The Merchant of Venice

• Characters:

  • Shylock - antagonist/villain, Jewish, greedy, merciless
  • Antonio - protagonist, Christian, generous, arrogant
  • Bassanio - Christian, irresponsible, a catalyst, greedy
  • Portia - Christian, well-off heroine, Bassanio's wife
• Themes:

  • Prejudice - mainly faced by Shylock because of his Jewish nature. He is looked down upon and harassed by Antonio and the Christians. He seeks revenge upon Antonio because of the bullying, by planning to take a pound of his flesh.
  • Wealth - a recurring theme throughout the play. Antonio, a wealthy merchant, is unhappy at the beginning of the play but for no reason. Bassanio, lacking wealth, asks Antonio for a sum of money in the hopes that he can marry Portia; the rich heiress.
• Key Scenes:

  • Act 1, Scene 3: Antonio signs the bond with Shylock for 3000 ducats, simultaneously signing his fate; as the collateral for not paying is a pound of Antonio's flesh.
  • Act 2, Scene 6: Jessica elopes with Lorenzo, the Christian, betraying her own blood and nation because of Shylock.
  • Act 3, Scene 1: Shylock gives his revenge speech to the Christians, illustrating how Jews and Christians aren't all that different.
  • Act 4, Scene 1: Shylock takes Antonio to court, because he didn't pay him back in 3 months. Portia also gives the mercy speech to convince Shylock to not take the flesh.
• Key Quotes (1):

  • "My purse, my person, my extremest means lie all unlocked to your occasions" - Antonio, showing he will give anything to satisfy Bassanio
  • "I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him, he hates our sacred nation" - Shylock, showing that he will get his revenge upon Antonio. Also highlights the Antonio's racism
  • "If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?" - Shylock, showing that Jews and Christians aren't that different, trying to find reasoning to put an end to racism
• Key Quotes (2):

  • "The pound of flesh which I demand of him is dearly bought, it is mine and I will have it" - Shylock, cold and unwilling to show mercy to Antonio, adds tension to the scene
  • "The quality of mercy is not strained, it drops as the gentle rain from heaven" - Portia, explaining to Shylock that he should show mercy toward the vulnerable Antonio
  • "If thou dost shed one drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods are, by the Venetian law, confiscate" - Portia, after discovering the legal loophole, allowing Shylock to be punished instead of Antonio. Turning point + atmosphere change.