Essay Question
“Which is the merchant here, and which the Jew?” 4.I.169
Portia’s question asks the audience to consider the many similarities between Antonio and
Shylock, both merchants and money-lenders. Explore the ways in which Shakespeare
portrays the two characters to show their differences and similarities.
Remember to consider the following in your essay:






the effects of characters and their actions
the effects of dramatic devices and structures
layers of meaning in language, ideas and themes
the play’s social/ historical /cultural background and setting
Give your own views in response to the ideas and themes
Use quotations that allow you to explore ideas, characterisation and language in
depth.
General Criteria
Shakespeare specific criteria
Candidates give a personal and critical
response to literary texts which show
understanding of the ways in which
meaning is conveyed. They refer to
aspects of language, structure and
themes to support their views.
Candidates develop a perceptive
Grade personal response. There is
B
understanding of the techniques by
(37-42 which meaning is conveyed and of
marks) ways in which readers may respond.
They support their responses with
detailed references to language,
theme, structure and context.
Candidates show insight when
discussing:
 the nature of the play, its
implications and relevance
 characters, structure and stagecraft
 Shakespeare’s use of language
Candidates show analytical skill when
exploring:
 the play’s implications,
contemporary relevance and
historical context
 characterisation, structure and
theatricality
 Shakespeare’s use of linguistic
devices
Candidates appreciate and analyse
Candidates show analytical and
Grade alternative interpretations, making
interpretative skills when evaluating:
A
cross references where appropriate.
 the play’s moral and philosophical
(43-48 They develop their ideas and refer in
context
marks) detail to aspects of language, structure  significant achievements within the
and presentation, making apt and
dramatic genre
careful comparison within and
 Shakespeare’s exploitation of
between texts.
language for dramatic, poetic and
figurative effect.
Candidates make cogent and critical
Candidates show originality of analysis
Grade responses to texts in which they
and interpretation when evaluating:
A*
explore and evaluate alternative and
 the play’s moral, philosophical or
(49-54 original interpretations. They show
social significance
marks) flair and precision in developing ideas
 Shakespeare’s stagecraft and/or
with reference to structure and
appeal to audience
presentation. Candidates make subtle
 patterns and details of words and
and discriminating comparisons within
images
and between texts.
Grade
C
(31-36
marks)
1
Going to the theatre in Shakespeare’s day.
Theatre going was very popular in Elizabethan London, but it was very different from
going to a play today. It was like a cross between going to a football match and going to
the theatre. The playhouses were open air and the lack of artificial lighting meant that
plays were performed in the daylight, normally in the afternoon.
People paid a penny to get into the playhouse, so it was not cheap, since a penny was
about one twelfth of a day’s wages for a skilled workman. Your penny let you into the
large open yard surrounding the stage. The audience here had to stand, looking up at the
actors, they were called the Groundlings. If people wanted a seat, then they had to pay
another penny or twopence. This gave admission to the tiers of seating surrounding the
yard, and also meant that you had a roof over your head. People with even more money
could pay to have a seat in an enclosed room. So people of all incomes and social classes
attended the theatre and paid for the kind of accommodation they wanted.
While the audience was waiting for the play to begin, people had time to meet friends,
talk, eat, drink – in fact they used to continue to enjoy themselves in this way while the
play was being performed. But Elizabethan audiences were knowledgeable and
enthusiastic. Watching a play was an exciting experience; although the stage was very big,
the theatre was quite small, so no one was far from the actors. When an actor had a
soliloquy he could come right into the middle of the audience and speak his thoughts in a
natural, personal way. At the other extreme, the larger stage and the three different
levels meant that whole battles could be enacted, complete with cannon fire, thunder and
lightning and loud military music.
There was no painted scenery, so that the audience had to use their imagination to
picture the location of each scene, but Shakespeare always gave plenty of word clues in
the characters’ speeches of when and where a scene took place. The lack of scenery to
move about also meant that scene could follow scene without any break. On the other
hand, the theatre companies spared no expense on costumes and furniture and other
properties; plays also had live music performed by players placed either in the auditorium
close to the stage, or in the
gallery above it, if that was
not to be used in the play.
Although Londoners
especially must have
considered that going to
the theatre was an exciting
and important part of their
lives; it is believed that up
to a fifth of them went to
the theatre regularly.
Shakespeare and the
company in which he
became a share holder, The
Lord Chamberlain’s Men,
worked hard to become
wealthy men.
2
Date of the Play
Scholars have suggested that Shakespeare wrote The Merchant of Venice sometime
between the late summer of 1596 and 1598.
After several setbacks in the war against Spain, the Earl of Essex planned a naval
expedition to attack and capture the Spanish port of Cadiz. Ninety-three English and 18
Dutch ships sailed from Plymouth in June 1596. Three weeks later they made a surprise
attack on Cadiz, which was undefended. The Spaniards were burning their own ships to
prevent their capture, but the English seized the San Matias and San Andres and took
them back to England.
