The Merchant of Venice

Joseph Fiennes as Bassanio and Lynn Collins as Portia in Micheal Radford’s The Merchant of Venice (2004)

• The main plot the dispute on money matters between the Venetian Antonio and the Jewish money-lender Shylock.

• The subplot the choice of a husband by the rich lady Portia, who lives in Belmont.

1. Main characteristics

• It has both a main plot and a subplot.

The Merchant of Venice

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• One of the plays by Shakespeare which defies easy

classification.

• It analyses serious themes and leaves some issues

unresolved.

The Merchant of Venice

1. Main characteristics

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2. The settings

VENICE

• A city where many businessmen live, a place full of

unhappy and unkind people.

• It is a world of trade and law, portrayed by Shakespeare

as the “real” world.

The Merchant of Venice

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BELMONT

• A city where a rich, happy and sophisticated society

lives. A fairy-tale world of music and love.

• Young people there play tricks on each other, wittiness

and humour are part of their daily life.

2. The settings

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“’The slaves are ours.’ So do I answer you.

The pound of flesh which I demand of him

Is dearly bought. ‘Tis mine, and I will have it”

(Act IV, Scene I, vv. 89–99)

3. The main characters

Al Pacino as Shylock in Micheal Radford’s The Merchant of Venice (2004)

The Merchant of Venice

a Jewish moneylender.• SHYLOCK

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a wealthy heiress from Belmont, whose beauty is matched only by her intelligence. Bound by her father to the casket test.

“The quality of mercy is not strained.

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath”

(Act IV, Scene I, vv. 179–181)

Lynn Collins as Portia in Micheal Radford’s The Merchant of Venice (2004)

3. The main characters

The Merchant of Venice

• PORTIA

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the merchant who signs Shylock’s contract to help his friend Bassanio.

• ANTONIO

3. The main characters

Well, Shylock, shall we be beholding to you?

(Act I, Scene III)

Jeremy Irons as Antonio in Michael Radford’s The Merchant of Venice (2004)

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  A gentleman of Venice, and a dear friend to Antonio. He loves Portia and wins the casket test.

• Bassanio 

4. The minor characters

The Merchant of Venice

A friend of Bassanio’s and Shylock’s most insulting critic during the trial. He falls in love with Portia’s maid, Nerissa, and marries her.

  Shylock’s daughter, hates her father’s house and elopes with the Christian Lorenzo.

Graziano

• Jessica 

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• Lorenzo

• Nerissa  

The Merchant of Venice

A friend of Bassanio and Antonio.

Portia’s maid.

4. The minor characters

“The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils. The motions of his spirit are dull as night, And his affections dark as Erebus” (Act V, Scene I, vv. 82–86)

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• Salerio 

• Solanio 

• The duke of Venice 

The Merchant of Venice

4. The minor characters

A Venetian gentleman, and friend to Antonio, Bassanio, and Lorenzo.

A Venetian gentleman, and frequent counterpart to Salerio.

The ruler of Venice, he presides over Antonio’s trial.    

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• Jews vs Christians.

• Prejudice.

• Shylock’s exclusion.

5. Themes

The Merchant of Venice

Al Pacino as Shylock in Micheal Radford’s The Merchant of Venice (2004)

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• The number three

• The caskets

• The pound of flesh

6. Symbols

The Merchant of Venice

influence of popular narrative tradition where things come in three

appearance is often deceiving

symbol of the friendship between Bassanio and Antonio and also of Shylock’s hatred.

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