The

Merchant of
Veni
ce
Book Review by
Saurabh
Mishra
 About the Playwright
William Shakespeare, regarded as world’s greatest actor and finest writer in
English, was a playwright, actor and a poet by profession. His works include
about thirty nine plays, one hundred and fifty four sonnets, two long narrative
poems and a few other verses. He produced most of his known works
between 1589 and 1613 which included Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello,
King Lear and Lady Macbeth.
Shakespeare was born in April, 1564 to father John Shakespeare and mother
Mary Arden. He had married Anne Hathaway and the age of eighteen and had
three children. The writer was born in Stratford-upon-Avon and had come to
London to fulfill his dream of becoming a playwright. Shakespeare had not
gained any education in writing and therefore was often hated and accused by
university-educated writers known as University Wits. Initially he had started
working with a group of players called the Lord Chamberlain's Men. Though,
later in 1599, he moved and established his own theatre known as The Globe,
on the southern bank of Thames.
Shakespeare is said to have retired from plays in 1613. He died in April, 1616
at his birth place and is buried there.
 Synopsis
The Merchant of Venice is a play about merchant Antonio, his friend
Bassanio, heiress of Belmont Portia and a Jewish moneylender Shylock.
The play is divided into five acts.
The play begins with Bassanio asking for financial help from Antonio
because he wants to go to the court of Portia as a suitor. Antonio doesn’t
have any money as all his ships are abroad with his fortune and would not
return any soon. But being a true friend, he tells Bassanio to use his credits
and take a loan which he would repay as soon his goods return. Shylock, a
Jewish moneylender, enters the scene as he is asked by Bassanio to provide
a loan of three thousand ducats for three months. Here Shylock recalls a past
insult from Antonio and demands that instead of interest on the loan, he
would take one pound of Antonio’s flesh if the loan is not repaid in time.
In Belmont, the heiress’s court has begun and suitors from all the Europe
come to win her. But according to will of Portia’s father, only the man who
could solve the riddle set by him would be allowed to marry Portia. The
riddle involves three caskets made of gold, silver and lead and the suitor has
to choose the correct one which contains Portia’s portrait. All the learnt
princes who come are not able to identify the correct chest, choosing the
gold or silver which gives them the lesson of all that glitters is not gold. But
 Synopsis (continued)
On the other side, in Venice, Shylock’s daughter Jessica runs away with Lorenzo, a friend of Antonio and
Bassanio, with all her father’s money while he is gone for a dinner with Antonio.
Upon hearing about his daughter and money, Shylock is full with rage and is itching to take revenge and
cool his temper. He goes to the duke of Italy and asks him to help in getting his money from Antonio. But
Antonio’s none of the ships have arrived yet and he is not in a position of repaying the loan (even if he
would have had the money, Shylock was in no mood to take it and spare him). Therefore, he is presented
in court of the Duke for Shylock to take his forfeit.
In Belmont, when Bassanio hears about the fate his friend has met, he instantly plans to go back to
Venice. Portia gives him a large amount of money to get his friend freed and makes a different plan for
herself. Bassanio reaches Venice and is ready to give thrice the amount of loan to get his friend released.
Duke also asks Shylock to be merciful and forgive Antonio. But Shylock only wants his forfeiture.
There enters Portia disguised as a lawyer and Nerissa as her clerk. They allow Shylock to take a pound of
flesh from Antonio’s body, but ask him not to shed a drop of his blood as it is not written in the bond.
Here Shylock is trapped and agrees to forgive Antonio. But Portia doesn’t leave it here and accuses
Shylock for attempt to murder. Hence, half of the Shylock’s property is given to the state and other half is
gifted to his daughter Jessica.
The play ends with a comedic scene where disguised Portia asks Bassanio’s wedding ring as her gift.
Later when the meet in Belmont, she criticizes him for not respecting her and her love. Antonio’s ships
 Themes Mercy and Justice
Mercy and justice are also an important part of this play. It is
shown how everyone wanted Shylock to forgive Antonio and
Friendship take thrice of his loan amount. Everyone’s first opinion was to
The main plot of Merchant of Venice is friendship. It features forgive Antonio as he was not at fault here.
how Antonio is willing to help his friend even when he himself The play also shows that justice always comes to the rightful in
doesn’t have resources. Later when he is not able to repay the the end and the greedy has to pay for his deeds.
loan he is ready to die for his friend’s sake.
