THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

Shakespeare’s Shylock – Sinner or Sinned

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W

hat ideas can you deduce about the genre of the play and

why?

W

hat do you think the main themes explored in the play might

be and why?

COMFY COMEDY FIT?

To be classed as Comedy it must have:

Light, humorous tone.

Clever dialogue/ witty banter.

Deception and disguise.

Mistaken identity.

Love overcomes obstacles.

Family drama.

Multiple twists and turns.

Reunification of family.

Marriage.

All the world’s a stage,

And all the man and women are merely

players;

They all have their exits and their

entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages.

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, heal'd by the same means,

warm'd and cool'd 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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_5adzpdkdw

THE GLOBE THEATRE

CONTEXT

T

he Merchant of Venice was probably written in either 1596 or 1597, after

Shakespeare had written such plays as Romeo and Juliet and Richard III, but before

he penned the great tragedies of his later years.

I

ts basic plot outline, with the characters of the merchant, the poor suitor, the fair

lady, and the villainous Jew, is found in a number of contemporary Italian story

collections, and Shakespeare borrowed several details, such the choice of caskets

that Portia inflicts on all her suitors, from preexisting sources.

T

he Merchant of Venice’s Italian setting and marriage plot are typical of Shakespeare’s

earlier comedies, but the characters of Portia, Shakespeare’s first great heroine, and

the unforgettable villain Shylock elevate this play to a new level.

SETTING - VENICE, USUALLY IN THE MEAN STREETS;

V

enice is an exciting, cosmopolitan setting for the play because it's a hotspot for trade.

While Jews had been legally banned from England since 1290, Venice had laws in place

to protect non-Venetian traders who supported the city's economic well-being. When the

Jewish moneylender Shylock seeks his bond, for example, Antonio admits:

T

he Duke cannot deny the course of law. For the commodity that strangers have With us

in Venice, if it be denied, Will much impeach the justice of his state; Since that the trade

and profit of the city Consisteth of all nations (3.3.4)

I

n other words, the Duke can't make an exception for Antonio by denying Shylock his

rights; it would have a negative affect on the city's livelihood.

BUT

R

eligious strife was rife in Venice and although 16th century Venice was more tolerant of

foreigners than Elizabethan England, Jews in Venice were confined to ghettos at the time

Shakespeare wrote The Merchant of Venice.

BELMONT, AT PORTIA'S PAD

B

elmont is presented as a contrast to the city. It's also a

place of easy wealth, beauty, and peace, which makes it a

great refuge from the cosmopolitan world of Venice.

Actually, Belmont's a lot like the forest of Arden in As You

Like It.

B

elmont is a kind of fairy-tale version of real life. Real life

is gritty, more like Venice.

JEWS IN A CHRISTIAN SOCIETY

Jewish people were not protected by the law

Jews were considered ‘second class citizens’ in Venice when

Shakespeare wrote the play. Below are some of the laws they had to

obey:

Laws concerning Jews

All Jews must wear distinctive clothing to identify themselves.

Citizens of Venice could treat Jews in any way they wished, but

Jews were not allowed to retaliate in any way.

Jews were not to be involved in the following trades: the military,

government, guilds.

JEWISH PEOPLE WERE ASSOCIATED WITH LENDING MONEY

O

ne of the few ways Jews were allowed

to earn a living was to lend money.

This was called Usury which allowed

the lender to charge interest.

Christians (as represented by Antonio

in the play) thought this was wicked.

It was illegal for Christians to lend

money and ask for interest. Despite

this, Antonio is willing to borrow

money from Shylock.

JEWS WERE VICTIMS OF PREJUDICE

C

hristianity was the main religion in Europe at the

time of Shakespeare and as a result a very powerful

force. People feared and hated the Jews and did all

they could to convert them to Christianity.

MEETING SHYLOCK

•A

ct I iii is the first time that we are introduced to Shylock. It is therefore important that we think of

him as a character and explore the way that Bassanio and Antonio interact with him.

•T

his will give us clues as to how Shakespeare wanted us to see him.

Task: In groups

annotate this first meeting, using the ‘nofear Shakespeare’ helpsheets if required.

D

uring the first meeting of Antonio and Shylock we can

deduce the mood and tone of the relationship between the

two men.

