The Merchant of Venice
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In the Merchant of Venice, we see a truly anti-Semitic play by Shakespeare. However, we also see a tale of money (greed and generosity), love (heterosexual and homosexual), and emotion (joy and sadness). Th play revolves around Bassanio’s love for Portia. Bassanio needs money to play the suitor to Portia in “style”. His friend who loves him, Antonio, agrees to give him the money, but, because all of his money is invested in his merchant ships he must take a loan from the greedy Jew Shylock. Shylock loans him the money in exchange for a pound of his flesh if he does not pay the loan back on time. Bassanio wins Portia’s hand, but, before they are joined together, Portia will disguise herself in order to win the freedom of Antonio when his ships meet with ruin and he cannot repay Shylock. Shylock ends up losing half his wealth and must convert before Portia is through with him. Antonio is a fascinating character study when it comes to psychology because he is such a sad but noble character. He is world-weary and life’s material things do not bring him joy. He is also confused about his sadness. As he says in the opening speech of the play, “In sooth, I know not why I an so sad:/It wearies me; you say it wearies you;/But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,/What stuff ‘tis made of, whereof it is born, I am to learn;/And such a want-wit sadness makes of me/That I have much ado to know myself” (Shakespeare 203).
. . .
han is her custom: it is still her use
To let the wretched man out-live his wealth,
To view with hollow eyes and wrinkled brow
An age of poverty; from which lingering penance
Of such misery doth she cut me off.
Commend me to your honorable wife:
Tell her the process of Antonio’s end;
Say how I lov’d you; speak me fair in death;
And, when the tale is told, bid her be judge
Whether Bassanio had not once a love.
(Shakespeare 223)
Bassanio does not want his dear friend to have to make such a sacrifice as Shylock demands on his behalf. He tries to talk Antonio out of going ahead with the contract. He even goes so far as to suggest that he would sacrifice his wife and all the world if that is what were needed to spare Antonio’s life. However, Antonio knows that his friend does not understand the real nature of marriage and of women. He responds to Bassanio’s offer to sacrifice everything it takes to help him be delivered with, “Your wife would give you little thanks for that;/If she were by to hear you make the offer” (Shakespeare 223). Antonio is almost suicidal over his unrequited love for Bassanio. He explains to Bassanio that if he were truly fortunate, the cuts made by Shylock would be deep enough so that he
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Mark Bassanio/Th, Jews Antonios, Portia Antonio, Bassanio Antonio, Bassanio Jew, Jew Shakespeare, Shylock Shylock, Merchant Venice, Portia Bassanio, Antonio Shakespeare, love bassanio, merchant venice, antonios depression caused, world appearances, shakespeare 206, depression caused, existential dilemma, meaning significance, clinically depressed, antonios depression, deeper meaning, unrequited love bassanio,
Approximate Word count = 1625
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)
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