As in many comedies, the conflict at the heart of Merchant has the potential to end tragically. Like other comedies, Merchant features lovers who are initially kept apart by circumstance and family interference, but who all unite in marriage before the play ends.
What is unusual, however, is the fact that the lovers overcome their obstacles and marry each other midway through the play, before the main conflict has been resolved in Act IV. In Act I Scene I, lines — , Antonio explains that if what Bassanio is doing is honourable, he will stand by him with all of his money.
By using his good name to provide Bassanio with money he also puts his own life in jeopardy as security for a loan. We see Antonio as kind, loyal and loving and have a great deal of respect for him when he does not even let his life stand in the way of helping a friend.
He cannot understand himself so how can we? However, Antonio seems to be well respected in the play. This is a misjudgement but an insight into his forgiving nature. His words makes our respect for Antonio strengthen. This is clever and we regard Antonio highly because of it. Bassanio clearly trusts Antonio. He shows this on numerous occasions during the play such as when the former asks Antonio for money.
He obviously knows he can rely on him, even though he is already in debt to him. Antonio may have given up too early, perhaps indicating that he does not have a very strong will. Shakespeare takes Antonio very close to death. This builds up the tension but makes the eventual twist of his not dying all the more satisfying. Antonio demonstrates the quality of mercy but making Shylock become a Christian may be a little harsh, even cruel.
We feel relieved when all is revealed. In conclusion, having gained an insight into his character, we feel happy for Antonio in the last scene of the play when he learns that not all his ships are wrecked.
In the last scene he is a lonely figure surrounded by happy couples. He has proved himself to be selfless and generous — a complete contrast to Shylock. On the negative side, his attitude to Jews seems to be a problem, particularly his constant insults and spitting on Shylock.
However, we see Antonio in a good light. Portia is seen from the beginning as someone with lots of qualities but also a few flaws. She is generally recognized as a character above all other people. We hold her in very high regard. Her part in this scene involves mocking her various suitors, generally stereotypically.
Our first impressions of Portia are that she is quite mischievous but witty. Like Antonio, Portia is weary. Her reasons of weariness, are to do with the caskets. She does not want to end up marrying someone she does not love through no fault of her own.
We understand her feelings of distress and sympathize with her. He seems very arrogant. She handles the situation diplomatically and we respect her for this. William Shakespeare had never written anything like this before. His characters, Shylock, Antonio, Portia, are well-recognized throughout the whole world.
The play is an exciting mixture of the classical play, geniuses Shakespearean observations, a deep understanding of the nature of the conflicts between people, and breathtaking interactions between characters. The Merchant of Venice is a popular play to see on the stage nowadays; however, the main ideas of it might confuse the modern people as they appear to be very controversial and hard-to-understand.
Still, the play requires seemingly endless analysis of some very thorny issues such as gender roles, ethnicity, segregation, the meaning of friendship, marriage, money, law, and the violence of racism. In fact, it may be a coded examination of the mutual antipathy between Catholics and Protestants in Tudor England and an appeal for greater tolerance between them.
Many critics consider the conflict between self-sacrifice and selfishness to be the main theme of the play. A young Bassanio, being in debt, decides to marry the wealthy beauty, Portia. He asks for help from his friend, the Venetian merchant Antonio. Antonio, willing to help his friend and to show great compassion, borrows money from the Jewish usurer Shylock.
Bassanio, having received the necessary amount, goes to Portia and marries her. A court session is held to resolve the issue with payment of the bill.
The central character, Antonio, expresses his willingness to die in order to prove his loyalty to Bassanio. Starting a legal battle against Antonio, Shylock, who hates Antonio, remains relentless.
But in fact, he intends to settle scores with a man whom he has long and hopelessly sympathized with. In the play, the character of Shylock is being described as a negative one as he has no compassion for others and considers money to be his highest priority in life. So, all these thoughts and actions are only around money and wealth.
Here also the problem of greed overpowering compassion is touched. Shylock is only interested in his material gain, ignoring the value of human relationships.
Shylock suffers from losing money too much, running through the streets, bemoaning them. The authors of the play portrait Shylock as a live human being that has his flaws and his greedy motives. Shylock was persued by Portia into claiming his crime. Still, Antonio lossened his punishment but it was still too much for such a crime.
He deserved much less punishment than he got. Expert Answers Portia disguises herself as a man because only men could act as lawyers. As a woman, in any case, her words would not be taken seriously. The disguised Portia manages to defeat Shylock because she is intelligent and can reason well. I am not well. What does Bassanio offer the young law clerk who saves Antonio? In the Merchant of Venice, Lorenzo is fully in love with Jessica and not for just her money.
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