King Lear claims to be a man 'more sinned against than sinning' and in 'The Merchant of Venice' we meet Shylock the Jewish money lender who fits that description perfectly.
The decadent adventurer, Bassanio, has lost the money his friend, Antonio has lent him and has the cheek to borrow more. Antonio is forced to borrow off Shylock in order to make the loan. The condition Shylock stipulates is a pound of flesh should the loan not be repaid when agreed. It's an odd choice but the Christians are pretty nasty to him so he is very bitter.
Off Bassanio goes in search of a rich wife again and does very well.
He meets Portia who is loaded and all he has to do is pass a guess-the-casket test to win her heart. She fancies him so she cheats the test with a poem in which all the rhymes end in 'ed' and therefore point him to the lead casket.
Bassanio and Antonio pair up with Portia and her servant, Nerissa.
Dressed as a lawyer and clerk, the two ladies con the court and defend Antonio by offering Shylock the famous opportunity to be merciful.
He wants to know what can compell him to be so and Portia says, 'Mercy is not strain'd. It droppeth as the gentle rain from Heaven.'. When he demands the exact letter of the law, Portia interprets the law in such a way that he is allowed his pound of flesh but any blood would constitute murder. If he is trying to murder a Christian then his goods are forfeit...
There is some humour concerning broken promises about never taking off rings when the fake lawyer and clerk obtain them as payment for their legal services and then pretend to be upset when they are in their normal roles as wives.
So this is a comedy. It's light and fluffy with a bit of much deserved payback for the villain.
Or is it?
Shlocks own daughter, Jessica, runs off with a Christian. She likes them. She's happy to buy a monkey with a ring given to him by his late wite despite its senimental value and the ties of familty that it symbolises.
The Christians spurn him in the street but they don't mind his money. He is hated for being a Jew. That's interesting when you look at the history of oppression of Jews in WWII and how they face suicide bomb attacks even today.
Is Shylock the villain? He is certainly intending to kill Antonio with a knife so it looks like he must be.
But what do we call men who chase women to make their fortunes?
What do we call people who impersonate legal officials and then ruin the lives of someone trusting to the court system?
How do we feel about someone who would promise never to remove a ring given to mark great love who then does remove it?
If Shylock is bitter and twisted - to what extent has his treatment at the hands of Venetian's smug, Christian society led him to become that way?
This, then, is the gist of the story and a pointer toward the murky waters beneath the comfortable surface of these superficial Christians.
I found this play enjoyable once I saw it in terms of Lear's famous notion of, 'a man more sinned against than sinning.'
Shakespeare didn't do things superficially. WIth such a genius a play doesn't have to be Hamlet, Lear, Macbeth or Othello to have plenty of meat on the bone.
I'd recommend this play as there can be no finer example of beautifully crafted literature in the English language than his work.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: A light enjoyable read if you have low expectations Disadvantages: You will find it hard to become attached to the very dull and weak characters.
Advantages: great characters, interesting plot, a story that invites your interpretation Disadvantages: none, although one may struggle with language initially
Advantages: A light enjoyable read if you have low expectations Disadvantages: You will find it hard to become attached to the very dull and weak characters.
very helpful by (25%):
helpful by (75%):