The San Andres, a splendid ship, was renamed the Andrew. This dating is based on line 27
in Act 1 Scene 1: ‘And see my wealthy Andrew docked in sand.’
The likelihood is that The Merchant of Venice went into the repertory of the Lord
Chamberlain’s Men in the 1597 season. The first performance of the play is not likely to
have been given later than 1598 because that is the date given for its appearance in a
register of published plays. Plays were not usually printed until after their first successful
season on the stage.
Jews in Shakespeare’s England
Early History of Jews in England
1066 - The first Jewish communities came from Northern France, encouraged by William
the Conqueror. Jews took up jobs trading and lending money, as
Christians could not lend money for interest. Subsequent kings depended on loans from
Jewish money lenders to finance wars. Unfortunately this resulted in Jewish communities
being caught up in political in-fighting. In York in 1190 hundreds of Jews were besieged in
the castle, many committed suicide and those who did not were murdered, the mob
responsible was led by a nobleman who was in debt to the Jewish money lenders.
1231- The Earl of Leicester barred Jews from taking up residence in the city and forced
landlords to pledge to keep them out. (It was not until January 2001 that the Leicester
City Council formally renounced the nearly 800-year-old ban on Jews.)
Expulsion
1290 - The Jews were expelled from England by Edward 1; it was the first European
country to expel its Jewish residents. A few stayed and hid their identity, some converting
to Christianity; many settled in France and Germany. Jews would not be allowed to live in
England for another 350 years.
The Jew of Malta
1589 – The Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlowe was first performed. The protagonist,
Barabas, is an exaggerated villain, cunning and murderous. He refuses to pay the Crown
and his wealth is seized. In revenge he poisons an entire nunnery and is finally put to
death in a cauldron of boiling water. The play is clearly anti-Jewish, but it is also critical
of Christian hypocrisy at a time when English Protestants were deeply suspicious of all
other faiths including Catholics, Muslims and Jews.
3
Execution of Rodrigo Lopez
1594 – Rodrigo Lopez was physician to Queen Elizabeth 1. He was accused of plotting to
poison her and was horribly tortured and executed. He was a Marrano –descended from
Portuguese or Spanish Jews who were forced to be baptised as Christians, but who
retained their Jewish identity and worshipped in secret. Contemporary accounts
emphasise his foreignness, particularly his Jewish identity.
The Rise of Italian City States
By the end of the 16th century, Italy had developed the leading financial system in
Europe. Shakespeare would have been aware of this and also that Venice had a thriving
Jewish population, which was allowed to charge interest on loans, loans which in turn
enabled trade to grow. Venetian Jews were, however, forced to live separately on their
own island, the first Jewish ghetto, the Gheto Vechio.
Badging
The history of labelling those who are outside of mainstream society, literally by the
enforced wearing of a badge, goes back many centuries and exists in several different
cultures.
The first recorded instance of badging religious or ethnic minorities occurs in Arabia in the
reign of ‘Umar, the 2nd Caliph of the Islamic Empire in the mid-7th century A.D. Caliph
‘Umar introduced a law requiring all non-Muslims within the Islamic Empire (mainly
Christians and Jews) to wear distinctive clothing, to make it easier for his tax collectors to
identify those who were required to pay more tax.
The Roman Church adopted this practice, applying it specifically to Jews throughout
Europe. The practice spread to all the countries. There is evidence of this practice in
England as early as the 12th century and the same for France, Italy and Germany.
In Venice, the Senate decided to expel Jews from the city in 1394 due to complaints about
unfair competition in the financial sector. Jews were allowed to work in the city for
limited periods and were forced to wear various markings on their clothing to identify
themselves. In 1394 they had to wear a yellow badge; it was changed to a yellow hat in
1496 and to a red hat in 1500.
4
Plot Overview
Bassanio is desperately in need of money to court Portia, a wealthy heiress who lives in
the city of Belmont. Bassanio asks Antonio, a Venetian merchant, for a loan in order to
impress Portia. Antonio agrees, but is unable to make the loan himself because his own
money is invested in trade ships that are still at sea, but will get a loan from one of the
city’s moneylenders. In Belmont, Portia is at the mercy of her father’s will, which
stipulates that she must marry the man who correctly chooses one of three caskets. None
of Portia’s current suitors are to her liking, and she and her lady-in-waiting, Nerissa,
fondly remember a visit paid some time before by Bassanio.
In Venice, Antonio and Bassanio approach Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, for a loan.
