The Merchant of Venice (TMOV) Money & Deals _______________________________ Aldric Bek (01)

1. The Merchant of Venice (TMOV) Money & Deals _______________________________ Aldric Bek (01) Lee Choon Kiat (05) Loh Zheng Yi (09) Keloysius Mak (11) Ryan Oon (15)

2. Table of Contents • Definitions • Themes & motifs involved in TMOV that concerns money and deals • Money • Value & worth • Deals • Worth of a man • Values of some characters to other characters

3. Definitions • Value: the importance or usefulness of something • Worth: the value of someone or something • Deal: A formal agreement or pact

4. Themes & motifs • Money • Value & worth • Deals

5. Money • Greed corrupts people • “Oh my ducats!” (exclaimed by Shylock when he finds out that Jessica had run away with his money) • Presents mercenary side of Shylock • Preoccupation with money • “He lends out money gratis and brings down/ the rate of usance here with us in Venice.” (Shylock reveals that he practised usury) • Shylock's practice of usury shows how much he is obsessed with making money • Was Bassanio’s “love” bought with money? • We can see that Bassanio valued Portia for her money, • As seen when he chooses to mention “richly left” in front of all other of Portia’s values • Or when he chooses Antonio over Portia in the ring test

6. Money • Prince of Arragon • “For who shall go about/ to cozen Fortune, and be honourable/ without the stamp of merit?” • Play on the word on “Fortune”, which could mean fate or wealth, ie. Portia's inheritance • Leads to either generosity or money-grubbing • “Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond./ Double six thousand , and then treble that,/ before a friend of this description/ shall lose a hair through Bassanio's fault.” • Portia displays generosity by offering to pay for Antonio's bond. • “Three months from twelve- then let me see the rate.” • Shows that Shylock did not want to lend out money for free

7. Value & worth • In Act II Scene I, the Prince of Morocco took his choice of the casket test, and in this, he showed just how much he valued Portia • “Being ten times undervalued to tried gold?” • Morocco values Portia to be more than gold's value • Morocco is conscious about his own social standing and does not bother with lesser items, showing that he often took things by their face value • Act III Scence I: Shylock reveals just how much he valued his daughter • “I would my daughter were/ dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear!” • Shows how much Shylock valued his daughter, compared to how much he valued his money and jewels • Act III Scene II: “I have engaged myself to a dear friend,/ engaged my friend to his mere enemy/ to feed my means.” - Bassanio • There is a motif of feeding Bassanio's friend, Antonio, to sustain his own flamboyant lifestyle • Could it mean that Bassanio considers his friend's life worthy to put on the line to continue living a flamboyant lifestyle, even if Antonio had only a slight risk of losing his life?

8. Deals • Contracts, formal agreements • In TMOV, romantic love is often brought up by Bassanio and Portia in a way that they suggest that it was contractual and had terms. • “I will ne'er come in your bed/ until I see the ring” • The ring is a motif of a deal, such that the ring is the contract of marriage and love between Bassanio and Portia • For the casket tests, Portia declared to the candidates their deals and the terms of the deals. • “If you choose wrong/ never to speak to lady afterward/ in way of marriage.”

9. Worth of a man • Is the worth of a man the • Wealth of a man? • Antonio – rich with much cargo • Social Status of a man? • Antonio – Merchant – has • Shylock – Usurer • Religion of a man? • Antonio/Bassanio – Christian • Shylock –Jew – a minority at that time. • Character of a man? • Antonio – Kind / Generous • Shylock – Evil and Cunning and Vengeful • Beliefs of a man? • Antonio – Usury should be frowned upon and Jews should be discriminated • Shylock – Usury is a profession and Christians bring down the rate of usury in Venice

10. Value of characters to other characters • Bassanio to Antonio • Bassanio to Portia • Antonio to Shylock

11. Bassanio to Antonio • Greatly valued as a friend to Antonio • “My purse, my person, my extremest means/ lie all unlocked to your occassions” • Shows that Antonio valued Bassanio so much that he would give him all the monetary aid that he needed to court Portia • “Then say to me what I should do/ that in your knowledge may by me be done,/ and I am prest unto it, therefore speak.”

12. Bassanio to Portia • Portia gives herself to Bassanio, when they first appear in Belmont • “One half of me is yours, the other half yours- / 'mine own' I would say: but if mine then yours.” • Portia is willing to travel to Venice to sacve Bassanio's friend Antonio, showing how much she valued Bassanio

13. Antonio to Shylock • Sees Antonio as a 'good man' judging by what he owns • To Shylock, Antonio was only worth three thousand ducats • “If you repay me not on such a day...let the forfeit/ be nominated for an equal pound/ of your fair flesh.” • “I crave the law,/ the penalty and forfeit of my bond.” • With just three thousand ducats, Shylock was almost able to take Antonio's life

14. The End Thank You