The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice, comedy in five acts by William Shakespeare, written about 1596–97 and printed in a quarto edition in 1600 from an authorial manuscript or a copy of one. The play revolves around a moneylending plot in which a Christian merchant named Antonio gets embroiled in a legal battle with a Jewish moneylender, Shylock, whom he detests. Scholars debate whether Shakespeare displays antisemitism in his portrayal of Shylock and Shylock’s treatment by the Christian characters. (For an in-depth discussion and analysis of Shylock’s character, see Shylock.)
Plot
A story by Italian writer Ser Giovanni Fiorentino in the collection Il Pecorone (1558; roughly, “The Simpleton”) was the primary inspiration for The Merchant of Venice.
Bassanio, a noble but penniless Venetian, asks his wealthy merchant friend Antonio for a loan so that Bassanio can undertake a journey to woo the heiress Portia. Antonio, whose money is invested in foreign ventures, borrows the sum from Shylock on the condition that Antonio will forfeit a pound of flesh if the loan cannot be repaid in time. Antonio is reluctant to do business with Shylock, whom he despises for lending money at interest (unlike Antonio himself, who provides the money for Bassanio without any such financial obligation); Antonio considers that lending at interest violates the very spirit of Christianity. Nevertheless, he needs help in order to be able to assist Bassanio. He says:
Shylock, albeit I neither lend nor borrow
By taking nor by giving of excess,
Yet, to supply the ripe wants of my friend,
I’ll break a custom.
A notable movie adaptation of the play was the 2004 film directed by Michael Radford, in which American actor Al Pacino brought Shylock’s character to life with depth and intensity.
Meanwhile, Bassanio has met the terms of Portia’s father’s will by selecting from three caskets the one that contains her portrait, and he and Portia marry. (Two previous wooers, the princes of Morocco and Arragon, have failed the casket test by choosing what many men desire or what the chooser thinks he deserves; Bassanio knows that he must paradoxically “give and hazard all he hath” to win the lady.)
News arrives that Antonio’s ships have been lost at sea. Unable to collect on his loan, Shylock attempts to use justice to enforce a terrible, murderous revenge on Antonio: he demands his pound of flesh. He claims:
The pound of flesh which I demand of him
Is dearly bought; ’tis mine and I will have it.
Part of Shylock’s desire for vengeance is motivated by the way in which the Christians of the play have banded together to enable his daughter Jessica to elope from his house, taking with her a substantial portion of his wealth, in order to become the bride of the Christian Lorenzo. Shylock’s revengeful plan is foiled by Portia, disguised as a male lawyer, who turns the tables on Shylock by a legal quibble: he must take flesh only, and Shylock must die if any blood is spilled. Thus, the contract is canceled, and Shylock is ordered to give half of his estate to Antonio, who agrees not to take the money if Shylock converts to Christianity and restores his disinherited daughter to his will. Shylock has little choice but to agree. The play ends with the news that, in fact, some of Antonio’s ships have arrived safely.
Debate around Shylock
An alternative title for The Merchant of Venice was The Jew of Venice (originally spelled The Jewe of Venyce), suggesting Shylock as the main character of the play.
The character of Shylock has been the subject of modern scholarly debate over whether the playwright displays antisemitism or religious tolerance in his characterization. Despite Shylock’s unflattering portrayal and stereotypical usuriousness, Shakespeare provides justification for Shylock’s hatred; he is verbally and physically abused by Christians. Also, Shylock is given one of Shakespeare’s most eloquent speeches (“Hath not a Jew eyes?…”).
For a discussion of this play within the context of Shakespeare’s entire corpus, see William Shakespeare: Shakespeare’s plays and poems..