Shylock nurses a long-standing grudge against Antonio as he has made a habit of berating
Shylock and other Jews for their usury, loaning money at exorbitant rates of interest, and
by undermining their business by offering interest-free loans. However, Shylock offers to
lend Bassanio three thousand ducats with no interest. Shylock adds, however, that should
the loan go unpaid, he will be entitled to a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Despite Bassanio’s
warnings, Antonio agrees. In Shylock’s household, his servant Launcelot decides to work
for Bassanio and Shylock’s daughter Jessica schemes to elope with Antonio’s friend
Lorenzo. That night, the streets of Venice fill up with revellers, and Jessica escapes with
Lorenzo by dressing as his page. After a night of celebration, Bassanio and his friend
Gratiano leave for Belmont, where Bassanio intends to win Portia’s hand.
Bassanio arrives at Portia’s estate, and they declare their love for one another. Despite
Portia’s request that he wait before choosing, Bassanio immediately picks the correct
casket, and Gratiano confesses that he has fallen in love with Nerissa. The couples decide
on a double wedding. Portia gives Bassanio a ring as a token of love, and makes him swear
that under no circumstances will he part with it. The celebration is cut short by the news
that Antonio has indeed lost his ships, and that he has forfeited his bond to Shylock.
Bassanio and Gratiano immediately travel to Venice to try and save Antonio’s life.
Shylock ignores the many pleas to spare Antonio’s life, and a trial is called to decide the
matter. The duke of Venice announces that he has sent for a legal expert, who turns out
to be Portia disguised as a young man of law. Portia asks Shylock to show mercy, but he
insists the pound of flesh is rightfully his. Bassanio offers Shylock twice the money due
him, but Shylock insists on collecting the bond. Portia examines the contract and declares
that Shylock is entitled to the merchant’s flesh. Shylock ecstatically praises her wisdom,
but as he is on the verge of collecting his due, Portia reminds him that he must do so
without causing Antonio to bleed, as the contract does not entitle him to any blood. Portia
informs Shylock that he is guilty of conspiring against the life of a Venetian citizen, which
means he must turn over half of his property to the state and the other half to Antonio.
The duke spares Shylock’s life and takes a fine instead of Shylock’s property. Antonio also
forgoes his half of Shylock’s wealth on two conditions: first, Shylock must convert to
Christianity, and second, he must will the entirety of his estate to Lorenzo and Jessica
upon his death. Shylock agrees.
Bassanio showers the young law clerk with thanks, and is eventually pressured into giving
Portia the ring with which he promised never to part. The two women return to Belmont.
When Bassanio and Gratiano arrive the next day, their wives accuse them of faithlessly
giving their rings to other women. Before the deception goes too far, however, Portia
reveals that she was, in fact, the law clerk, and both she and Nerissa reconcile with their
husbands. Lorenzo and Jessica are pleased to learn of their inheritance from Shylock, and
the joyful news arrives that Antonio’s ships have in fact made it back safely. The group
celebrates its good fortune.
5
Dramatis Personae
The Duke Of Venice
The Prince Of Morocco, The Prince Of Arragon
suitors to Portia.
Antonio
a merchant of Venice.
Bassanio
his friend, suitor likewise to Portia.
Salanio, Salarino, Gratiano, Salerio
friends to Antonio and Bassanio.
Lorenzo
in love with Jessica.
Shylock
a rich Jew.
Tubal
a Jew, his friend.
Launcelot Gobbo
the clown, servant to Shylock.
Old Gobbo
father to Launcelot.
Leonardo
servant to Bassanio.
Balthasar, Stephano
servants to Portia.
Portia
a rich heiress.
Nerissa
her waiting-maid.
Jessica
daughter to Shylock.
Magnificoes of Venice, Officers of the Court of Justice, Gaoler, Servants to Portia, and
other Attendants.
6
Shylock: Portrayals through the centuries
“if you prick us do we not bleed…”
16th Century
Richard Burbage and Will Kempe were two contemporaries of Shakespeare who played
Shylock, supposedly with a red beard and a false nose. Burbage and Kempe’s portrayals
were probably quite exaggerated: Shylock the monster, rather than a real person.
18th Century
Charles Macklin played Shylock in a way which
emphasised his greed and malevolence. It seems
that audiences were surprised how realistic his
portrayal was, evil but human. Macklin himself was
a shady character, who had killed another actor in a
fight over a
beard.
19th Century
Edmund Kean, in 1814, played Shylock with a black
wig and beard and more contemporary costume. He
attempted to show the human side of Shylock’s
character, whose revenge is born out of his sense of
persecution. The acting style of the time, however,
worked against a subtle portrayal; he still shouted
and ranted his way through the part.
William Macready, in 1840, chose a more measured
style of speaking and an aristocratic costume but it
was Henry Irvine, in 1880, who portrayed an
educated and noble Shylock, probably the most
sympathetic so far, signifying the persecution of
fellow Jews.
7
Irving’s first portrayal of Shylock coincided with the mass migration of Jews fleeing
persecution from Russia and Eastern Europe. By the time of his final appearance as
Shylock, in 1905, Britain had passed the Aliens Act, restricting the entry of Jews to the
country, and Irving had reverted to a more caricatured portrayal of his greatest role.
