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English 1060 The Merchant of Venice (1598)

A detailed overview of the themes and characters in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice," including discussions on money, marriage, comedy, and the complex character of Shylock. Explore underlying meanings and controversies within the play.

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English 1060 The Merchant of Venice (1598)

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  1. English 1060 The Merchant of Venice (1598)

  2. 1. Did Shakespeare write his own plays?- MofV is partly adapted from the 14th-century tale Il Pecorone by Fiorentino- Few medieval plays or stories were ‘invented.’ Most had traditional origins Did Walt Disney “write” Snow White, Cinderella, or Beauty & the Beast?

  3. 2. Who is the ‘merchant’?- The merchant is Antonio. We know because the title page refers to Shylock as someone else- Did Shakespeare make an error? Antonio isn’t central to the play

  4. 3. What is the play basically about?- 16th century Europe is a time of transition between a medieval economy based on customary obligations and a modern one based on capitalism and contracts - Shakespeare the businessman- Is everyone in the play trapped by money? What does it say about marriage that Portia is essentially a “venture” requiring investment?

  5. 4. How is it a comedy?- It has a happy ending - People choose their spouses- The women are in charge (Portia)- It’s set in a faraway fantasy place- They’re Italians! No one expects them to keep their promises! Lead jokes (III.ii.64); Gobbo’s pranks and jokes (III.v); Gratiano (III.ii.220); the doctor “Sleeping” with Portia (V.i)

  6. 5. What are the rings about?- The women’s dominance of men- The men are full of promises that have no value?- Are the rings valuable for the gold or for their symbolism?- Sexual double meanings: keeping Nerissa’s “ring” safe (V.i.315) Remember that the “women” in the play were male actors playing women.

  7. ANTONIO: Commend me to your honorable wife:Tell her the process of Antonio's end, Say how I loved you, speak me fair in death;And, when the tale is told, bid her be judgeWhether Bassanio had not once a love.BASSANIO: But life itself, my wife, and all the worldAre not with me esteemed above thy life; I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them allHere to this devil, to deliver you. (IV,i) 6. Are Antonio and Bassanio homosexual?- In the ancient world, friendship is higher than romantic love- Medieval expressions of male emotion were more acceptable, especially in southern Europe- The medieval ‘spectrum’ of sexuality Bassanio would sacrifice his wife for Antonio’s life (IV.i.273)

  8. 7. Jessica’s betrayal of her father seems unbelievable.- She’s a Jew, and she’s an Italian, not an English Christian; the normal social rules don’t apply- It’s a comedy, even if it’s a dark one Is Jessica justified in what she does?

  9. 8. Why is Shylock treated so badly? (the problem of the play)Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs,dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed withthe same food, hurt with the same weapons, subjectto the same diseases, healed by the same means,warmed and cooled by the same winter and summeras 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? Shylock’s speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th7euZ30wDE

  10. - Edward I expelled the Jews in 1290; they were fantasy monsters. Almost no one in the audience, including Shakespeare, probably ever met one- European guilt over the long, shameful history of Jewish treatment- Historical reasons for the Jews being moneylenders

  11. - But----?- Shylock deserves what he gets for caring only about contracts and money (and preferring Jessica dead)- He is punished by having the same rules of literaljustice imposed on him that he demands- Is Shakespeare saying that Shylock actually receives Christian mercy?- His conversion would also have been seen as undeserved grace, saving his soul Court scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSUuczZcUaU&list=PL58B14DBA51F58444

  12. - But----?- If Shylock is a jerk who deserves what he gets, isn’t the play still anti-Semitic for creating his character as a jerk who deserves what he gets?- Are the Christians in the play necessarily always better people? Does it seem like Shylock is on trial?- What is Shakespeare’s meaning in this, if so?

  13. - Shakespeare is sophisticated enough to ‘humanize’ him to make him realistic (he probably didn’t wear a mask in the play) Remember that the Al Pacino movie is probably much more sympathetic to Shylock than Shakespeare would have been.

  14. Or not. Remember that the play was probably in its time seen as a romantic comedy with maybe a hint of social edginess. Scholars still don’t agree on Shylock. Maybe this is Shakespeare’s talent: to make a character interesting enough to argue over. Questions?

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