The theme of obedience in ôThe Merchant of Veniceö is somewhat complex and a bit tinged with irony. For the most part, the context of obedience throughout the play is obedience to oneÆs word, or keeping promises. However, in many cases it is clear that the characters are keeping their word under constraint or out of compliance rather than from a willing desire to obey. Portia, for example, obeys her dead fatherÆs command with regard to inviting her suitors to choose the correct one of three caskets and agreeing to marry the one who chooses correctly. However, she dislikes all of her suitors and is secretly hoping that Bassiano will choose the correct casket. For his part, Bassiano wants to be obedient to his promise to pay his debt to Antonio, but this does not stop him from borrowing more money from him before he can repay the first loan. Aragon complains that he has given an oath to do three things(never to tell anyone which casket he chose, never to court a maid for marriage if he picks the wrong one, and to leave if he chooses wrongly. These are examples of characters who are chafing under the collar of obedience. They feel compelled to obey something that they do not really believe in or want to honor. This compliance, although it can be considered obedience, differs from sincere obedience in that the underlying conviction is not there. It is obedience under constraint, or obedience because there is little choice but to obey.
Another side to the obedience theme is what it represents in the play. Obedience is subtly intertwined with religious connotations that give it a double meaning in many places in the text. Most of the characters are Christian, but Shylock, a usurer, is a Jew. The paradox here is that the Christians(who should be honoring their word as a testimony to their faith(seek to wiggle out of their commitments, whereas Shylock(who ostensibly has no such scruples(attempts to adhere to the letter of th...