20th Century
After the Holocaust, contemporary knowledge gives a different emphasis to Shylock’s
plight. In 1999, in Trevor Nunn’s production at the National Theatre, costumes echoed
Germany in the 1930s and Henry Goodman’s Shylock was a psychologically complex, tragic
hero, whose single flaw is his wish to be revenged upon Antonio.
Miller [stage director] and Sichels’ [film director] 1973 production had Laurence Olivier
playing Shylock (his farewell to stage Shakespeare). Some thought his Shylock was
somewhat broad for the small screen; it provided a tantalising glimpse of how it might
have come across in the theatre. Apparently at Miller's insistence, Olivier plays down the
character's overtly Jewish characteristics, even to the point of having Shylock conceal his
skull cap under a top hat whenever he goes about his public business.
Miller has updated the action to the late 19th century, a
time when Jewish bankers were hugely influential in
central Europe, but before the overt anti-semitism of the
Nazi era: here, it's much subtler but just as destructive.
While most productions contrast Antonio (good) and
Shylock (bad), here, they are almost indistinguishable in
dress, speech and behaviour: it's only Shylock's ethnic
origin that sets him apart from the rest of society.
Tellingly, Miller cuts the line "I hate him for he is a
Christian", underlining his view of Shylock as
misunderstood victim. Olivier's animal howl of despair as the trial ends is so unnerving
that even his harshest critics are visibly shaken.
Shylock
Although critics tend to agree that Shylock is The Merchant of Venice’s most noteworthy
figure, no consensus has been reached on whether to read him as a bloodthirsty
bogeyman, a clownish Jewish stereotype, or a tragic figure whose sense of decency has
been fractured by the persecution he endures. Certainly, Shylock is the play’s antagonist,
and he is menacing enough to seriously imperil the -happiness of Venice’s businessmen and
young lovers alike. Shylock is also, however, a creation of circumstance; even in his singleminded pursuit of a pound of flesh, his frequent mentions of the cruelty he has endured at
Christian hands make it hard for us to label him a natural born monster. On the other
hand, Shylock’s coldly calculated attempt to revenge the wrongs done to him by
murdering his persecutor, Antonio, prevents us from viewing him in a primarily positive
light. Shakespeare gives us unmistakably human moments, but he often steers us against
Shylock as well, painting him as a miserly, cruel, and prosaic figure.
Antonio
Although the play’s title refers to him, Antonio is a rather lacklustre character. He
emerges in Act I, scene i as a hopeless depressive, someone who cannot name the source
of his melancholy and who, throughout the course of the play, develops his self-pity even
further, unable to muster the energy required to defend himself against execution.
Antonio never names the cause of his melancholy, but the evidence seems to point to his
being in love, despite his denial of this idea in Act I, scene i. The most likely object of his
8
affection is Bassanio, who takes full advantage of the merchant’s boundless feelings for
him. Antonio has risked the entirety of his fortune on overseas trading ventures, yet he
agrees to guarantee the potentially lethal loan Bassanio secures from Shylock. In the
context of his unrequited and presumably unconsummated relationship with Bassanio,
Antonio’s willingness to offer up a pound of his own flesh seems particularly important,
signifying a union that grotesquely alludes to the rites of marriage, where two partners
become “one flesh.”
Further evidence of the nature of Antonio’s feelings for Bassanio appears later in the play,
when Antonio’s proclamations resonate with the hyperbole and self-satisfaction of a
doomed lover’s declaration: “Pray God Bassanio come / To see me pay his debt, and then I
care not” (3.iii.35–36). Antonio ends the play as happily as he can, restored to wealth
even if not delivered into love. Without a mate, he is indeed the “tainted wether" and he
will likely return to his favourite pastime of moping about the streets of Venice (4.i.113).
After all, he has effectively disabled himself from pursuing his other hobby—abusing
Shylock—by insisting that the Jew convert to Christianity. Although a sixteenth-century
audience might have seen this demand as merciful, as Shylock is saving himself from
eternal damnation by converting, we are less likely to be convinced. Not only does
Antonio’s reputation as an anti-Semite precede him, but the only instance in the play
when he breaks out of his doldrums is his “storm” against Shylock (I.iii.132). In this
context, Antonio proves that the dominant threads of his character are melancholy and
cruelty.
Antonio, Bassanio and homosexuality
Antonio's unexplained depression—"In sooth I know not why I am so sad"—and utter
devotion to Bassanio has led some critics to theorise that he is suffering from unrequited
love for Bassanio and is depressed because Bassanio is coming to an age where he will
marry a woman. In his plays and poetry Shakespeare often depicted strong male, which
has led some critics to infer that Bassanio returns Antonio's affections despite his
obligation to marry:
ANTONIO: Commend me to your honorable wife:
Tell her the process of Antonio's end,
Say how I lov'd you, speak me fair in death;
And, when the tale is told, bid her be judge
Whether Bassanio had not once a love.
