THE MERCHANT OF
VENICE
Shakespeare’s Shylock – Sinner or Sinned Against?
Ideas about the play…
 http://www.youtube.com/watchv=gtYGzr8Nx-8&feature=related
 What ideas can you deduce about the genre of the play and
why?
 What do you think the main themes explored in the play might
be and why?
COMFY COMEDY FIT?
To be classed as Comedy it must have:
 Light, humorous tone.
 Clever dialogue/ witty banter.
 Deception and disguise.
 Mistaken identity.
 Love overcomes obstacles.
 Family drama.
 Multiple twists and turns.
 Reunification of family.
 Marriage.
All the world’s a stage,
And all the man and women are merely
players;
They all have their exits and their
entrances,
And one man in his time plays many
parts,
His acts being seven ages.
Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs,
dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with
the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject
to the same diseases, heal'd by the same means,
warm'd and cool'd by the same winter and summer
as a Christian is? 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?
If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.
If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility?
Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his
sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge.
The villainy you teach me, I will execute,
and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_5adzpdkdw
THE GLOBE THEATRE
CONTEXT
 The Merchant of Venice was probably written in either 1596 or 1597, after
Shakespeare had written such plays as Romeo and Juliet and Richard III, but before
he penned the great tragedies of his later years.
 Its basic plot outline, with the characters of the merchant, the poor suitor, the
fair lady, and the villainous Jew, is found in a number of contemporary Italian story
collections, and Shakespeare borrowed several details, such the choice of caskets
that Portia inflicts on all her suitors, from preexisting sources.
 The Merchant of Venice’s Italian setting and marriage plot are typical of
Shakespeare’s earlier comedies, but the characters of Portia, Shakespeare’s first
great heroine, and the unforgettable villain Shylock elevate this play to a new level.
S E T T I N G - V E N I C E , U S UA L L Y I N T H E M E A N S T R E E T S ;
 Venice is an exciting, cosmopolitan setting for the play because it's a hotspot for trade.
While Jews had been legally banned from England since 1290, Venice had laws in place to
protect non-Venetian traders who supported the city's economic well-being. When the
Jewish moneylender Shylock seeks his bond, for example, Antonio admits:
The Duke cannot deny the course of law. For the commodity that strangers have With us
in Venice, if it be denied, Will much impeach the justice of his state; Since that the trade
and profit of the city Consisteth of all nations (3.3.4)
 In other words, the Duke can't make an exception for Antonio by denying Shylock his
rights; it would have a negative affect on the city's livelihood.
BUT
 Religious strife was rife in Venice and although 16th century Venice was more tolerant of
foreigners than Elizabethan England, Jews in Venice were confined to ghettos at the time
Shakespeare wrote The Merchant of Venice.
B E L M O N T, A T P O R T I A ' S PA D
 Belmont is presented as a contrast to the city. It's also a place of easy
wealth, beauty, and peace, which makes it a great refuge from the
cosmopolitan world of Venice. Actually, Belmont's a lot like the forest of
Arden in As You Like It.
 Belmont is a kind of fairy-tale version of real life. Real life is gritty, more
like Venice.
JEWS IN A CHRISTIAN SOCIETY
Jewish people were not protected by the law
Jews were considered ‘second class citizens’ in Venice when Shakespeare
wrote the play. Below are some of the laws they had to obey:
Laws concerning Jews
All Jews must wear distinctive clothing to identify themselves.
Citizens of Venice could treat Jews in any way they wished, but Jews
were not allowed to retaliate in any way.
Jews were not to be involved in the following trades: the military,
government, guilds.
JEWISH PEOPLE WERE ASSOCIATED
WITH LENDING MONEY
 One of the few ways Jews were
allowed to earn a living was to lend
money. This was called Usury which
allowed the lender to charge interest.
Christians (as represented by Antonio in
the play) thought this was wicked. It was
illegal for Christians to lend money and
ask for interest. Despite this, Antonio is
willing to borrow money from Shylock.
JEWS WERE VICTIMS OF
PREJUDICE
 Christianity was the main religion in Europe at the time of
Shakespeare and as a result a very powerful force. People feared and
hated the Jews and did all they could to convert them to Christianity.
MEETING
SHYLOCK
• Act I iii is the first time that we are introduced to Shylock.
It is therefore important that we think of him as a character
and explore the way that Bassanio and Antonio interact with
him.
• This will give us clues as to how Shakespeare wanted us to
see him.
Task:
In groups annotate this first meeting, using the ‘nofear
Shakespeare’ helpsheets if required.
SHYLOCK AND ANTONIO
During the first meeting of Antonio and Shylock we can deduce
the mood and tone of the relationship between the two men.
In groups highlight words associate with:
• Prejudice
• Religion
• Eating/ fattening up
• Flesh/meat
• Money
• Borrowing/lending
• Hatred
• Physical abuse
 What is the basis of their dislike/hatred of one another?
 What story outlines the fundamental difference in the way that
they view things? In what way?

