1. Who is the merchant of Venice designated in the title of the play? 2. Is Venice law against Christian bloodshed? 3. What does the ring symbolize to the different characters? Think big and outside the box. Go wild!
1. Who is the merchant of Venice designated in the title of the play?
In my opinion, the Merchant of Venice is simply Antonio. This is because throughout the book he is the character who most accurately depicts a merchant. For example, while Shylock is a money lender, Antonio is the only man in the play who trades and has accounts of trading in the past. think about it, a merchant trades throughout the world and Antonio's sunken ships are evidence that he is in fact the Merchant of Venice.
2. Is Venice law against Christian bloodshed?
Yes, according to Venetian law which Portia brilliantly explains, if shylock were to spill but a drop of blood when he removed his "pound of flesh" then he will be guilty of conspiring against the life of Antonio and all his lands and goods will be confiscated by the state. So while revenge is not against Venetian Law, the spilling of Christian blood is illegal.
1) My feeling is that Shylock is THE merchant of Venice. This is because in my mind, a merchant sets the prices, and is in control. And even though it seems as if Shylock's life is spinning OUT of his control, he still drives the plot line of the play. For example: the main tension is his deal with Antonio, which he set the terms of. Example 2: one of the love pairs is interesting because it is against Shylock's wishes, without him Jessica and Lorenzo would just be in love, who cares? Thats not interesting. Example 3: The money he lent to Bassanio allows Bassanio to court and marry Portia- that could not have happened without Shylock there. Ergo, Shylock is the merchant. He is in control.
3) The ring is interesting because of what it represents to the characters. For Portia, I think it is a sign of her possession of Bassanio. It is a physical marker that he belongs to her. For Bassanio's part though, I think the ring symbolizes his finally ascending to being wealthy. He tells us at the beginning of the play that he is not rich, so finally being so would be something that he would want to display because he is proud of it and it gives him status. For him, I think, the ring is a symbol of belonging, like an ID card of sorts.
1) From the point of view of a storyteller, I believe Shylock is “The Merchant of Venice.” This is because all of the major conflicts of the play are basically driven by Shylock. His presence in the play threatens Antonio, Jessica, Launcelot, and many other characters indirectly. Everything would be pretty dandy if he weren’t there. Even though he isn’t the protagonist by any means, the story is largely about him and the consequences of his decisions.
3) I think the ring is a symbol of one of the plays major themes, Business vs. Love. This conflict is very present in Scene 1 during Portia’s test of Bassanio (which was just plain cruel by the way). She purposefully puts him in a difficult situation where he has to decide between fidelity to his wife and fidelity to his honor. Portia uses it to reveal Bassanio’s true colors, but not to control or manipulate him, because she clearly fails at doing that.
1. Much like Michael, I think that THE merchant of Venice is Shylock. He is consistently in control of the activities going on and without him the play would have a very bland plot-line. Furthermore, the way he is treated versus the way Antonio is treated puts him on a sort of pedestal. While Antonio is bargaining for his life, Shylock is in control of a sick game of revenge, in which the other characters are forced to respect his decisions (since they will of course, be life and death). In addition, the duke refers to Antonio as a "poor merchant" on page 64; just a merchant, not the merchant. Thus, Shylock's overall cruciality in this play makes me believe he is THE Merchant of Venice.
2. While Portia's cunning words persuade me to believe that Christian bloodshed is against Venetian law, I am tempted to think that she was making that up along with her disguise. The opportunity to invent a law for the benefit of her husband and her husband's best friend would naturally be attractive to a clever character like Portia. I am tempted into not actually thinking that Christian bloodshed is against the Venice law, but that perhaps Portia decided it would be to help her in her manipulation of Shylock's bond.
I don't think it is against Venice law to shed Christian blood. While all of Antonio's friends are trying to convince Shylock not to kill him in scene 1, they try to persuade him by telling him that he is being unnecessarily cruel and that he will go to hell for this. The never threaten him with punishments that might come from the law if he kills Antonio. Since they were desperately trying to save Antonio's life, I think that if there had been a law they definitely would have pointed it out to Shylock. Also, Shylock claims that :If you deny me, fie upon your law There is no force in the decrees of Venice." I think he is trying to say that it is by law that he is claiming his pound of flesh. I agree with Grace that Portia most likely was improvising.
