Early modern English writers carefully introduced the growing influence of economic activities on society into their writings through the vehicle of romance. They utilized love stories as a mask to camouflage the underlying control wealth had on these relationships. Subsequently, this also showed how the social relations involved with these relationships were affected by monetary contracts. In The Merchant of Venice, the romantic activities surrounding Portia evidently show how Shakespeare uses love to introduce economic relations into the play. During this time period, people typically married those who were in the same social class as they were. However, with Portia, a mere merchant’s daughter, potential suitors at the top of the social …show more content…
Bassanio was a failed lord, and he desired to marry Portia because her great affluence would allow him to repay his debt to his friend Antonio, a merchant. However, in order to woo Portia, Bassanio had to acquire a loan from Shylock under Antonio’s name. As a usurer, Shylock charged insanely high interest rates for loans. This rapacious behavior was widely condemned by the public in this time period. Shylock also forced Antonio to agree to a contract stating “if you repay me not on such a day, in such a place, such sum or sums as are expressed in the condition, let the forfeit be nominated for an equal pound of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken in what part of your body pleaseth me” (I.3.143-148). Later on, Antonio becomes bankrupt because his ships vanish at sea. Unable to repay Shylock, Shylock demands Antonio’s flesh as compensation. The transaction portrays economic loans in an exceptionally negative light. The fact that Shylock, a Jew, would have the audacity to demand flesh from a Christian as payment in addition to charging interest would have made such commercial activities seem even more atrocious to the audience. This economic conflict that erupts between Shylock and Antonio’s social relationship is a consequence of Portia and Bassanio’s romantic relationship. It shows how closely romance and economics are woven …show more content…
In the game, Bassanio must choose between a gold, silver, and lead casket. The gold is engraved with the inscription, “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire” (II.7.4-5). The silver casket states, “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves” (II.7.7). The lead casket, the correct choice, states, “Who chooseth me must give and hazard all hath” (II.7.9-10), warning the individual who chooses it that he will risk everything. Although Shakespeare makes the game seem like it is filled with love and has Portia dropping hits to Bassanio in a song as he picks a casket, ultimately the casket game is just an economic game. Portia’s father designed the caskets so that his son-in-law would be a businessman like himself. By choosing the lead casket, Bassanio shows that he is a risk taker as it places him in the position of losing everything. In fact, Bassaino is investing someone else’s borrowed money in attempt to earn the most money, and thus, showing his ability as a businessman.
Throughout The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare uses romance and relationships as a tool to illustrate the rise of economic activities into his writing. He enforces the growing connection between wealth and power. He uses relationships to construct a plot that allows him to showcase the significance of loans and contracts. Finally, he displays the influence economics
The Merchant's revealed nature, however, combats the very destruction of creation and individual that he tried to attain. As the Merchant tries to subsume the reality of marriage, love, and relationship under his own enviously blind view, Chaucer shows us another individual, significant and important in his own way. Instead of acting as a totalizing discourse, Chaucer uses the Merchant's tale to reveal his depraved envy and to reveal him as no more than a wanton cynic. Thus, Chaucer provides the very perspective that the Merchant tries to steal from his audience.
In Shakespeare time, marriage was seen as a wealthy and social commitment and didn’t involved love. In the Elizabethan Era, women were believed to be inferior to men and were expected to obey men without exceptions. Marriage was seen as business relationships were money was involved, this explained the relationship between men and women and their interests in marriage. Marriages between wealthy families were very common in that time, and were expected to increase the family fortune. For marriage women were expected to have their own ‘dowry’ which in that time was their money and properties they inherited after marriage. However, in their marriage the women lose all their possessions and came to be their husband’s properties. A good example of a marriage done by social commitment is the marriage between Petruchio and Katherina. The only reason Petruchio wants to be with her is because of her money. As a result this shows how men show no romance towards women.
The suitor picking the casket containing the picture will be the suitor who will marry Portia. ‘I may neither choose who I would, nor refuse who I dislike, so is the will of living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father’ this shows that Portia would rather have a say as to who she gets to choose rather than being told who she has to marry. She overcomes that after two suitors who she wishes not to marry choose the wrong casket letting her know which casket contains her picture, so that when Bassanio becomes a suitor and she falls for him she is able to hint to him which casket to choose: Tell me where Fancy is bred. Or in the heart, or in the head? How begot, how nourishèd?’
The nature of the contract between Portia and her father is as follows, Portia’s father state’s that all suitors must first select on of three caskets in order to marry her. The caskets are made of gold, silver, and base lead, all containing different messages. Only one of the three caske...
In Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice, a modernistic class-conscious theme develops around how several of the play’s characters manipulate sources of wealth in order to achieve social equality. The rise of international markets, readily available sources of credit, and the overall "commodification of English society" (Lecture, 9/3/03) had created a new commercial dynamic in Shakespeare’s era that gave form to a financial meritocracy never before possible in English history. Consequently, in Shakespeare’s play, the tension that results from the challenges presented to the status quo by the commercialization of society manifests itself through the exchange of gifts and debts between three principle relationships. In the characters of Antonio, Portia, and Shylock, Shakespeare illustrates that as a result of the commodification of society even the motivations for expressing generosity are now subject to a cost/benefit analysis. Variously stifled by the traditional limitations placed upon on them by their social positions, Shakespeare’s central characters in The Merchant of Venice seek to address their frustrations through an economic advantage, which in the end analysis, works to emphasize a connection between Shakespeare and the basis of modern class antagonisms.
