Merchant of Venice

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  • Themes
    • Love vs Hate
      • Bassanio and Portia - Romantic
        • Portia speaks of "ecstasy" and "joy"
        • Bassanio praises Portia as "demi-god" with "sugar breath"
      • Gratiano and Nerissa fall in love at first sight
      • "Lorenzo and his amorous Jessica" elope
      • Antonio and Bassanio share deep homoerotic love
        • "I think he only loves the world for him (Bassanio)"
      • Portia is racist to suitors "Let all of his complexion choose me so"
      • Lancelot compares Shylock with "the devil"
      • "The villain Jew"
      • "My ducats and my daughter"
      • Jessica steals for shylock and runs away
      • Shylock plans revenge on Antonio for bond "Nearest his heart"
    • Appearance vs Reality
      • Antonio - "A villain with a smiling cheek"
        • Shylock has dark intentions that lie behind his kindness
      • Portia has "fair: exterior and politeness but is racist
      • Gold and Silver caskets disguise their contradicting secrets
      • Gratiano must hide his loudness to accompany Bassanio to Belmont
      • Lancelot deceives his father
      • Jessica deceives her father
      • Jessica disguises as a man to escape
      • Portia and Nerissa disguise as males in the courtroom
    • Justice vs Mercy
      • During trial, Shylock is asked to show mercy to Antonio, he refuses
      • Portia's speech at start - "The quality of mercy is not strained"
        • justice is most appropriately done when mercy is included
      • At end of trial, Duke and Antonio boast of their merciful attitudes
    • Happiness vs Suffering
      • Happiness -three marriages
      • Test of the rings
      • Shylock leaves court broke, convert to christianity
      • Antonio is alone at end, his sadness unresolved
      • Shylocks suffering from Christians
      • Shylock lost daughter nd ducats
      • Jessica got out and married Lorenzo
      • Bassanio picked right crate
    • Father vs Daughter
      • Portia has to marry whoever wins her fathers lottery
        • "So os the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father"
      • Patriarchal society, father controlled daughters
      • Jessica is uncomfortable at home
        • "Our house is hell"
        • She is "ashamed" to be his daughter
        • Plans to escape her fathers control

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