I think for Portia the ring was a test. She used it to find out just how devoted her husband is to her, and it might have come partially out of jealousy for his relationship with Antonio. It is possible that Portia suspects something more than just and innocent friendship between them. She clearly used it to force Bassiano to choose between the two of them, and I suspect that he will be receiving a punishment when she "finds out" he gave the ring away. For Antonio, I think the ring represents almost the same thing. He watched Bassiano struggling with choosing to obey his wife's wishes versus fulfilling the wishes of the "man" who had just saved his best friends wife. I think to Bassanio the ring was not choosing between his wife and honor, but choosing between Portia and Antonio.
1) I think "the" Merchant of Venice is Shylock, only because he has the more interesting character arc. Shylock goes through so much trauma, arguable more so than anyone else in the play, and because of this I think of him as the main character. Solely through that logic of Shylock being the main character, I think of him as the title character. Bo does raise a good point, however, about the classification of their jobs and how Antonio may be the only real merchant in the play.
3) I agree with Grace that for Portia the ring was a test, which, AJ, Bassanio passed, at first. She wasn't trying to manipulate him, she was trying to see if he would give away the ring, which he didn't, until Antonio made him. I thought the ring was the most interesting not in the context of just one character, but to all of them in the situation. What Bassanio does is take Antonio's advice (and love, as he says at the end of the scene) over Portia's "commandment". In a funny way, Shakespeare almost mocks the love that Bassanio and Portia have for each other, and how quickly they "fell in love". The plain truth is that he knows and trusts Antonio more than Portia; I see Bassanio's decision with the ring to indicate this funny triangle they have.
I agree with Bo that Antonio is the merchant of Venice. throughout the trial scene both Portia and the Duke refer to him as such, and while Shylock only seems to benefit from his endeavors, Antonio has lost everything because of his trade. While some might call this unlucky, it shows that he has invested his entire life into his ships. It can be argued that Shylock is the merchant because so much of the play is focused on him, however the play does not open with him, it opens with Antonio, who while not being present physically is mentioned time and time again throughout.
I think that Venetian law is for convenient bloodshed. Because of the history of the inquisition I know that they were not opposed to killing for religion, but in Antonios case it was Portia trying to save him and the Duke not wanting to choose a Jew over an upright Christian in the community. I was confused when Portia initially condemned Antonio, and I really like that I couldn't predict what was going to happen, because many other Shakespeare plays are pretty formulaic.
1) Although I agree with all the posters who believe Shylock is the merchant, I do think that it is Antonio. Thematically, it would appear that Shylock would be THE merchant of Venice or the person who is controlling the characters actions throughout the play. However, none of the characters refer to Shylock as a merchant. A quick look at the Dramatis Personae (a cast list) confirms this. The character Antonio is described as "a merchant of Venice" and Shylock is only "a rich Jew" (vii). Therefore, Antonio is the merchant referred to in the title.
3) The ring is extremely interesting as it has so many different meanings. To Portia, the ring was used as a test to see if Bassanio did love her (much like her fathers test to find Portia a husband). To Bassanio, the ring represents different things. Before Antonio's lines, the ring represented his love and commitment to Portia. However, after Antonio convinces Bassanio to give up the ring, it represents his love for Antonio (i.e. he will do anything for him).
Kyle- I had the exact same thought process (which is why I didn't respond to that question). I thought Shylock simply lends money as a living and is not actually a merchant
1) I'm stuck on the fence for this one. From a strictly theatrical sense, it is implied that the title character of a play, especially in Shakespeare (Hamlet, The Scottish King, King Lear etc.) is the character that really drives the plot and the show forward as Shylock does in Merchant. On the other hand, he is not really a merchant, but simply someone who makes a living lending rather than selling.
2) I agree with Grace in that Venice law probably says nothing about or against "Christian bloodshed" Armed with an apparently flawless disguise and impeccable command of language, she can essentially say anything she wants and have it carry the authority of a royal decree. She simply played along with Shylock long enough to convince him he/she was a real judge and then, after gaining credibility and status, invented a fact that rendered his entire contract useless.
1. I am gonna have to side with michael on this one even though we aren't friends in that I do believe that shylock is the Merchant of Venice. A merchant is the one that people look to and go for when they are in need of something. The merchant also sets the prices for the buyer and has control over the situation that is at hand. In the beginning of the book they come to Shylock because they are in need of his help. He is in complete control from this moment because they have come to him and are the ones who need what he has to offer which is his ducats.