When Bassanio hears about his friend while marrying Portia, he
leaves his wife to help his friend. He is ready to give thrice the
amount of loan to get his friend released.
The friendship of Lorenzo ,Gratiano and other companions is Gender inequality
also evident as they help Lorenzo in taking Jessica away.
It can we seen that women are not allowed to be an active part of
the society in the play. The are expected to follow the males and
be obedient housewives.
Here, Portia was not allowed to choose her husband and was tied
Discrimination to her father’s will for her life partner. She had to disguise
The play also tells about the racism followed in the sixteenth herself as a male lawyer when she wanted to help Antonio and
century Europe. It is clearly evident that half of the Shylock’s her husband.
crime was that he was a Jew and did not like Christians. In the Similarly, Jessica had to follow her father even when she knew
end, Antonio asks him to convert into Christianity and lead a that he was not a good human. She was partially free only when
new life. she ran away with Lorenzo.
It can be seen that Christianity was treated higher than Jewish in
Favourite Character
Portia
Portia was the best character in the play according to me. She was smart and
beautiful. She was an obedient daughter as she followed her father’s will even when
it interfered in her life and she was unhappy with it. The heiress hated all the suitors
that came to win her but still treated them with respect and care. It can be thought that
she was an able ruler as she could make the actual lawyers of Antonio let her go
using her powers. Portia was also an ideal wife. She accepted Bassanio as her
husband as soon as he solved the riddle and treated him with all respect. She even
wanted to share her husband’s problems and worries. She instantly wanted to know
the content of the letter from Antonio when she noticed that it displeased Bassanio.
She was also very intelligent and had great presence of mind. She could think of an
instant and fool proof plan to help Antonio. It could be seen that she was a great actor
also as no one able to identify her in disguise. She was even witfully able beat
Shylock at his own game. Portia made Shylock give up all his money and property to
the state. She kindly asked Antonio to take half of his estates, though Antonio refused
and asked that to be given to Shylock’s daughter.
The heiress can be thought of playful also. She decides to test his husband and asks
Favourite Scene
Act 3 Scene 2
My Favourite scene in this play was where Bassanio reaches Belmont and solves the casket
riddle. It was the scene where Shakespeare has put all the emotions together from love to
friendship to fear. This is scene where the twist in the plot takes place. Here Bassanio
arrives at Portia’s palace as a suitor and asks to let him solve the riddle. But Portia falls in
love with Bassanio and doesn’t want him to lose and depart and thus, offers him to stay for
few days before taking it. But Bassanio beautifully explains his love to the heiress and ask
her to have faith in him. He is then allowed to take the riddle and his love wins. Portia is
overjoyed and instantly gives him the ring and is ready to go to the church.
At the same time Gratiano confesses his love for Nerissa and Nerissa also admits her
feelings. So, at the same time, both of them also exchange rings.
But at this point Salerio arrives with Antonio’s letter and passes it to Bassanio. It is shock
for Bassanio to read the letter and find out that his friend, because of which this could have
been possible, was in danger. He and Portia decide to postpone their marriage and first go to
help Antonio. Portia even gives Bassanio a large sum of money and tells him to save his
friend at whatever cost the situation requires.
Portia and
Portia
The Merchant of Venice
Julius Caesar
Both of the Shakespeare’s Portias are very well known to us but not for the same qualities. While
the Portia that we got to know in the Merchant of Venice is strong, bold and quick witted, the
Portia from the Julius Caesar is strong but submissive and intelligent but quiet. Bassanio’s Portia
was ready to take risk and could hurt others to be heard. But Brutus’ Portia was obedient, and
would hurt herself to have attention.
In the play, when Portia saw Bassanio in trouble, she instantly allowed him to go to his friend
and even gave him money to help Antonio. While in Julius Caesar, when Portia saw the trouble
coming towards Brutus, she tried to stop him and even stabbed herself to make her husband stay
back.
When the Portia of Belmont predicted that her husband would not be able to save Antonio, she
took the risk of disguising herself and went to aid him. But when the Portia of Rome suspected
that her husband would lose the war, she swallowed fire and killed herself.
I believe that more or less, both the Portias are the same. The Portia in the Merchant of Venice
was the heiress of Belmont and she had to follow her father’s will and marry a man whom she
might not love. The Portia in the Julius Caesar was the daughter of a noble statesman Cato and
wife of state general Brutus, but was not trusted and ignored by her husband. Hence both of them
were victims of male domination. Portia of Belmont had to disguise herself to help her husband
Thank You