Everyone is deceived and believes Portia is truly a man therefore showing that she has the capabilities to exert the traits of a man. Portia is described as the “wise young judge” (IV, I, 228) and an “excellent young man” (IV, I, 252) by Shylock showing that he believes in the gender identity of Balthazar. Bassanio, Portia’s husband, is also fooled as he states that Antonio’s life is more valuable to him than Portia. Her credibility in turn gives her power over the men in the scene. She is able to use the balances of justice along with her knowledge in order to save Antonio. The turn in this scene is when she repeats, “A pound of flesh” (IV, I, 315) and states the specific words used in the document as no blood can be dropped from Antonio or else Shylock will be punished and strikes fear into Shylock. This shows that it is possible for a woman to obtain the masculine qualities of being powerful and intellectual. If Portia were to have not dressed as a man, but merely a woman, due to the social constructs of the time she would not have had any power in this situation. Portia tells Bassanio “I pray you, know me when we meet again” (IV, I, 432) which shows her feelings towards Bassanio not knowing her true identity, even through her disguise. Her actions were that of her individual, but due to her altering her appearance of gender it changed the way others viewed her
“I am a jew?”-Shylock the merchant. The Merchant of venice is a play from William Shakespeare, in which a merchant called Antonio gets a loan from Shylock to pay for Bassanio's trip. Through a string of unfortunate events lead to a angry Shylock nearly killing Antonio, but that is narrowly averted. Shylock in the play “The Merchant of Venice” can be seen as a victim due to the hostile prejudice towards his kind, unfair treatment of him, and the random events that cause him misery.
The play, The Merchant of Venice drastically altered the perception of women during the time as Shakespeare makes women during the Italian Renaissance appear independent and intellectual, such as the beautiful Portia and the young Jessica. This play shows that women are not only beautiful people to look at but also powerful and intelligent individuals. The characteristics of the women in this play show the possibilities of equality between men and
William Shakespeare shows how two tradesmen can have completely different lives when others view them differently in the play The Merchant of Venice. In the play, Bassanio, Antonio’s friend, needs money to pursue his love. They seek a loan from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender in Antonio’s name. The contract is for three times the value of the bond in three months or else Shylock cuts off a pound of flesh from Antonio. While all this is happening, there are love plots going on. One of which is for Shylock’s daughter to elope with Lorenzo, a Christian. Later on, Antonio’s source of money, his ship, is reported sunken in the English Channel, dooming him to the loss of one pound of his flesh. There is a trial on the bond, and when it seems sure that Antonio will die, Portia, disguised as a doctor of laws legally gets Antonio out of the situation and Shylock recieves harsh penalties. Antonio and Shylock, two similar businessmen of Venice, are viewed differently and are treated oppositely to heighten the drama of the play and mold a more interesting plot.
“If a Jew wrongs a Christian, what is his humility? Shakespeare shows here that money doesn’t have the same effect on love as it does with the caskets or with the evil in Shylock, and that it can be used for good love in Portia’s donation. In Venice, Bassanio brings fourth the 6000 ducats to repay Shylock, but he doesn’t accept it. Once Portia, disguised as the doctor, entered the court, she pleads with Shylock to show mercy, but he refuses.
'who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire'" (2.7, 37). what he desires most is the Portia's hand so the gold must be the correct. casket. The sand is a sand. He insists that the gold casket is the one holding Portia's.
...d yet for my affection.” Although the suitors have an equal chance in winning Portia, they are neither brave nor wise enough to be able to get through the choosing of the caskets. The caskets gold and silver looked attractive compared to lead. However, because lead had many more uses than gold and silver, it is considered more valuable. Prince of Morocco chose the gold casket because he is superficial, greedy and materialistic. Prince of Arragon chose the silver casket and thus it reveals that he too is superficial, trying to be someone he is not. As for those who choose the lead casket, it shows that they are intellectual, and not easily deceived by false values.
Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice contains many themes and elements that are considered timeless or universal. Samuel Taylor Coleridge defines a timeless or universal element as a “representation of men in all ages and all times.” A universal element is relevant to the life of every human being – it is universal. The first major theme that plays an important role in the play is the Christians’ prejudice against the Jews. A second important theme is the attitude toward money. Perhaps the most important theme of the play is the love between people. This love can occur between the same sex, or the opposite sex, platonic or romantic. In Merchant of Venice, the three timeless elements are prejudice, money, and love.
Shylock lends Antonio a sum of money, that Antonio intends to pay back when his merchant ships arrive in Venice, one month before the debt would be forfeited. When Bassarnio arranges the sum of money, Shylock befriends them, only to stand aside and utter to him self, "I hate him for he is a Christian... If I catch him once upon the hip, I will feed my ancient grudge I bear him," Act 1, Scene 3. Shortly after saying, "But ships are but boards, sailors but men... the perils of waters, winds, and rocks...Three thousand ducats; I think I may take his bond." Shylock is setting his trap here. Shylocks terms of the debt are a pound of Antonios flesh from closets his heart if it be forfeited.
Shakespeare highlights three of Portia’s suitors, the Prince of Morocco, the Prince of Arragon and Bassanio. He does this to heighten dramatic tension, as these three men are the most important candidates to win Portia’s hand in marriage. They reveal the contents of the three caskets and their different characters as exposed as being proud, vain and humble. They also emphasise the racial prejudices of Venice a place where many races clash. Their attitudes towards the caskets and their choices indicate what their character is like. This essay will compare and contrast the three suitors and will explore how Shakespeare influences the audience’s attitudes towards the three men.