3. The ring in this book has many different meanings to all of the different characters. i agree with what everyone says about how the ring with Portia was a test to start. With Bassanio though the ring has a great impact, but the fact that he would give it up for Antonio shows that his love for Portia is not as strong, and that he is proving that he is willing to do anything for Antonio.
1. I believe Shylock is the Merchant of Venice. Firstly, this is one of the very few jobs a Jew could have during this time period. A Jew cannot be a large landowner, or be a professor, etc. so Shylock is left with playing the true merchant of Venice. Also Shylock is a more successful merchant than Antonio because Shylock can lend money with interest while Antonio cannot since it was against the Christian religion. Like others said Shylock is always at the position of power, while Antonio is always weary from his shipwreck and his bond he has with Antonio.
2. I do not think Venice law is against Christian bloodshed. Like Shylock, Portia interpreted the bond literally. There was nothing saying that Shylock could take any blood away from Antonio, only a pound of blood. I think Portia was just wise enough to turn the tables around on Shylock. However, I do think it is unfair that there was a disguised judge that was the wife of the subject. If the bond did have a pound of blood and flesh, I believe it would have had to been carried out.
1. Antonio is the merchant of Venice. As many people have already pointed out, Shylock simply is not a merchant. He does not sell things, and instead follows Jewish stereotypes working as a money lender. Also, I think Antonio drives the plot more than people are giving him credit for. He opens the whole play, and if it weren't for his love for Bassanio the set up with Shylock would not have occurred in the first place.
2. I'm not really answering this one fully, but I agree with Eric in that Venice law is not against Christian blood shed - Portia was just clever and made a lot of statements in the court scene that weren't necessarily true or lawful.
3. When Mary first said at the end of class that we needed to think about the symbolism of the ring, I immediately thought it could be virginity. (Simply because many artists who worked in and around the Renaissance spent a lot of time on this motif.) If we look at the ring through this lens, when Portia gives the ring to Bassanio she is symbolically (and probably literally at some other point) losing her virginity to him. When she takes it back, it shows that she has come to regret somewhat her bond with him, and wants what she gave back (this is symbolic since some things just can't be undone).
1. Who is the merchant of Venice designated in the title of the play?
Antonio. Similarly to Kyle, I believe that the points given by those who believe that Shylock is the Merchant of Venice are true, but I don't think that they necessarily lead to the conclusion that he is the Merchant of Venice. He may be central to many of the plotlines of the play, but he is only a moneylender, and he certainly isn't in control by the end of Act IV Scene I. Antonio, on the other hand, is indeed a merchant, and is named by Shakespeare as such. Also, though Shylock may be central to the play, Antonio really catalyzes the main storyline by enabling Bassanio to woo Portia.
2. Is Venice law against Christian bloodshed?
Portia does explain that the Venetian law is indeed against Christian bloodshed, for if Shylock removes a pound of flesh but spills a single drop of blood, he will be punished by the state. However, I am tempted to agree with Grace in saying that Portia could have just made it up. It seems that lying to get something done isn't out of character for Portia (indeed, she dresses up as a man, possibly forges a letter, passes herself off as a lawyer, and gives herself a fake identity). It also seems to me that the Duke would have noticed if she made up a law, which implies that either the law or the Duke (or both) are against Christian bloodshed. Though the two aren't interchangeable, the idea that Christian blood is not to be spilt is present in at least culture, if not law itself.
1) Antonio is the Merchant of Venice. I agree with Sarah that Shylock is simply not a merchant - he is a lender of money. Antonio I the one who drives the plot, opens the play and there is much talk of his trading ships out at sea. Shylock, although a vital component, is not the main ingredient in this play. He is the one who is being affected and manipulated by Antonio and his actions. But most importantly Shylock is just not a merchant in the first place.
2) Like many have said, Venetian law is certainly against bloodshed. As Portia says, it is illegal for Shylock to remove a pound of flesh from Antonio if blood is shed, even if he will not die from it. Therefore, in Venice Christian blood is very important; another form of religious segregation from Jews.
I believe that Shylock is the ultimate Merchant of Venice. I don't think that the merchant is antonio, although he is a huge character in the play, because his importance is much more expressed in the play. The play revolves around shylock and his inconsistent power struggles. What i mean is that although he has lost his daughter and has gone through many hardships, he still retains power over the entire city of Venice from his job. He also has a huge affect of the city of Venice indirectly and directly. the play would be nothing without him
I think that the ring was a definite test of Bassanio's love for portia. I think that at the same time that the ring is significant at the same time insignificant. its significant because of its value (currency) but i think its insignificant at the same time because i think portia would have loved bassanio without it. so it really is just a shiny peace of jewelry to be worn. I think that it cannot measure portia's love for bassanio
I believe that Shylock is the merchant of venice, partly because, as Michael stated, he controls the bargain between Antonio and he seems to be the richest and best business man of all the characters. I also think Shylock is the merchant because he seems to be more involved in the many plots than Antonio. He is connected to the story surrounding Bassanio and Portia because he lent the money and because Jessica flees to Belmont with Bassanio. He is also obviously connected to Antonio because the bargain was made in his name.