BASSANIO: But life itself, my wife, and all the world
Are not with me esteemed above thy life;
I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all
Here to this devil, to deliver you. (4,i)
Other interpreters of the play regard the conception of Antonio's sexual desire for
Bassanio as questionable. Michael Radford, director of the 2004 film version starring Al
Pacino, explained that although the film contains a scene where Antonio and Bassanio
actually kiss, the friendship between the two is platonic, in line with the prevailing view
of male friendship at the time. Jeremy Irons, in an interview, concurs with the director's
view and states that he did not "play Antonio as gay".
Other Characters
PORTIA
A wealthy heiress from Belmont. Portia's beauty is matched only by her intelligence.
Bound by a clause in her father's will that forces her to marry whichever suitor chooses
correctly among three caskets, Portia nonetheless longs to marry her true love, Bassanio.
9
Far and away the cleverest of the play's characters, Portia disguises herself as a young
male law clerk in an attempt to save Antonio from Shylock's knife.
BASSANIO
A gentleman of Venice and a kinsman and dear friend to Antonio. Bassanio's love for the
wealthy Portia leads him to borrow money from Shylock with Antonio as his guarantor. An
ineffectual businessman, Bassanio nonetheless proves himself a worthy suitor, correctly
identifying the casket that contains Portia's portrait.
GRATIANO
A friend of Bassanio's who accompanies him to Belmont. A coarse and garrulous young
man, Gratiano is Shylock's most vocal and insulting critic during the trial. While Bassanio
courts Portia, Gratiano falls in love with and eventually weds Portia's lady-in-waiting,
Nerissa.
JESSICA
Although she is Shylock's daughter, Jessica hates life in her father's house and elopes with
the young Christian gentleman Lorenzo. Launcelot jokingly calls into question what will
happen to her soul, wondering if her marriage to a Christian can overcome the fact that
she was born a Jew. We may wonder if her sale of a ring given to her father by her mother
isn't excessively callous.
LORENZO
A friend of Bassanio and Antonio. Lorenzo is in love with Shylock's daughter, Jessica. He
schemes to help Jessica escape from her father's house and eventually elopes with her to
Belmont.
NERISSA
Portia's lady-in-waiting and confidante. Nerissa marries Gratiano and escorts Portia on
Portia's trip to Venice by disguising herself as Portia's law clerk.
LAUNCELOT GOBBO
Bassanio's servant. A comical, clownish figure who is especially adept at making puns,
Launcelot leaves Shylock's service in order to work for Bassanio.
Relationships
As well as the fraught relationship between Antonio and Shylock, there are a number of
crucial character combinations in the play that need to be interpreted by the actors and
the director. The following is a far from exhaustive list of connections to study and map.
ANTONIO AND BASSANIO
Are they more than friends? Does it matter? Male friendship in Shakespeare's day was likely
to have been a lot more accepting of degrees of affection, even love, than in our society
today. That said, what is your reaction to the opening scene in Antonio's bedroom in which
Bassanio tells Antonio of his plans and asks for money. To what extent is this seduction? Or
do you feel Antonio knows perfectly well what is going on?
JESSICA AND SHYLOCK
What is your view of this relationship? Shakespeare does not give the two characters much
time together and then Shylock is always ordering the poor girl around. The truth of their
relationship only really emerges once they are apart and reflect on their separation. What
are these reactions? Do you feel there is much grief at parting?
10
Themes
Conversion
Is a theme running through the text; and ultimately seal’s Shylock’s fate.
Religious & Cultural
In Shakespeare’s time, to be converted to Christianity meant one’s soul was saved from
hell. Elizabethan audiences would have welcomed Shylock and Jessica’s salvation as a
happy ending.
However, the history of forced conversions of the 16th century Inquisition in India and
Europe, especially Spain and Portugal, and, in the 20th Century, the attempts of the Final
Solution in Nazi occupied Europe to obliterate Judaism, leave modern audiences uneasy
about such a sense of salvation.
European imperialism in the 19th and 20th centuries engendered in African and Asian
societies another sense of conversion - “Westernisation”. Many such societies felt their
own values and customs under threat from the new ideas and technologies introduced by
Western colonial powers. In the modern period, periodic resistance to “Americanisation”
echoes the earlier struggles against forced religious conversion.
Monetary
The Merchant of Venice has the love of money at its core. Characters are keen to convert
both commodities and opportunities for cash. Just as Jessica converts to Christianity for
love of Lorenzo, he is able to convert marriage into an opportunity to become wealthy.
She hides the ducats in her clothes, in a gesture resonant of centuries of refugees who
have sewed their money into their clothes to keep it hidden and fund their flight.
Bassanio has several creditors and marrying a rich woman will clear his debts, love and life
itself can be exchanged for cash. Portia, bound by the conditions of her legacy, is able to
convert the guessing game into an opportunity to marry the man she loves and we are
reminded that “all that glisters is not gold.” Her inherited wealth gives her the confidence
to speak with the accents of enlightened privilege but she must still convert her gender to
take on the role of lawyer.
