Merchant of Venice

1. Antonio is troubled and his friends try to raise his spirits.

2. Bassanio explains his problems regarding Portia.

3. Antonio agrees to borrow money in order to help his friend.

Foreshadowing - the idea of a disaster at sea leaving a merchant penniless hits at future events.

Classical allusion - Bassanio refers to 'the Golden Fleece of the Jason and the Argonauts' story, which is related to wealth.                                                                                       

• "and by adventuring both, I oft found both"
• "In sooth, I know not why I am sad"                                                                                    --> sooth - truth

Why is the possibility of losing everything because of misfortune at sea so important here?

1. Portia lists her suitors and makes fun of them.

2. The will is explained.

3. Portia hears of the arrival of the Prince of Morroco.

Foreshadowing - the only man that Portia has ever shown interest in is Bassanio, hinting at later plot development.

Witty - shown by her remarks about her suitors.

Ideas about Marriage - Portia isn't able to choose her own husband (usual for ladies at this time), arranged marriages were normal, it would have been unthinkable for an upper-class lady to marry a black man.

• "Yes, yes, it was Bassanio, as I think so was he called"
  
• "I had rather he shrive me than wive me" --> here my confession rather than marry me

Why is Nerissa Portia's confidente as well as her servant?

1. Antonio and Bassanio visit Shylock so that Antonio can borrow money.                            

2. Shylock lends the money but asks for an unusual bond.

Allusion - Genesis 24:29-60, Jacob and his uncle Laban make a deal that, in order for Jacob to marry Laban's daughter, Jacob must look after Laban's sheep, he gets to keep all the striped sheep. Jacob places striped branches in front of the sheep during mating so they give birth to striped lambs. We see two interpretations of the same text- Shylock sees it as an example of human ingenuity, Antonio sees Jacob's success as an example of God's providence. Antonio also accuses Shylock of using a biblical story to justify the practice of usury and refers to Shylock as a devil.

Moneylending (usury) - Christians were forbidden from lending money for profit, Jews were tolerated in society because their religion allowed them to do this, which caused resentment among Christians who found themselves indebted to Jews.

• "The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose" --> recite the bible
• "Yes, to smell pork, to eat of the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite conjured the devil into"

1. Portia and Morocco meet.

2. There is a terrible price to pay for taking the test of the caskets.

Morocco challenges Portia to compare his blood to that of the fairest-skinned person in the world to:

• "prove whose blood is reddest, his or mine" --> red blood signified courage and virility.

Skin colour was very important to the Elizabethans and this is one way of suggesting Morocco is as noble as any white man.

The Prince prepares to take the test of the caskets. Portia tells him that if he fails, he must never:

• "speak to a lady afterward / In a way of marriage"

Portia uses the word 'fair' to mean both attractive and white-skinned.

Sometimes Morocco is portrayed as a man with great dignity. But there is ample scope in these lines for him to be played as a self-important fool.

1. Lancelot amuses the audience at the expense of his father.

Comic relief - occurs at the point where the audience wants to find out if Morocco will choose the right casket, comic scenes are introduced to lighten the tone of the play and to keep the audience waiting.

Mistaken identity - often used by Shakespeare, sometimes it results in tragedy, but, as in this play, it is used for comic effect. 

Malapropism -  the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with an amusing effect e.g. "he is the very defect of the matter, sir" --> he means 'effect' of 'fact'

1. Jessica is unhappy.

Changing religion - this short scene presents Jessica as very upset and she says that she is ashamed to be her father's child, this gives her a reason to leave Shylock, however, she is already in love with Lorenzo, even though she is Jewish she says she wants to leave her father's faith.

In Shakespeare's time, Jews were encouraged, even forced to give up their religion.

• "Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil" --> Christians also called Shylock a devil.
• "Most beautiful pagan, most sweet Jew" --> Shakespeare is creating a character that the audience like.

1. Lorenzo receives a letter from Jessica planning her escape.

Jessica suggests to disguise herself as Lorenzo's torchbearer in order to escape. She is prepared to steal from her father, which would also cause him great pain.

In a Jewish family, the family line is passed on through the daughter.

• "If e'er the Jew her father come to heaven, / It will be for his gentle daughter's sake" --> more praise for Jessica.

1. Skylock tells Launcelot that he is free to go into Bassanio's service.

2. Jessica tells the audience that she is about to disown her father.

Shylock has been invited to celebrate with the Christians but says:

• "I am not bid for love; they flatter me; / But yet I'll go in hate"

Launcelot's unwittingly comic remarks throughout the scene add to Shylock's growing frustration.

Shylock has not noticed his daughter's recent odd behaviour. What does this tell you about him?

1. Jessica runs away from her father.

2. The wind changes for Belmont.

Jessica appears on the balcony dressed a page boy. She throws down to Lorenzo much of Skylock's wealth.                                                                                                         Gratiano meets Antonio who brings word that the masque has been cancelled as the wind has changed direction and he is now able to set sail for Belmont.