2. Is venice law against christian bloodshed?
As Bo points out, Portia does pointedly say that if Christian blood is spilt, the perpetrator will be punished. Shakespeare goes out of his way, as he does countless times in the play, to distiguish Venetian from Christian, thereby setting Christian Venetians apart from other venetians. This puts Shylock in a pretty bad position; either way, he loses.
First of all, sorry for the late response, for some reason my comments did not go through before.
1. I agree with Michael, AJ, Grace, and others who say that Shylock is THE merchant of Venice. Shylock is the one who drives all the action in the play. Every single plot and sub-plot that goes on in the play can be directly connected with him. Even though Shylock is not a "good" character, he can be the Merchant of Venice. Just as Macbeth was not a "good" character, he still had a play named after him, just as The Merchant of Venice refers to Shylock.
2. Technically Venice law is not against "Christian bloodshed" but rather the murder of citizens by aliens. This is one place in particular where Shylock's self isolationalism comes back to harm him. Because Shylock self identifies as belonging to a different "tribe" the law protecting citizens against aliens can be applied to him. This is especially ironic as, in the end, Shylock is striped of his religion after it is used to get him into an area where he can be punished under a specian Venecian law. Portia is also especially clever as she basically gets Shylock to admit that the only thing that he is interested in is in killing Antonio, thus proving that by "direct or indirect means" Shylock sought to kill a citizen.
Who is the merchant of Venice designated in the title of the play?
i'm not sure who the merchant of venice is...
Shylock drives the plot more than Antonio. He is involved in some way in every story line. Although Antonio is a really important character, honestly most of the time I forgot he was there. As Ross said, Shylock is the more obvious title character, because the play is seemingly more about him.
Question: is Shylock not a merchant? I know he is a money lender, but is that his only job? Antonio is both a merchant and a money lender. Kyle makes a good point about the way they are titled in the dramatis persona, but then why is this a question? Looking back I can't recall any time where Shylock was openly called a merchant, but i've been under the impression than he was throughout the play.
Antonio is referred to as a merchant, while Shylock is not. (although this may be because his identity as a jew is more important than his identity as a merchant). Also, Antonio as a Christian is indisputably a citizen of Venice. As a Jew, Shylock is seen as a foreigner. By this logic, Antonio is the only one who is truly "of Venice". It would be more likely to refer to Shylock as the Jewish merchant.
Is Venice law against Christian bloodshed?
My short answer is officially no, but actually yes
During the time period, Venice was an anti-Semitic culture. Even if the laws are not specifically against Christian bloodshed, the culture is going to dictate how the laws are interpreted. Portia's argument that the bond states that Shylock can take a pound of flesh but not any blood is really shoddy. Her interpretation of their agreement is ridiculously literal, but because her argument helps the Christian and hurts the Jew, it is allowed even praised. Even the duke who i would assume has no reason to be biased (i don't think he really knows either party) is willing to go along with it.
It's kind of like in America with the declaration of independence and slavery. The official document may have said "all men are created equally", but they still had slaves. As a metropolitan place would try to seem progressive, but the anti-semitism was very real.
I also agree with Daniel's point. although I wonder who the law would side with in an argument between a foreign christian and a jew from venice. probably the christian.
sorry this is soo long and ramble-y, also that its late
20 comments:
1. Who is the merchant of Venice designated in the title of the play?
In my opinion, the Merchant of Venice is simply Antonio. This is because throughout the book he is the character who most accurately depicts a merchant. For example, while Shylock is a money lender, Antonio is the only man in the play who trades and has accounts of trading in the past. think about it, a merchant trades throughout the world and Antonio's sunken ships are evidence that he is in fact the Merchant of Venice.
2. Is Venice law against Christian bloodshed?
Yes, according to Venetian law which Portia brilliantly explains, if shylock were to spill but a drop of blood when he removed his "pound of flesh" then he will be guilty of conspiring against the life of Antonio and all his lands and goods will be confiscated by the state. So while revenge is not against Venetian Law, the spilling of Christian blood is illegal.
