Il mercante di Venezia William Shakespeare (appunti)

Marriage and Isolation in Shakespeare's Works

Marriage plays a significant role in Shakespeare's works, often serving as a means of achieving inclusion for the characters involved. Those who remain unmarried, such as Antonio and Shylock, are often portrayed as isolated and removed from society.

Marriage is also depicted as a way to overcome difficulties. For Bassanio, it will help him eliminate his debt, while for Portia, it will free her from her father's will. Jessica, on the other hand, sees marriage as an opportunity to escape her father's control.

In this act, Shylock's character begins to emerge more prominently. He is not only portrayed as a moneylender demanding interest, but also as a villain with a strong aversion to fun. However, despite his earlier statement, Shylock leaves his house to enjoy a dinner with Bassanio.

Since Jewish lineage is passed down through the maternal line, Jessica represents a way for Shylock's family line to continue. Thus, hoarding Jessica and his gold becomes Shylock's way of ensuring the success of his breeding. However, Jessica's conversion to Christianity not only destroys Shylock's family line, but also metaphorically renders him impotent.

sense.When Shakespeare wrote this, Venice was already in decline because of the economic competition with England. It’s interesting that Antonio’s decline starts with a shipwreck on the Narrow Seas (la Manica).

Act III, Scene One. Solanio/Salerio, Shylock’s soliloquy: “Has not a Jew eyes, hands, organs… Like the Christians”

Solanio and Salerio discuss the rumour that Antonio has lost yet a second ship. Shylock enters, complains that they had something to do with his daughter's flight. They instead ask Shylock if he has heard about Antonio's losses.

Shylock tells them that Antonio should "look to his bond" and make sure he repays the money. He then delivers his famous soliloquy, "Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions..." (3.1.49-50). He’s bodily the same as them. The speech concludes with Shylock saying that he will be revenged for all the times he has been treated

badly by Christians. Tubal, another Jew, arrives to speak with Shylock. Tubal tried to locate Jessica; she had been in Jenoa, had spent eighty ducats, traded a ring for a monkey. Tubal also brings Shylock news that Antonio has lost yet a third ship.

Act III, Scene Two. Bassanio’s choice, letter from Antonio to Bassanio

Portia tells Bassanio that she wants him to wait some time before choosing from the caskets so that she may be guaranteed his company for a while longer. "One half of me is yours, the other half yours… My own, I would say." She uses business language. However, he goes choosing. He chooses the lead casket and finds Portia's picture inside. "You that choose not by the view / Chance as fair and choose as true" (3.2.131-132).

Money reshapes identities: She says that she wishes to be better for him, but the full sum of her is still sum of something (precise language, excess). She's an unschooled, unpractised woman, she has no culture/experience but she

can redefine herself in marriage thanks to him (she hasn’t the same opportunities a man could have).

Hierarchical structure: marriage is like a little kingdom; Portia is transferring her wealth to Bassanio. Bassanio, knowing he’s receiving such wealth, he’s overwhelmed. Portia then hands Bassanio a ring as a token of her love and commitment and tells him never to lose it.

Jessica, Lorenzo and Salerio arrive at Belmont. Salerio then hands him a letter (he’s ready to sacrifice himself in Bassanio’s place) from Antonio. Antonio has lost his fortune and his ships. Portia orders Bassanio to return to Venice and offer Shylock six thousand ducats. They all agree to get married first and then go straight to Venice to help Antonio (PORTIA DECIDES TO HELP HIM TO GET RID OF HIM)*the economic logic of marriage: any deviation from the marriage logic has to be cancelled (Antonio’s presence). ECONOMICAL SPHERE: Shylock is the outsider, EMOTIONAL SPHERE, marriage, ANTONIO

is the outsider.

Act III, Scene Three

Shylock has come to watch Antonio be taken away by a jailer. Antonio pleads with Shylock to listen to him, but Shylock says, "I will have my bond.". After Shylock departs, Antonio tells Solanio that Shylock hates him because he used to loan money to men who were in debt to Shylock. Antonio, ready to die, says the Duke can't deny the course of law, otherwise Venice's prestige will be damaged, for the commodity that strangers have with Venetians.

Act III, Scene Four

Portia and Nerissa, worried about their new husbands, tell Lorenzo that they are going to stay at a local monastery for a few days in order to pray. After Lorenzo and Jessica leave, Portia sends her servant Balthasar to her cousin Doctor Bellario with instructions that Balthasar should bring anything Bellario gives him to Venice. Portia then informs Nerissa that they are going to dress up as men and go to Venice in order to help their husbands.

Act III, Scene Five

Lancelot and

Jessica and Lancelot are in an argument over whether she can be saved by God since she was born a Jew. Lancelot tells her that since both her parents are Jews, she is damned. She protests that she can be saved once she becomes a Christian because her husband Lorenzo is a Christian. Lancelot then makes a joke, and says that Lorenzo is a bad man because by converting all the Jews he is raising the price of pork (since Jews do not eat pork, but Christians do).