Now write a paragraph about the first
meeting of Shylock and Antonio
beginning ‘When we are first introduced
to the characters of Antonio and
Shylock we can see that…’
IMPORTANT PLOT MOMENTS
IN ACT 1
What are the most important aspects on Act I?
•Antonio’s wealth is tied up in his ships sailing for Venice.(Act 1 scene i)
•Bassanio has met and fallen in love with a rich heiress.
(Act 1 scene i)
•Antonio agrees to borrow money to lend to Bassanio to court her.(Act 1
scene i)
•Portia’s father has died leaving her a fortune but at a price.(Act 1 scene ii)
•Antonio borrows money from Shylock. The bond is a pound of flesh.(Act 1
scene iii)
1.
In Act II who resolves to leave Shylock?
2.
Why do they make this decision . Give
evidence from Act IIii lines 5 onwards and Act
IIiii.
3.
What do they both struggle with? Give
evidence to support what you say.
4.
What does this suggest about their feelings
about Shylock and their actions towards him?

Both characters struggle with their conscience.

Conscience is the thing that allows us to experinece GUILT.

If they have to grapple so much with their conscience in
regards to leaving can Shylock be that bad?

Are they justified in having such a negative opinuion of him?
ACT II
 Jessica elopes with Lorenzo, stealing all Shylock’s
treasures.
(Act 2 scene v/vi)
 Salerio and Solanio discuss Shylock’s reaction to
Jessica’s elopement
(Act 2 scene viii)
SHYLOCK’S REACTION
“As the dog Jew did utter in the streets:
‘My daughter! Oh my ducats! Oh my daughter!
Fled with a Christian! Oh my Christian ducats!
Justice! The law! My ducats and my daughter!
A sealed bag, two sealed bags of ducats,
Of double ducats, stol’n from me by my daughter! “
(Act II.8)
1.
What do these lines suggest about Shylock’s reaction to
Jessica’s betrayal ?
2.
What reaction do they evoke from the audience in
response to Shylock?
3.
What is significant about the sentence structure used in
these lines? Pick out at least two examples and discuss.
4.
Why do you think that Shakespeare chooses to have
Solanio speak these lines and not Shylock?
5.
What is significant about the language used by Salanio?
Does this support or refute your ideas about Shylock?
ACT III
 Shylock shows his despair at Jessica’s betrayal.
(Act 3 scene i)
 Tubal tells Shylock of Antonio’s loss of merchant ships.
(Act 3 scene i)
 Shylock visits Antonio in Jail
(Act 3 scene iii)
HATH A JEW?...
1.
What does the audience feel for Shylock at the
beginning of his monologue?
2.
What idea do we get about his character based on
the delivery and composition of these lines and what is
he trying to convince the Venetian community of?
3.
What changes our feelings for Shylock and in what
way does he undermine himself?
Individual Task: Write a paragraph describing the importance
of this monologue in the way that we view the character of
Shylock.
ACT III3
1.
How would you describe Shylock’s rhetoric in Act IIIiii?
2.
What is suggested about the Law?
3.
What do the characters in the play recognise about the
Law?
4.
How do we feel about Shylock after listening to these
lines?
5.
What does Portia become in this Act?
6.
How does she fit in with the conventions of the comedy
genre?
THE TRIAL SCENE
This is a pivotal scene in the play. You will be given selected lines to discuss/
annotate in your groups. Think about:
1.
What the character is saying (in bullet points)
2.
The way in which they are delivering their lines (what
techniques are used? What are they trying to appeal to in
the other character? Etc)
3.
What means are they using to justify their argument?
4.
What opinion do we have of them at the end of these
lines?
ACT IV – THE TRIAL
This is one of the most gripping scenes in all of Shakespeare. The
arrangement of the court is central to this scene.
How are we to react to Shylock’s speech about Venetian hypocrisy: that they keep
among them "many a purchased slave" (4.1.90) but would never consider giving
them their freedom or marrying them to their children?
Does Shylock really intend to cut a pound of Antonio’s flesh from the outset of this
scene, or does he merely intend to terrify him?
Is Portia’s line—"Which is the merchant and which the Jew"—supposed to be funny?
What is her intention in asking this?