1) My feeling is that Shylock is THE merchant of Venice. This is because in my mind, a merchant sets the prices, and is in control. And even though it seems as if Shylock's life is spinning OUT of his control, he still drives the plot line of the play. For example: the main tension is his deal with Antonio, which he set the terms of. Example 2: one of the love pairs is interesting because it is against Shylock's wishes, without him Jessica and Lorenzo would just be in love, who cares? Thats not interesting. Example 3: The money he lent to Bassanio allows Bassanio to court and marry Portia- that could not have happened without Shylock there. Ergo, Shylock is the merchant. He is in control.
3) The ring is interesting because of what it represents to the characters. For Portia, I think it is a sign of her possession of Bassanio. It is a physical marker that he belongs to her. For Bassanio's part though, I think the ring symbolizes his finally ascending to being wealthy. He tells us at the beginning of the play that he is not rich, so finally being so would be something that he would want to display because he is proud of it and it gives him status. For him, I think, the ring is a symbol of belonging, like an ID card of sorts.
1) From the point of view of a storyteller, I believe Shylock is “The Merchant of Venice.” This is because all of the major conflicts of the play are basically driven by Shylock. His presence in the play threatens Antonio, Jessica, Launcelot, and many other characters indirectly. Everything would be pretty dandy if he weren’t there. Even though he isn’t the protagonist by any means, the story is largely about him and the consequences of his decisions.
3) I think the ring is a symbol of one of the plays major themes, Business vs. Love. This conflict is very present in Scene 1 during Portia’s test of Bassanio (which was just plain cruel by the way). She purposefully puts him in a difficult situation where he has to decide between fidelity to his wife and fidelity to his honor. Portia uses it to reveal Bassanio’s true colors, but not to control or manipulate him, because she clearly fails at doing that.
1. Much like Michael, I think that THE merchant of Venice is Shylock. He is consistently in control of the activities going on and without him the play would have a very bland plot-line. Furthermore, the way he is treated versus the way Antonio is treated puts him on a sort of pedestal. While Antonio is bargaining for his life, Shylock is in control of a sick game of revenge, in which the other characters are forced to respect his decisions (since they will of course, be life and death). In addition, the duke refers to Antonio as a "poor merchant" on page 64; just a merchant, not the merchant. Thus, Shylock's overall cruciality in this play makes me believe he is THE Merchant of Venice.
2. While Portia's cunning words persuade me to believe that Christian bloodshed is against Venetian law, I am tempted to think that she was making that up along with her disguise. The opportunity to invent a law for the benefit of her husband and her husband's best friend would naturally be attractive to a clever character like Portia. I am tempted into not actually thinking that Christian bloodshed is against the Venice law, but that perhaps Portia decided it would be to help her in her manipulation of Shylock's bond.
Excellent responses thus far. Nice job!!
I don't think it is against Venice law to shed Christian blood. While all of Antonio's friends are trying to convince Shylock not to kill him in scene 1, they try to persuade him by telling him that he is being unnecessarily cruel and that he will go to hell for this. The never threaten him with punishments that might come from the law if he kills Antonio. Since they were desperately trying to save Antonio's life, I think that if there had been a law they definitely would have pointed it out to Shylock. Also, Shylock claims that :If you deny me, fie upon your law
There is no force in the decrees of Venice."
I think he is trying to say that it is by law that he is claiming his pound of flesh. I agree with Grace that Portia most likely was improvising.
I think for Portia the ring was a test. She used it to find out just how devoted her husband is to her, and it might have come partially out of jealousy for his relationship with Antonio. It is possible that Portia suspects something more than just and innocent friendship between them. She clearly used it to force Bassiano to choose between the two of them, and I suspect that he will be receiving a punishment when she "finds out" he gave the ring away. For Antonio, I think the ring represents almost the same thing. He watched Bassiano struggling with choosing to obey his wife's wishes versus fulfilling the wishes of the "man" who had just saved his best friends wife. I think to Bassanio the ring was not choosing between his wife and honor, but choosing between Portia and Antonio.
1) I think "the" Merchant of Venice is Shylock, only because he has the more interesting character arc. Shylock goes through so much trauma, arguable more so than anyone else in the play, and because of this I think of him as the main character. Solely through that logic of Shylock being the main character, I think of him as the title character.