The fact that women never explicitly appear in Venice is reinforced in this act as well. Portia and Nerissa must first pretend to go to a monastery in order to escape from Belmont. Portia also contrives to dress them as men in order to go to Venice. She further uses her kinship with Doctor Bellario to give her credibility.

Act IV, Scene One

Antonio is brought before the Duke and the magnificoes of Venice to stand trial for failing to pay off his obligation to Shylock. Antonio's emotion= patience, Shylock's emotion= fury. The Duke cannot find

any lawful way of freeing Antonio from his bond. Shylock enters the court and the Duke tells him that all of the men gathered there expect a "gentle answer" out of pity. (forgive about the debt) Shylock replies that he has already sworn by his Sabbath that he will take his pound of flesh from Antonio. He is unable to provide a good reason for wanting to punish Antonio in this manner, other than to say, "So can I give no reason, nor I will not, / More than a lodged hate and a certain loathing / I bear Antonio" (4.1.58-60). Why flesh? He can't say, it's just his humour. He doesn't need a reason (affection sways it to the mood of what it likes/hates). Bassanio: Do all man kill the things they do not love? Shylock says every man would kill what he hates. Antonio intervenes and says you can't reason with the Jew, "Let me have judgement" (ready to sacrifice). Bassanio then offers Shylock 6 thousand ducats as repayment for the loan. Shylock:

not interested. The Duke asks Shylock, "How shalt thou hope for mercy, rend'ring none?" (4.1.87). Shylock responds that he is doing nothing wrong, he's protected by the law. He compares his contract with Antonio to the Christian slave trade. He tells the Duke that he does not demand that the Christians should free their slaves, therefore the Christians should not demand that he free Antonio. [You will answer, The Slaves are ours, so do I answer you, the pound of flesh, 'tis mine.]

The Duke threatens to dismiss the court if Doctor Bellario fails to arrive. A messenger is about to arrive: Antonio [I am a tainted wether of the flock, meetest for death, the weakest kind... He recognizes himself as the weakest element. He's melancholic]. Nerissa enters dressed as a man and informs the Duke that Bellario has sent a letter to him. The letter from Bellario recommends a young and educated doctor to arbitrate the case, waiting outside to be admitted into the court.

Portia enters dressed as a man, pretending to be a doctor named Balthasar.

[Portia's speech about mercy] Portia "Which is the merchant here, and which the Jew?" (they were easily distinguishable due to their clothes). Portia asks Antonio if he confesses the bond. He does, and Portia then says that Shylock therefore must be merciful. She delivers a speech in which she says "the quality of mercy is not strained, it's like a gentle rain from heaven (Protestant image also which is the merchant...), it belongs to the powerful ones, it's an attribute to God himself, and earthly power is like God's when mercy seasons justice.]

Shylock demands the contract be fulfilled. Portia then asks if no one has been able to repay the amount, (Bassanio is able, but just at the moment). Shylock has refused the money, there is nothing she can do to make him take it. She must side w/ Shylock.

Shylock, impressed, says, "A Daniel come to judgment, yea, a Daniel!"

(Daniel is a Biblical character who solved a problem of a woman's infidelity).

Portia rules that Shylock has the right to claim a pound of flesh from next to Antonio's heart according to the bond. Shylock gets ready to cut, there's even a balance. Portia asks him if he has a surgeon to stop the bleeding once he has taken his pound. Shylock says, "I cannot find it. 'Tis not in the bond".

Antonio says he's ready to die: "give me your hand, Bassanio... Grieve not that I am fallen to this for you. Tell your wife how I loved you, bid her be judge whether Bassanio had not once a love]

Bassanio: I am married to a woman who's dear to me, but "Life itself, my wife, and all the world, are not to me esteemed above your life. I would lose all, sacrifice them all, here to this devil to deliver (save) you].

It's interesting that in the middle of a negotiation we have the demonstration of how deep is the connection between Antonio/Bassanio.

(Commerce/Love). How USURY is translated in Christian perspective: in terms of LOVE. Portia says that the bond does not give him permission to shed Antonio's blood. The laws of Venice are such that if any Christian blood is shed, all the goods and lands of the perpetrator may be confiscated by the state. Shylock realizes that he cannot not draw blood, agrees to take the money. Portia only gives him the pound of flesh, saying that if he takes a tiny bit more or less, he will be put to death. Shylock decides to have his money, and let go. Portia says that Venice has a further law which says that if any foreigner tries to kill a Venetian, the foreigner will have half of his property go to the Venetian against whom he plotted, and the state will receive the other half. In addition, the life of the foreigner will be in the hands of the Duke, who pardons his life. Shylock instead asks the Duke to kill him, saying, "Nay, take my life and all, pardon not that... you take my life/When"