The Merchant of Venice

Does ‘The Merchant of Venice’ only celebrate the protagonists and belittle the antagonist like in all the cliché stories? Or does one have to read between the lines?

The plot of the brilliantly written tale goes like this:

To entice Portia, a wealthy Venetian heiress, a young Venetian, Bassanio, needs a loan of three thousand. He approaches his friend Antonio, who is a merchant. Antonio is short of money because all his capital is already invested in his fleet, which is currently at sea. He goes to a Jewish money lender, Shylock, who despises Antonio (rightly so?) because of Antonio’s stereotypes and demeaning behaviour towards him.

Nonetheless, Shylock decides to give the short-term loan because of Antonio’s insistence, but, in a moment of dark humour, he makes an absurd and cruel condition if the loan isn’t repaid within three months, Shylock would carve a pound of flesh from Antonio, from any part of his body. Antonio agrees, in good humour and mockery, certain that his ships will return pretty soon.

The parallel plotline follows the tale of Portia, who has to choose a suitor for herself. In order to suffice of the terms of Portia’s father’s will, all suitors must choose from among three caskets (silver, gold and lead), one of which contains a portrait of her. If he chooses the correct portrait, he may marry Portia, but if doesn’t he must vow never to marry or court another woman. The Princes of Morocco and Arragon fail the test, to the joy of Portia, and are instantly rejected. As Bassanio prepares to travel for the test, his friend Lorenzo elopes with Shylock’s daughter, Jessica. Bassanio , the final suitor, chooses the lead casket, which contains her picture, and Portia happily agrees to marry him immediately.

Meanwhile, two of Antonio’s ships get ravaged and Antonio’s creditors are insisting him to clear his debts. Bassanio hears of Antonio’s quandary, and he dashes back to Venice, leaving Portia behind. Portia follows him, accompanied by her maid, Nerissa. They are disguised as a male lawyer and his clerk. An infuriated Shylock takes the cast to the court. When Bassanio reaches on the date for the repayment to Shylock has passed and Shylock is demanding his pound of flesh. Even when Bassanio offers a greater amount as repayment, Shylock, now aggravated by the news of elopement of his daughter, is determined on seeking revenge on Antonio. The diplomatic Duke refuses to intrude into the matter.

Portia arrives to save Antonio, in her disguise. After being given the power of judgment by the Duke, Portia states wittily that the agreement was only about a pound of flesh and hence he cannot shed  a single drop of blood from Antonio’s body as it is against the law to shed a Christian’s blood. Since it is evident that to carve a pound of flesh would kill Antonio, Shylock is denied his suit. Moreover, for conspiring to murder a Venetian citizen, Portia orders that he should forfeit all his wealth. Half is to go to Venice, and half to Antonio.

Antonio gives his half back to Shylock on the condition that Shylock bestows it to his disowned daughter, Jessica.  His terms also specify that, Shylock must also convert to Christianity. A broken Shylock accepts. News arrives that Antonio’s remaining ships have returned safely. With the exception of Shylock, all celebrate a happy ending to the entire episode.

Yet one theme which has been argued over since time immemorial is the disposition of Shylock, the Jew.

The Merchant of Venice, one of the most popular plays of the William Shakespeare portrays Shylock as an antagonist. His evil disposition is highlighted throughout the classic. However, he is presented as a tragic character, representing the persecution of Jews in Elizabethan times. His character highlights how deprivation and oppression carves a deep impact on a person.

During the Victorian times, the Jews in Venice faced deprivation of rights. Along with that, they were treated with mockery, disgust and were merely ‘tolerated’ in Venice for their wealth. They were landless and subjected to confinement.  The Jews earned a living by usury and made great profits out of it as well. They were stereotyped and often insulted by the Christians and seen to hold a lower section in the society.

Shylock’s character highlights how vengeful a person tends to become because of being discriminated. He tries to seek revenge on Antonio, who spat on him and called him a dog because of his business. Shylock’s anguish for Antonio is clearly expressed in the monologue. This reflects how Antonio’s stereotypical and inhumane treatment affected him and created dark shades in his character.

Although, Shylock’s prime character trait shows him as nefarious, he is presented as a tragic character that represents the persecution and pitiful condition of the Jews in Elizabethan times.

This widely famous monologue portrays Shylock’s anguish regarding his treatment by Antonio. Him pointing out the specific disrespectful acts of Antonio which caused him embarrassment display his aversion. He was treated with mockery and seen to be inferior and his living means, that is usury, was seen as ‘unholy’ in Christian eyes.

The monologue:

“To bait fish withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me and hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies—and what’s his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as 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? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me I will execute—and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.”

Not only stereotypes, the end of the story also shows how Shylock is forcefully made to convert to Christianity, clearly putting light on the idea of religious chauvinism and superiority. Hence, it really is a matter of subjective interpretation to say who really the ‘villain’ in this tale was.