Shakespeare's use of locations - Belmont is some distance from Venice, which means it takes time for information and characters to travel between the two places. This allows the possibility of messages arriving late and characters missing each other in travelling to and fro. Shakespeare makes use of this, the first in the ship's departure being delayed so the audience becomes worried about what's happened to Portia.

Bassanio gives up the expensive party very easily. What does this show about him?

1. Morocco has to choose between caskets of gold, silver and lead.

2. Portia seems nervous about him taking the test.

3. Morocco chooses the wrong casket.

The test of the caskets - This isn't one of Shakespeare's own ideas. Though Shakespeare borrowed many of the main themes from Italien and medieval stories, he changed them to suit his own dramatic purpose. A key question is whether Portia knows which casket is right and whether she has 'rigged' the outcome.

Morroco settles with the gold casket, which promises to deliver "what many men desire". Inside is a "carrion of Death" and a poem with the first line "All that glisters is not gold"

Modern Audience - Portia may become a less sympathetic character because of her reaction to the idea of marrying a man with dark skin.

Why does Shakespeare deliberately delay Morocco's choice?

1. Shylock is upset and annoyed at Jessica's disappearance with his money.

2. One of Antonio's ships might have been lost.

Shylock doesn't seem to know what upsets him most; the loss of his daughter or his money. He can be heard crying "My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter!"

News has reached Venice that a Venetian ship has run aground in the English Channel and Solanio hopes it's not one of Antonio's ships.

Attitudes towards Shylock - Clearly Salerio and Solanio see him as a figure of fun and are pleased that he has suffered, yet they would describe themselves as Christians. Antonio is also very kind to his friends. This contrasts sharply with his treatment of Shylock.

The role of minor characters - They are often used to update the audience on recent events. This allows the plot to move along more swiftly. 

1. Arragon arrives to take the test. 

2. He chooses the silver casket and fails. 

Arragon settles for the silver casket as he believes he deserves Portia. Inside he finds the portrait of a blinking idiot and a rhyme telling him that he is a fool. 

Context - Ar(r)agon was an ancient kingdom of north-east Spain. England and Spain were great rivals at the time the play was written. This gives a reason for the Elizabethan audience to hate Arragon too.

A messenger arrives telling them of the arrival of a Venetian and his companion. Portia obviously hopes it's Bassanio but Shakespeare doesn't reveal this yet, thus developing dramatic tension. 

1. It appears that Antonio may have lost another ship.

2. Shylock is mocked by the Christians.

Wordplay: Solerio and Solanio act as narrators. Shylock enters and confronts them, claiming they knew that Jessica was going to run away; Shylock accuses them of knowledge of his daughter's flight, Salerio says he knew that tailor that made her wings, Solanio says Shylock should have known that a bird leaves its nest once its feathers have grown.

Monologue: Shylock delivers one of Shakespeare's most famous speeches.

Shylock's sadness is mixed with the despair at the loss of his wealth. He even says that he wishes Jessica were dead at his feet along with the jewels she stole. 

Prose: Much of the argument takes place in prose, which is unusual for major speeches. It makes Shylock appear to be more human as he is not always completely in control. Shylock seems perhaps to be less noble here than at other times in the play.

• "Hath not a Jew eyes?"

1. Portia asks Bassanio to wait for a few days before making the choice of the caskets.

2. Bassanio wishes to take the test immediately.

3. Bassanio hears bad news about Antonio. 

Allusion: Portia compares her situation to that of Hesione, a beautiful young woman of Troy, who was to be sacrificed by a sea monster before being saved by Hercules. 

Tension: Shakespeare keeps Portia and the audience waiting even though the outcome is not really in doubt. This is to develop tension.

Portia: She is much less assured when talking to Bassanio then to her previous suitors. She is nervous because she wants him to choose the correct correctly and, more so, because she knows now which casket he has to choose. We know Portia is very strong-willed, yet she readily gives herself to Bassanio as if she is something he had just bought.

• "Her lord, her governor, her king"

1. Shylock insists that Antonio is imprisoned.

Obsession: Shylock has become obsessed with the bond and is beyond all reason. Shown through repetition of "I'll have my bond" three times

Not even the Duke of Venice can break the bond, otherwise, Venice would lose its reputation as an honest trading centre if the Duke broke his own laws.

• "Thou call'dst me a dog before thou hadst a cause, but since I am a dog, beware my fangs."
• "Pray God, Bassanio come to see me pay his debt, and then I care not."

1. Portia sends to her cousin, a lawyer, for help.

2. The wives (Portia and Nerissa) are to dress up as lawyers and go to Venice.

Portia and Jessica: There is hardly any conversation between these two characters, which contrasts the sudden closeness formed between Portia and Bassanio and Nerissa and Gratiano.