7. At what point does Portia figure out how to defeat Shylock? Has she known
what she is going to do all along?

8

. How is a modern Portia to avoid the problem of the "Quality of mercy" speech sounding like a sermon she has
memorized? Should


her lines be addressed to Shylock or to the court?
9. Should Shylock pause before responding to Portia’s call for mercy? Some Shylocks have responded
instantaneously; others, like Henry

Goodman in the 1999 production at the National Theatre in London, let half a minute elapse before responding. Is
Shylock at all

persuaded by Portia’s words?

10. Though defeated by the law, is Shylock still tempted to kill Antonio? Should he, as in some productions, have to
be restrained

from doing so?

11. How are we to respond to Shylock being convicted as an "alien" threatening a citizen’s life, but punished as a Jew,
being forced to convert?

12. How sincere are Shylock’s words agreeing to convert: "I am content"? Is this resolution merciful? Does anyone in
the court express

sympathy for Shylock? Does he deserve sympathy?

13. What is on Shylock’s mind as he exits?

14. In the late nineteenth century, Edwin Booth chose to end the play with Shylock’s exit. What is gained or lost by
doing so?
VILLAIN
1.
a character whose evil actions or motives are
important to the plot
2.
the person or thing responsible for specified
problems, harm, or damage
Oxford English Dictionary
1.
Wicked or evil person
Collins English Dictionary
THE TRIAL SCENE
1.
How is Shylock portrayed in this Act when he refuses Portia’s numerous appeals
for him to extend mercy to Antonio?
2.
How do we feel about Portia, when she uses Venetian law to save Antonio and
when she asks Shylock to beg for mercy at the feet of the Duke?
In this scene the Duke states “That thou shalt see the difference of our
spirit, I pardon thy life before thou ask it”
3.
What theme does this highlight and what is being said about it?
4.
So are the Venetian exposed as kind, forgiving Christians that epitomise both of
these qualities?
5.
Is Portia just as guilty as ruthlessly pursuing the law to her own vicious ends in
order to annihilate another human being? Did she need to go so far?
6.
Is Shylock just the villain that Shakespeare dismisses in order to achieve his
‘happy ending?’
7.
How do you think the audience response to Shylock would differ between an
Elizabethan audience and one of today? How do you feel about Shylock at the end of
this Act?
Before issuing Shylock’s punishment, the duke assures him that he will
“see the difference of our spirit,” but the spirit of the Venetians proves to
be as vindictive as the Jew’s (IV.i.363). The duke spares Shylock’s life, but
takes away his ability to practice his profession and his religion. In the
course of the play, Shylock has lost his servant, his daughter, his fortune,
and a treasured ring given to him by his dead wife. He will forfeit his estate
to the man responsible for stealing his daughter, and he will abandon his
religion for one that forbids him from practicing the trade by which he
earns his livelihood. Modern audiences cannot help but view Shylock as a
victim. He has become a tragic figure in a comedy that has no place for a
character so complex.
N ow t h a t yo u h ave r e a d t h e p l ay …
 Do you feel any sympathy for Shylock at the start of the play?
 Do you feel his anger towards Antonio is justified, albeit acting on this anger is deeply
flawed?
 Do you feel that it is the loss of his daughter or his money that most disturbs him?
Consider his reaction to the tale of Leah’s ring supposedly being exchanged for a monkey.
 Do you feel he is as much an old man as he is a Jewish moneylender? Old men seeking to
lock up their daughters were a very common comic stereotype in Shakespeare's age.
 Do you feel any sympathy for Shylock forced to dine among the Christians while we
know his house is being robbed - or do we just hope Jessica can get away?
 Do you feel any sympathy for Shylock when he is finally condemned and forced to
convert to Christianity and hand over half of his wealth to the Venetian state?
 Do you feel that Shylock's enemies are morally superior or better people than him?
Would they be found wanting if judged by Portia?
ESSAY QUESTION
“Shylock is more than just a one dimensional villain”
Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Was Shylock Shakespeare’s outcry against anti-Semitism or an
example to highlight the mindset of the times?