The staging in Elizabethan times is that Shylock would be on the left (the devil’s side).Antonio and his friends are on the right (on the good side). In the film version, Shylock is in the middle surrounded by Antonio and his friends. Shylock is isolated in the court scene, which makes him look like the bad person.
Bassanio is Antonio’s good friend and this shown: “Bassanio produces money, here is six.” Bassanio has borrowed money from Antonio in the past and Antonio owes Shylock three thousand ducats. In the film, Bassanio opens his treasure chest of six thousand ducats. This dramatic because the reader is thinking where did Bassanio get this money from. Shylock is angry and wants everything to go his way and this is shown by: “Shylock sharpens his knife.” This is dramatic because it shows that Shylock wants to take another life. He sharpens the knife with his shoe, and this is showing the anger of Shylock and he wants this to be right for him.
Antonio is dignified and is ready for death, it is shown by Antonio telling Bassanio farewell and to tell Bassanio’s wife how he loved him. In the film version Antonio is topless, sits on the chair, and has something in his mouth so he won’t scream, when he is about to die. This is dramatic because it makes the audience feel anxious if Antonio is going to die. It is also dramatic for the audience; we see that he really means to carry out his interest.
In the court scene (Act 4 Scene 1) Portia, Bassanio’s wife is dressed up as a young doctor from Rome called Balthasar. Some Elizabethan humour young boys played women’s roles, young boy playing a woman disguised as a man. Portia appears to be treating both Antonio and Shylock equal by letting them speak at different times. When Shylock is getting ready to cut a piece of Antonio’s flesh, Portia says ‘Tarry Jew’; she has finally made her feelings clear. Portia talks about wanting to take Antonio’s life and how wrong it is and she lets the Duke make the final decision.
For the reader there is some relief of dramatic tension because we know that Portia and Nerissa are dressed up as men, it is humorous that Bassanio and Gratiano do not know them. Bassanio tells Antonio that he would give up everything (his wife, his possessions etc.) in front of Portia dressed up as Balthasar.
In the court scene (Act 4 Scene 1) Shylock is angry about what Antonio has done in the past, (spitting on him) for being a Jew, his daughter, Jessica leaving him to marry a Christian and taking a lot of Shylock’s money and jewels, and Antonio not paying back his money. In the court, Shylock is the only Jew and the rest of the people are Christians. The Duke is obviously supporting Antonio because Antonio is a Christian and the Duke is a Christian, and Shylock is a Jew. The Duke and Portia also refer Shylock throughout the court scene a ‘the Jew’, which shows that they don’t respect Shylock as much as Antonio.
Shylock also has an argument Gratiano and calls Shylock a dog, bloody, starved and ravenous. Gratiano recovers more than Bassanio to talk to Shylock because he is not as close as Bassanio is to Antonio. Shylock is strict with the law because he wants everything to be right for him and wants nothing to wrong, and he wants to stick with his bond.
Shylock loses everything at the end of the scene, even his faith; this is dramatic because when we thought that Shylock was going to kill Antonio, now it has turned to Antonio. Now Antonio is in control and he tells the Duke that Shylock should presently become a Christian. This is dramatic becomes Shylock has been a Jew all his life and know he is forced into a Christian; this is a shock to the reader.
The climax of Antonio and Shylock’s relationship is that both of them want to ruin each other’s life. Antonio is the strongest out of Shylock because he is a Christian, and in Venice Christians have the ruling power.
Essay written by Brandon. Ariathas