SHYLOCK AND ANTONIO

In

groups highlight words associate with:

•P

rejudice

•R

eligion

•E

ating/ fattening up

•F

lesh/meat

•M

oney

•B

orrowing/lending

•H

atred

•P

hysical abuse

W

hat is the basis of their dislike/hatred of one

another?

W

hat story outlines the fundamental difference in the

way that they view things? In what way?

N

ow write a paragraph about the first

meeting of Shylock and Antonio beginning

‘When we are first introduced to the

characters of Antonio and Shylock we can

see that…’

IMPORTANT PLOT MOMENTS IN ACT 1

 What are the most important aspects on Act I?

•Antonio’s wealth is tied up in his ships sailing for Venice.(Act 1 scene i)

•Bassanio has met and fallen in love with a rich heiress. (Act 1

scene i)

•Antonio agrees to borrow money to lend to Bassanio to court her.(Act 1

scene i)

•Portia’s father has died leaving her a fortune but at a price.(Act 1

scene ii)

•Antonio borrows money from Shylock. The bond is a pound of flesh.

(Act 1 scene iii)

1.I

n Act II who resolves to leave Shylock?

2.W

hy do they make this decision . Give evidence from Act IIii lines

5 onwards and Act IIiii.

3.W

hat do they both struggle with? Give evidence to support what

you say.

4.W

hat does this suggest about their feelings about Shylock and

their actions towards him?

B

oth characters struggle with their conscience.

C

onscience is the thing that allows us to experinece GUILT.

I

f they have to grapple so much with their conscience in regards to

leaving can Shylock be that bad?

A

re they justified in having such a negative opinuion of him?

ACT II

J

essica elopes with Lorenzo, stealing all Shylock’s treasures.

(

Act 2 scene v/vi)

S

alerio and Solanio discuss Shylock’s reaction to Jessica’s elopement

(

Act 2 scene viii)

SHYLOCK’S REACTION “As the

dog Jew did utter in the streets:

‘My

daughter! Oh my ducats! Oh my daughter!

Fled with

a Christian! Oh my Christian ducats!

Justice!

The law! My ducats and my daughter!

A sealed

bag, two sealed bags of ducats,

Of double

ducats, stol’n from me by my daughter! “

(Act

II.8)

1.W

hat do these lines suggest about Shylock’s reaction to Jessica’s betrayal ?

2.W

hat reaction do they evoke from the audience in response to Shylock?

3.W

hat is significant about the sentence structure used in these lines? Pick

out at least two examples and discuss.

4.W

hy do you think that Shakespeare chooses to have Solanio speak these

lines and not Shylock?

5.W

hat is significant about the language used by Salanio? Does this support

or refute your ideas about Shylock?

ACT IIIS

hylock shows his despair at Jessica’s betrayal.

(Act 3

scene i)

T

ubal tells Shylock of Antonio’s loss of merchant ships.

(Act 3

scene i)

S

hylock visits Antonio in Jail

(Act 3

scene iii)

HATH A JEW?...1.W

hat does the audience feel for Shylock at the beginning of his monologue?

2.W

hat idea do we get about his character based on the delivery and composition of

these lines and what is he trying to convince the Venetian community of?

3.W

hat changes our feelings for Shylock and in what way does he undermine

himself?

Individual Task: Write a paragraph describing the importance of this monologue in the way

that we view the character of Shylock.

ACT III31.H

ow would you describe Shylock’s rhetoric in Act IIIiii?

2.W

hat is suggested about the Law?

3.W

hat do the characters in the play recognise about the Law?

4.H

ow do we feel about Shylock after listening to these lines?

5.W

hat does Portia become in this Act?

6.H

ow does she fit in with the conventions of the comedy genre?

THE TRIAL SCENE This is a pivotal scene in the play. You will be given selected lines to discuss/ annotate in

your groups. Think about:

1.W

hat the character is saying (in bullet points)

2.T

he way in which they are delivering their lines (what techniques are

used? What are they trying to appeal to in the other character? Etc)

3.W

hat means are they using to justify their argument?

4.W

hat opinion do we have of them at the end of these lines?

ACT IV – THE TRIAL

This is one of the most gripping scenes in all of Shakespeare. The

arrangement of the court is central to this scene.

How are we to react to Shylock’s speech about Venetian hypocrisy: that they keep among them "many a purchased

slave" (4.1.90) but would never consider giving them their freedom or marrying them to their children?