Self-Interest Versus Love
On the surface, the main difference between the Christian characters and Shylock appears
to be that the Christian characters value human relationships over business ones, whereas
Shylock is only interested in money. The Christian characters certainly view the matter
this way. Merchants like Antonio lend money free of interest and put themselves at risk for
those they love, whereas Shylock agonises over the loss of his money and is reported to
run through the streets crying, “O, my ducats! O, my daughter!” (2.viii.15). With these
words, he apparently values his money at least as much as his daughter, suggesting that
his greed outweighs his love. However, upon closer inspection, this supposed difference
between Christian and Jew breaks down. When we see Shylock in Act 3, scene i, he seems
more hurt by the fact that his daughter sold a ring that was given to him by his dead wife
before they were married than he is by the loss of the ring’s monetary value. Some human
relationships do indeed matter to Shylock more than money. Moreover, his insistence that
he have a pound of flesh rather than any amount of money shows that his resentment is
much stronger than his greed.
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Just as Shylock’s character seems hard to pin down, the Christian characters also present
an inconsistent picture. Though Portia and Bassanio come to love one another, Bassanio
seeks her hand in the first place because he is monstrously in debt and needs her money.
Bassanio even asks Antonio to look at the money he lends Bassanio as an investment,
though Antonio insists that he lends him the money solely out of love. In other words,
Bassanio is anxious to view his relationship with Antonio as a matter of business rather
than of love. Finally, Shylock eloquently argues that Jews are human beings just as
Christians are, but Christians such as Antonio hate Jews simply because they are Jews.
Thus, while the Christian characters may talk more about mercy, love, and charity, they
are not always consistent in how they display these qualities.
The Divine Quality of Mercy
The conflict between Shylock and the Christian characters comes to a head over the issue
of mercy. The other characters acknowledge that the law is on Shylock’s side, but they all
expect him to show mercy, which he refuses to do. When, during the trial, Shylock asks
Portia what could possibly compel him to be merciful, Portia’s long reply, beginning with
the words, “The quality of mercy is not strained,” clarifies what is at stake in the
argument (4.i.179). Human beings should be merciful because God is merciful: mercy is an
attribute of God himself and therefore greater than power, majesty, or law. Portia’s
understanding of mercy is based on the way Elizabethan Christians understood the
difference between the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament depicts God as
requiring strict adherence to rules and exacting harsh punishments for those who stray.
The New Testament, in contrast, emphasises adherence to the spirit rather than the letter
of the law, portraying a God who forgives rather than punishes and offers salvation to
those followers who forgive others. Thus, when Portia warns Shylock against pursuing the
law without regard for mercy, she is promoting what Elizabethan Christians would have
seen as a pro-Christian, anti-Jewish agenda.
The strictures of Renaissance drama demanded that Shylock be a villain, and, as such,
patently unable to show even a drop of compassion for his enemy. A sixteenth-century
audience would not expect Shylock to exercise mercy—therefore, it is up to the Christians
to do so. Once she has turned Shylock’s greatest weapon—the law—against him, Portia has
the opportunity to give the mercy for which she so beautifully advocates. Instead, she
backs Shylock into a corner, where she strips him of his bond, his estate, and his dignity,
forcing him to kneel and beg for mercy. Given that Antonio decides not to seize Shylock’s
goods as punishment for conspiring against him, we might consider Antonio to be merciful.
But we may also question whether it is merciful to return to Shylock half of his goods, only
to take away his religion and his profession. Antonio’s compassion, then, seems to stem as
much from self-interest as from concern for his fellow man. Mercy, as delivered in The
Merchant of Venice, never manages to be as sweet, selfless, or full of grace as Portia
presents it.
Hatred as a Cyclical Phenomenon
Christians and Jews hate each other at all levels of society. Even Launcelot says "I am a
Jew if I serve the Jew any longer," as if being a Jew is the worst think he can think of.
When Jessica escapes with Lorenzo, Gratiano pays her the complement of calling her "a
gentile and no Jew" (even though she had not yet converted to Christianity).
Throughout the play, Shylock claims that he is simply applying the lessons taught to him by
his Christian neighbours; this claim becomes an integral part of both his character and his
argument in court. In Shylock’s very first appearance, his entire plan seems to be born of
the insults and injuries Antonio has inflicted upon him in the past. As the play continues,
and Shylock unveils more of his reasoning, the same idea rears its head over and over—he
is simply applying what years of abuse have taught him. Responding to Salerio’s query of
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what good the pound of flesh will do him, Shylock responds, “The villainy you teach me I
will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction” (3.i.60–61). Not all of
Shylock’s actions can be blamed on poor teachings, and one could argue that Antonio
understands his own culpability in his near execution. With the trial’s conclusion, Antonio
demands that Shylock convert to Christianity, but inflicts no other punishment, despite
the threats of fellow Christians like Gratiano. Antonio does not, as he has in the past, kick
or spit on Shylock. Antonio, as well as the duke, effectively ends the conflict by starving it
of the injustices it needs to continue.