Comedy: Portia gives an amusing account of the typical behaviour of young men. On two occasions, she also makes sexually explicit jokes to Nerissa. This makes Portia seem more worldly-wise than she might first seem.

• "That they shall think we are accomplished with what we lack."
• "We'll see our husbands before they think of us!"

What do the plans show of Portia's character?

1. Jessica becomes a Christian.

Jessica announces she has become a Christian. Launcelot jokes that Jews becoming Christian "will raise the price of hogs"

Lorenzo also accuses Lorenzo of having got a black girl pregnant, which is dismissed as a joke. His play on words starts to become irritating. 

They begin discussing Portia, and Lorenzo comments that he is as much to be admired as Portia is. This is an odd thing for him to say. Either he has a high opinion of himself, or he is just making a joke. 

This scene is another example of comedy being used to lighten the play, but in practical terms, it allows for Portia and Nerissa to get changed for the next scene.

1. Shylock insists on having his bond.

2. Portia and Nerissa arrive dressed as lawyers.

3. Portia outwits Shylock.

4. Shylock is punished.

Justice: Shakespeare's portrayal of the laws in Venice are really just adaptions of the laws in England at the time. These laws allowed non-Christians very few rights and were aimed at protecting the wealthy.

Shylock is about to cut into Antonio's flesh when Portia stops him. She points out that the bond allows him to take a pound of flesh, but does not mention shedding one drop of blood.

• "Let me have judgement, and the Jew his will"

1. Portia and Nerissa, in disguise, get the rings from their husbands.

Wives and Husbands: Once Portia has defeated Shylock, that element of the plot is over. The play needs to regain a lighter tone so Shakespeare introduces a new plot, which revolves around the idea of wives testing their husband's loyalty.

Portia: Reveals a conventional side to her nature by promising to give herself completely to Bassanio. Here, we see a stronger side of Portia's nature as she prepares for Nerissa and herself to outwit their husbands. Portia reveals that she is witty, imaginative, and cruel. 

1. Portia pretends that she has not left Belmont.

2. The husbands are forced to admit they gave their rings away.

3. Portia and Nerissa exploit the situation. 

4. All ends happy (except for Shylock).

Music: Lorenzo arranges for music to be played to welcome home Portia and Bassanio. Lorenzo links this to the belief that the stars in the heavens made music when they moved. He believes in the power of music to create atmosphere. When the music stops, the characters become much more straightforward in the way the speak.

Plot: This scene is the resolution, where all the elements of the plot have been neatly tied up.

Courtly love: The characters behave in a manner dictated by the idea of courtly love. Lorenzo and Jessica speak like typical lovers, (repetition of "In such a night")

Allusion: They do, however, mention 'Troilus and Cressid' and 'Dido', whose stories are about tragedy and betrayal.

1. Bond of Friendship

• First scene- Bassanio reveals that he is tied to Antonio through friendship and debt.
• Shakespeare explores the bond between friends by testing it when Shylock threatens Antonio's life.
• Antonio's sacrifice for his friend is an example of altruism. He can be very generous to his friends yet treat others badly. 

2. Bond of Hatred

• The bond of hatred between Antonio and Shylock is the central element of the play.
• This leads to the bond of the pound of flesh being signed.

3. Family Bonds

• Jessica decides she is more strongly tied to Lorenzo than her own father. 
• Launcelot and Gobbo are not close, despite being father and son.
• Portia's father's will shows his concern for his daughter and wants to prevent her from marrying someone who just wants her money. 

The link between Law and Justice is explored throughout the play. It is clear from the behaviour of:

• Antonio towards Shylock.
• Shylock when seeking revenge.
• Portia when punishing Shylock.
• Antonio when insisting Shylock converts to Christianity.
• The Duke who lets events follow the law.

Portia;s famous speech asks for justice and mercy, yet she doesn't show Shylock any justice when she insists on his punishment.

In the play, friendship is portrayed as having a stronger kind of loyalty than marriage.

This is evident as:

• Bassanio and Gratiano both break their vows to their wives about the rings.
• Lorenzo and Jessica are not fully accepted as a couple.
• Bassanio and Antonio share a strong bond, and Bassanio appears to be closer with his best friend than his wife.

Examples of revenge in the play:

• Shylock attempts to kill Antonio.
• Portia punishes Shylock.
• Antonio makes Shylock convert.

• Portia makes up her mind about her suitors after only having met them briefly. In the case of Morocco, she gives an opinion of him before she has even met him. Paradoxically, Bassanio is very keen of appearances. 
• Morocco and Aragon both choose their caskets based on outward appearances.
• Portia and Bassanio make the decision to marry purely based on appearances, as they cannot have known each other long enough to get to know one another. 

• Antonio and Shylock: The pound of flesh.
• Portia and the caskets.
• Lorenzo and Jessica: Betrayal and elopement.
• The ring plot between Portia and Bassanio, and Nerissa and Gratiano.