m notes

Merchant of Venice C16

Elizabethan society

two tests- caskets and court trial one happy and hopeful one serious

Antonio- the merchant of Venice, very few lines, kindest man, sad, racist, kinsman- relative, at the time male relationships were normal not homosexual, mentor, trusting, generous, mercurial

Bassanio- dearest friend, kinsman, honest, reckless, shoot anoher arrow, mentee, youth, naive, initially seeks to marry Portia for her money 

Shylock- persecuted, anti-semitism, spit spurn, dog, cur, limited jobs, jew, alien, merry sport, do we not bleed, fie upon your law, revenge, o my daughter o my ducats, leah's ring, doesnt fit into venice or belmont, dream of money bags, greedy, resenting- hating, i hate him for he is a christian, i would have been friends, forced to convert religion, hath a dog money

Gratiano- party animal, comic but speaks in verse, upper-class clown, sole, soul, hates Shylock

Portia- (cousin and lawyer-doctor bellario) (servant-balthazar) (servant-stephano) unlesson'd girl, loyal to father's will, petty debt, twenty times over- generous, richly left, haste away, complexion choose me so, justice and mercy speech- hypocrite defends christians but not jews, little thanks, beautiful clever and strong, played fool with a horse, overcomes gender restrictions by dressing as a…