D

oes Shylock really intend to cut a pound of Antonio’s flesh from the outset of this scene, or does he merely intend to

terrify him?

Is Portia’s line—"Which is the merchant and which the Jew"—supposed to be funny? What is her intention in asking this?

7

. At what point does Portia figure out how to defeat Shylock? Has she known what she is going to do all along?

8

. How is a modern Portia to avoid the problem of the "Quality of mercy" speech sounding like a sermon she has memorized? Should

h

er lines be addressed to Shylock or to the court?

9

. Should Shylock pause before responding to Portia’s call for mercy? Some Shylocks have responded instantaneously; others, like

Henry

G

oodman in the 1999 production at the National Theatre in London, let half a minute elapse before responding. Is Shylock at all

p

ersuaded by Portia’s words?

1

0. Though defeated by the law, is Shylock still tempted to kill Antonio? Should he, as in some productions, have to be restrained

f

rom doing so?

1

1. How are we to respond to Shylock being convicted as an "alien" threatening a citizen’s life, but punished as a Jew, being forced to

convert?

1

2. How sincere are Shylock’s words agreeing to convert: "I am content"? Is this resolution merciful? Does anyone in the court express

s

ympathy for Shylock? Does he deserve sympathy?

1

3. What is on Shylock’s mind as he exits?

1

4. In the late nineteenth century, Edwin Booth chose to end the play with Shylock’s exit. What is gained or lost by doing so?

VILLAIN 1.a

character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot

2.t

he person or thing responsible for specified problems, harm, or damage

O

xford English Dictionary

1.W

icked or evil person

C

ollins English Dictionary

THE TRIAL SCENE 1.H

ow is Shylock portrayed in this Act when he refuses Portia’s numerous appeals for him to extend

mercy to Antonio?

2.H

ow do we feel about Portia, when she uses Venetian law to save Antonio and when she asks

Shylock to beg for mercy at the feet of the Duke?

In this scene the Duke states “That thou shalt see the difference of our spirit, I pardon

thy life before thou ask it”

3.W

hat theme does this highlight and what is being said about it?

4.S

o are the Venetian exposed as kind, forgiving Christians that epitomise both of these qualities?

5.I

s Portia just as guilty as ruthlessly pursuing the law to her own vicious ends in order to annihilate

another human being? Did she need to go so far?

6.I

s Shylock just the villain that Shakespeare dismisses in order to achieve his ‘happy ending?’

7.H

ow do you think the audience response to Shylock would differ between an Elizabethan audience

and one of today? How do you feel about Shylock at the end of this Act?

Before issuing Shylock’s punishment, the duke assures him that he

will “see the difference of our spirit,” but the spirit of the Venetians

proves to be as vindictive as the Jew’s (IV.i.363). The duke spares

Shylock’s life, but takes away his ability to practice his profession

and his religion. In the course of the play, Shylock has lost his

servant, his daughter, his fortune, and a treasured ring given to him

by his dead wife. He will forfeit his estate to the man responsible

for stealing his daughter, and he will abandon his religion for one

that forbids him from practicing the trade by which he earns his

livelihood. Modern audiences cannot help but view Shylock as a

victim. He has become a tragic figure in a comedy that has no place

for a character so complex.

Now that you have read the play…

D

o you feel any sympathy for Shylock at the start of the play?

D

o you feel his anger towards Antonio is justified, albeit acting on this anger is deeply flawed?

D

o you feel that it is the loss of his daughter or his money that most disturbs him? Consider his reaction to the tale of

Leah’s ring supposedly being exchanged for a monkey.

D

o you feel he is as much an old man as he is a Jewish moneylender? Old men seeking to lock up their daughters were

a very common comic stereotype in Shakespeare's age.

D

o you feel any sympathy for Shylock forced to dine among the Christians while we know his house is being robbed -

or do we just hope Jessica can get away?

D

o you feel any sympathy for Shylock when he is finally condemned and forced to convert to Christianity and hand

over half of his wealth to the Venetian state?

D

o you feel that Shylock's enemies are morally superior or better people than him? Would they be found wanting if

judged by Portia?

ESSAY QUESTION

“

Shylock is more than just a one dimensional villain”

D

o you agree or disagree with this statement?

W

as Shylock Shakespeare’s outcry against anti-Semitism or

an example to highlight the mindset of the times?