The last relationship is that of Shylock and Jessica. In the play, Shylock agonizes over the loss of his ducats and is reported to running through streets crying, “O, my ducats! O, my daughter”. The words he used clearly show that he values his money at least as much as his daughter.
All the above relationships depict the importance of money over love, and illustrates the moral significance of how love is not before money, rather, only after the value of money, is the love valued. This proves that the love of money results in lost of values in a society.
Also, in Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare employed the various characters’ use of money (their actions) to reflect and portray their personality.
With Shylock, he is the play’s antagonist, is mean and greedy, and will neither render money nor mercy freely. Most of his personality is reflected with his reaction to money. He is extremely money minded which can be seen with him being more interested in ducats than his daughter, and his regards to the accumulation of money as the most important thing of life. His profession of usury, as well, portrays his preoccupation with making money “breed” fast for its own sake.
Other than his greediness, we can see how Shakespeare portrays him as a balanced character, when told that Jessica has stolen it and traded it for a monkey, Shylock very poignantly laments its loss: ”I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys.” Here, he seems more hurt by the fact that his daughter sold a ring that was given to him by his dead wife before they were married than he is by the loss of the ring's monetary value. This reaction of his allows us to see Shylock in an uncharacteristically vulnerable position, and to view him as a human being capable of feeling something more than anger.
Another time when Shylock chose something else before money, is that of when he rather have the pound of flesh from Antonio, than money, this insistence of his shows that his resentment is more than his greed.
Whereas, Antonio, Bassanio and Portia all are of generous nature, and are recognized by the audience as the protagonists. This can been seen in their use of money to liberate and ennoble, and instead of an interest in producing money, they take interest in creating happiness.
As money reflects the personality of the different characters, it can be seen that money, itself, is not an evil. It is, rather, the unwholesome love of money which stultifies and corrupts, what is important is the way in which characters regard and use money in the play.
On the surface, it might seem that the main difference between the Jew character (Shylock) and the Christian characters is that, Jews will choose money over everything else but Christians will choose human relationships over business matters, or so the Christian characters think.
The Christian characters discriminate against the Jews, for the former claims that Jews are only interested in money. This can be seen when Antonio rated Shylock, ”about my moneys and my usances”, but the Christian characters do too place importance on money, especially since, in this case, Antonio and Bassanio both go to Shylock to borrow three hundred ducats. If, the Christian characters do not care about money, there will never be the need for them to borrow.
Thus, it can be said that money is the only “common” ground between the Jews and the Christians. Even if, some place more importance on money than others.
At the same time, we must recognize that money is necessary and can bring security and contentment. This can be seen of Bassanio’s winning of his “golden fleece” in Portia and Jessica gliding herself with Shylock’s ducats reminding us that even if money cannot buy love, it can bring happiness to lovers.