Settings
VENICE
Shakespeare, as far as we know, never travelled abroad and never visited Italy or Venice.
To an average London playhouse audience member in the late 1590s Venice would be as
exotic and strange as Belmont – a completely fictitious realm. Today, travel shows and
holidays have rendered Venice more familiar, so it is Belmont that will need to function as
the more exotic of the two locations.
What comes to mind when you think of Venice?
BELMONT
Belmont - meaning 'beautiful mountain' - is Shakespeare's invention. It is meant to contrast
strongly with the world of Venice. The following speech is spoken by Bassanio explaining
to Antonio why he must travel to Belmont and try his luck and judgment in the test that
may give him Portia's hand and wealth.
Bassanio:
In Belmont is a lady richly left;
And she is fair, and, fairer than that word,
Of wondrous virtues: sometimes from her eyes
I did receive fair speechless messages:
Her name is Portia, nothing undervalued
To Cato's daughter, Brutus' Portia:
Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth,
For the four winds blow in from every coast
Renowned suitors, and her sunny locks
Hang on her temples like a golden fleece;
Which makes her seat of Belmont Colchos' strand,
And many Jasons come in quest of her
What idea does this speech give you of both Portia and Belmont? Which words are
repeated? Read through the speech highlighting in each line the key word that, for you,
carries, the most meaning.
What patterns does your eventual list contain, if any? What mood does the list suggest?
The Courtroom Scene
Imagine that you were responsible for staging or filming this key scene. The success or
failure of the play hangs on the impact of the events here and the performances the
actors muster.
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Your task is to study the scene and continue this list of questions:
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

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How do we see the Duke and the Magnificoes that are to oversee the enforcement
of Shylock's bond? How will we know that they have ultimate authority in this
room? Where will they be placed?
Where is Antonio - how does he enter and how does that entrance suggest the
pressures he is under?
How does Shylock enter? What is his mood? How does he react to the appeal from
the Duke for mercy?
In what way should Shylock perform his first speech 'I have possessed your grace…’
The sympathetic reading
Many modern readers and theatergoers have read the play as a plea for tolerance as
Shylock is a sympathetic character. Shylock's 'trial' at the end of the play is a mockery of
justice, with Portia acting as a judge when she has no real right to do so. Thus,
Shakespeare is not calling into question Shylock's intentions, but the fact that the very
people who berated Shylock for being dishonest have had to resort to trickery in order to
win. Shakespeare puts one of his most eloquent speeches into the mouth of this "villain":
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.
Act 3, scene i
 Do you think that Shakespeare meant to criticise Shylock or the Christians in the
play?
 Do you think that because of the possible anti-semitic views in the play that this
play should not be performed and / or taught any more?
Related Activities/Discussion Questions
a. Write your own definition of the word censorship.
- Then look up the dictionary definition. Are they similar or do they differ?
b. Plan for a debate whether or not censorship of The Merchant of Venice is ever an
appropriate response to concerns about the promotion of anti-Semitism or prejudice.
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What Is Your Vision Of Shylock?
The play may have a title suggesting it is about Antonio but it is Shylock who, despite only
a handful of appearances, often remains the main focus of attention. There have been
thousands of interpretations of the character over the centuries. Even the versions of him
on film, though far less numerous, demonstrate considerable variation.
An early French movie called Shylock (1913) turned the character into a particularly grim
caricature redolent. So money-grabbing was actor Harry Baur in the role, that he
performed Shylock bathing with his gold coins and almost finding it impossible to hand
over the cash to Antonio following their agreement. Whereas, the 1973 film of Jonathan
Miller's National Theatre production records Laurence Olivier as a Shylock placed at the
heart of nineteenth century society - virtually indistinguishable in appearance and
desperately seeking assimilation. In this same cause most of his virulent anti-Christian
lines were removed.
In between these two interpretations lie the horrors of the rise of Nazism in Europe and
the Holocaust. All post-war performances of The Merchant of Venice are rightly touched
by the knowledge that the play exists somewhere on a cultural spectrum that has
Auschwitz at one end of it.
Discussing Shylock
But does that mean that the play should not be performed? Or should, as in the
Miller/Olivier stage production and film, Shylock's line ‘I hate him for he is a Christian…’
be removed?
