The Merchant of Venice - how does the use of language style and structure contribute to the play's success?

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The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare was written between 1594-1596.It is classified as a comedy; it is also a work of good triumphs over evil, but serious themes are examined and some issues remain unresolved.

In the play Shakespeare has woven together plots from different books. Shakespeare gets the bond story and the story of the ring from an Italian novella, LL Pecorone, in a collection put together by Sir Geovanni and published in 1558. The story of the bond occurs in several sources including the Gesta Romanorum.

In the modern post- Holocaust 20th century, the problem of Anti-Semitism had been shown; Shakespeare described Shylock as a stereotypical character of a cruel, money-obsessed Jew. The play makes generalisation about Jewish people being the same and using Shylock as a representative.

The play revolves around two people; Shylock who is a vengeful, greedy money lender and a Jew, in contrast with Antonio, a generous, faithful Venetian merchant who is a Christian. There are two plots, the pound of flesh trial between Shylock and Antonio and the three-casket test involving Bassanio and Portia.

Antonio is the character who is involved in the trial scene against Shylock. He is shown as being a good and faithful person (Christian) as shown when the Duke shows his sympathy towards him at the beginning of the trial “I am sorry for thee”. He is a person who would do anything for his friend. In this case Bassanio. Shylock is a Jew vengeing for Antonio’s flesh. At the beginning of the trial scene Shakespeare shows the Elizabethan audience’s the hatred for Jews in Venice, as the Duke addresses Shlyock as “ A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch”. This quotation clearly expresses the bigoted view of all Christians in the past days.

Shylock is the highlighted character here who is judged because he is a Jew.  He is often addressed as “the Jew” or “Jew” by Belthazar (Portia in disguise). He is given many chances to withhold the bond but due to his blatant hatred for Antonio and Christians and the knowledge of the law, he refuses “I would have my bond”.  He is also a character, who shows love for his daughter Jessica, who then runs away with Lorenzo (a Christian) with the wealth that belongs to Shylock, so he disowns her.

 

In the trial scene the Duke confronts him with the question “ How shalt hope for mercy ren’ring none?” Shylock’s answer to this is, how the Venetian seem to treat their slaves degradingly as if some piece of worthless property, so he has the right to his bond. His stubbornness due to the lack of mercy builds up the audience’s hatred for him. Even when Portia gives him one more chance to give mercy, he refuses. Here          “ the quality of mercy” speech is said.

Portia is not only beautiful as well as intelligent but she is also a clever conniving woman. She is the wife of Bassanio (Antonio’s friend) who she dearly loves. She is disguised as a lawyer (Belthazar). In this lawyer role, Portia examines Shylock and Antonio .She too tries to persuade Shylock to drop the charge, reciting the most vital speech begins as “ the quality of mercy is not strained”. However Shylock again rejects mercy as an attribute from God. Portia then unveils a solution, Shylock can have one pound of flesh but no blood should be shed, she then points out how Shylock is a non-citizen of Venice and is threatening the life of a Venetian committing a major crime. Here Portia is almost hypocritical because she herself does not show mercy to Shylock.

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Bassanio is Antonio’s friend. Their love for each other is strictly friend ship. Bassanio is the character who borrows money from Antonio and agrees to the bond for him. But at the end he is prepared to die for Antonio “ the Jew shall have my flesh, bones and all” His love for Portia is great as he goes to Belmont and wins her hand in marriage through the casket test.

Before the trial scene begins, the previous scene Act 3 Scene 5, all the topics have been sorted out to clear the pathway for the trial, for example ...

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