The Merchant of Venice story
The Merchant of Venice is a 16th-century play written by William Shakespeare in which a merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. It is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1599. Although classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and it is best known for Shylock and his famous "Hath not a Jew eyes?" speech on humanity. Also notable is Portia's speech about "the quality of mercy".
16 total · 3 choice · 7 major · 6 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| mercy | choice | in refusing to grant mercy Shylock lost everything; to add insult to injury the good "Christians" then pointedly showed him mercy of a sort |
| mercy vs. justice | choice | by the letter of the law, Shylock deserved his pound of flesh or at least the substantial compensation he was offered - yet because of his ruthless refusal to show leniency he was instead brought low and punished |
| the desire for vengeance | choice | towards the end Shylock refused an offered fortune to forgo his vengeance |
| antisemitism in society | major | Antisemitism was rampant in Shylock's Venice. |
| facing financial ruin | major | Antonio was practically ruined and about to lose a pound of flesh for it |
| facing loan sharks | major | Antonia faced Shylock backed by the law |
| father and daughter | major | Shylock lost Jessica to a Christian suitor. Portia spoke of her father. |
| romantic love | major | the box exercise was tied up with ideas about love; Bassanio professed love for Portia, and chose rightly; Jessica eloped with Lorenzo; Gratiano married Nerissa |
| ruthlessness | major | Shylock was notably ruthless in demanding his pound of flesh |
| sacrifice for a friend | major | Antonio staked both fortune and life for the sake of his young friend Bassanio |