare was at the height
of his career when he wrote The
Gesta Romanorum (1577)
Merchant of Venice, borrowing from
existing Italian and medieval stories
for the characters and basic plot.
Its characterization of the Jewish
1656
2004
Year Jews were readmitted
Year a film adaptation
to England after being
starring Al Pacino as
expelled in 1290
Shylock was released
Shylock and “Christian” Venetians
highlights social, religious, and
moral tensions of the time.
Main Characters
Friendship
Married
Antonio
Bassanio
Portia
Struggling merchant;
Bankrupt nobleman;
Beautiful, cunning heiress;
borrows money from
borrows money to
rescues Antonio
Shylock for Bassanio
win Portia
from Shylock
Launcelot Gobbo
Shylock
Jessica
Nerissa
Shylock’s jester;
Miserly moneylender;
Steals from her father;
Portia’s lady-in-waiting;
helps Jessica run away
tragic villain
hurts her father’s feelings
marries Gratiano
Family
f 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?
Shylock, Act III, Scene I
Sources: BBC, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IMDb, Jewish Encyclopedia,
“Racism and Homophobia in The Merchant of Venice” by James O’Rourke,
Shakespeare Online
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