What is your vision of Shylock? In the play, he does not appear until the third scene and is
not mentioned before he appears, unless Antonio's lines to Bassanio carry overtones of the
kind of bargain Shylock will extract and the kind of physical danger he (Antonio) will carry
alongside his overextended finances: ‘Try what my credit can in Venice do:/ That shall be
rack'd, even to the uttermost, / To furnish thee to Belmont…’
Work your way though Act I, Scene 3 discussing the possibilities for interpretation that are
on offer to an actor playing Shylock or a director creating this scene. For example:
 How might it begin? Will the opening with Shylock weighing up Antonio's request for
three thousand ducats be in marked contrast to the scene and mood that has just
concluded and which introduced us to the magical world of Belmont and its
charmed inhabitants - Portia and Nerissa? (Radford's film begins with a shocking
close-up of meat being cut and weighed in a market.)
 How might Shylock's refusal to give an immediate answer to the request be
presented –

sinister? - cautious? playful? - full of resentment? - amusement?
 How might an actor catalogue Antonio's current commercial concerns - leading up
to the 'Pi-rats' joke? Again - is he turning the screw on Bassanio, enjoying the young
man's discomfort and suspense or is he sensibly considering the kind of security the
loan needs, given the fact that Antonio's wealth is literally 'all at sea'?
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 What of that first 'aside' speech in which Shylock is revealed to harbour all sorts of
resentments against Antonio, the principal one being that he has undermined
Shylock's business by offering interest-free loans (money-lending was about the
only profession that Jews could perform in Christian societies of that time once the
guilds protecting and regulating other trades had closed their ranks against
allowing them in as members.)
 How will Shylock remind Antonio of his previous horrible behaviour towards him spitting on him where he does his business each day on the Rialto Bridge and its
canal-side?
 Is Shylock's offer of friendship sincere?
 Where does the idea of the pound of flesh come from? Does it spring from Shylock's
mind unprompted - as if the notion has been festering there as some sort of fantasy
for some while, or does it proceed from the precise circumstances or surroundings
that the characters are in?
The Outsider in Shakespeare:
Questions for discussion.
The Merchant of Venice is a complex dramatic narrative, written at a time when to be
black or Jewish placed one outside of Protestant white society. Over the centuries, actors
and directors have been able to interpret the plays according to their own contemporary
cultural norms. Gradually, it becomes unacceptable to wear a red beard and false nose of
Jewish stereotype and, much later, it is considered deeply offensive for white actors to
‘black up’ in minstrel style make-up to play Othello. The first non-white actor to play
Othello was a Bengali actor in India in 1803, although it takes more than 150 years for it to
become normal practice to cast a black actor.
The question is still asked: was Shakespeare racist? He gives us action and situation,
creates societies with cruel notions of justice, but he gives no opinion of what he thinks of
Othello and Shylock. Each has speeches which instil sympathy in the audience and each
challenges the majority society.
“The villainy you teach me I will execute” Shylock

What other plays, films or stories feature an outsider from a different cultural
background? What role does the outsider play in creating dramatic conflict?

Place yourself in the shoes of an Elizabethan playgoer. Does Shakespeare’s portrayal
of Shylock or Othello, challenge the stereotypes you would have of race and religion,
or does it reinforce them?

Who are the outsiders in today’s society, can you find a modern equivalent for Othello
or Shylock? How does the media portray the stereotype? How could a playwright get
behind the stereotype?
Other Stereotypes
England of the 1590s had a lot to be thankful for. In 1588 it had managed to defeat the
Armada sent against it by Phillip of Spain and in that victory had preserved itself both
from foreign invasion and also a reversion to Catholicism as state religion. At the same
time, all was not secure. England was at war with Spain in the Netherlands and there were
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regular invasion alarms. Meanwhile, London was one of the most populous cities in Europe
and as well as visitors, it was also home to sizeable communities of foreigners there by
choice or compulsion due anti-Protestant persecution on mainland Europe.
It is in this very precise context that Shakespeare's frequent stereotyping of foreigners
needs to be understood. He lived at a time when to be a stranger from abroad in England
was to be both a source of fascination and also some suspicion. And the most obvious way
of dealing with such ambiguous feelings was to revert to laughter.
Shylock is not the only character in The Merchant of Venice subject to satiric portrayal. In
fact the presentation of the various international suitors seeking Portia is far more onedimensional than the rich representation that Shylock receives.
Now you’ve read the play consider the following questions:

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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?
Selection of Biblical references in The Merchant of Venice
Abraham
Patriarch of the Hebrew people. He’s a key figure in the history of both the Jewish and
Arab peoples, as well as in the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He was the
father of Isaac and also the father of Ishmael, from whom many of the Arab people are
descended. Israelites are the descendants of Isaac’s son Jacob, whom God renamed Israel,
and from Jacob’s son Judah come the terms Jew and Jewish.
Barrabas
In a final effort to have Jesus released, Pilate offered to let a prisoner go to indicate
Rome’s goodwill toward the Jews during the Passover season. He offered them a choice
between Jesus and Barrabas, a known murderer and robber. They chose to release
Barrabas. Barabas is the name of the protagonist in Marlowe’s Jew of Malta which predates The Merchant of Venice by 6 years.
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