Bo does raise a good point, however, about the classification of their jobs and how Antonio may be the only real merchant in the play.
3) I agree with Grace that for Portia the ring was a test, which, AJ, Bassanio passed, at first. She wasn't trying to manipulate him, she was trying to see if he would give away the ring, which he didn't, until Antonio made him. I thought the ring was the most interesting not in the context of just one character, but to all of them in the situation. What Bassanio does is take Antonio's advice (and love, as he says at the end of the scene) over Portia's "commandment". In a funny way, Shakespeare almost mocks the love that Bassanio and Portia have for each other, and how quickly they "fell in love". The plain truth is that he knows and trusts Antonio more than Portia; I see Bassanio's decision with the ring to indicate this funny triangle they have.
I agree with Bo that Antonio is the merchant of Venice. throughout the trial scene both Portia and the Duke refer to him as such, and while Shylock only seems to benefit from his endeavors, Antonio has lost everything because of his trade. While some might call this unlucky, it shows that he has invested his entire life into his ships. It can be argued that Shylock is the merchant because so much of the play is focused on him, however the play does not open with him, it opens with Antonio, who while not being present physically is mentioned time and time again throughout.
I think that Venetian law is for convenient bloodshed. Because of the history of the inquisition I know that they were not opposed to killing for religion, but in Antonios case it was Portia trying to save him and the Duke not wanting to choose a Jew over an upright Christian in the community. I was confused when Portia initially condemned Antonio, and I really like that I couldn't predict what was going to happen, because many other Shakespeare plays are pretty formulaic.
1) Although I agree with all the posters who believe Shylock is the merchant, I do think that it is Antonio. Thematically, it would appear that Shylock would be THE merchant of Venice or the person who is controlling the characters actions throughout the play. However, none of the characters refer to Shylock as a merchant. A quick look at the Dramatis Personae (a cast list) confirms this. The character Antonio is described as "a merchant of Venice" and Shylock is only "a rich Jew" (vii). Therefore, Antonio is the merchant referred to in the title.
3) The ring is extremely interesting as it has so many different meanings. To Portia, the ring was used as a test to see if Bassanio did love her (much like her fathers test to find Portia a husband). To Bassanio, the ring represents different things. Before Antonio's lines, the ring represented his love and commitment to Portia. However, after Antonio convinces Bassanio to give up the ring, it represents his love for Antonio (i.e. he will do anything for him).
Kyle- I had the exact same thought process (which is why I didn't respond to that question). I thought Shylock simply lends money as a living and is not actually a merchant
1) I'm stuck on the fence for this one. From a strictly theatrical sense, it is implied that the title character of a play, especially in Shakespeare (Hamlet, The Scottish King, King Lear etc.) is the character that really drives the plot and the show forward as Shylock does in Merchant. On the other hand, he is not really a merchant, but simply someone who makes a living lending rather than selling.
2) I agree with Grace in that Venice law probably says nothing about or against "Christian bloodshed" Armed with an apparently flawless disguise and impeccable command of language, she can essentially say anything she wants and have it carry the authority of a royal decree. She simply played along with Shylock long enough to convince him he/she was a real judge and then, after gaining credibility and status, invented a fact that rendered his entire contract useless.
1. I am gonna have to side with michael on this one even though we aren't friends in that I do believe that shylock is the Merchant of Venice. A merchant is the one that people look to and go for when they are in need of something. The merchant also sets the prices for the buyer and has control over the situation that is at hand. In the beginning of the book they come to Shylock because they are in need of his help. He is in complete control from this moment because they have come to him and are the ones who need what he has to offer which is his ducats.
3. The ring in this book has many different meanings to all of the different characters. i agree with what everyone says about how the ring with Portia was a test to start. With Bassanio though the ring has a great impact, but the fact that he would give it up for Antonio shows that his love for Portia is not as strong, and that he is proving that he is willing to do anything for Antonio.
1.
I believe Shylock is the Merchant of Venice. Firstly, this is one of the very few jobs a Jew could have during this time period. A Jew cannot be a large landowner, or be a professor, etc. so Shylock is left with playing the true merchant of Venice. Also Shylock is a more successful merchant than Antonio because Shylock can lend money with interest while Antonio cannot since it was against the Christian religion. Like others said Shylock is always at the position of power, while Antonio is always weary from his shipwreck and his bond he has with Antonio.
2.
I do not think Venice law is against Christian bloodshed. Like Shylock, Portia interpreted the bond literally. There was nothing saying that Shylock could take any blood away from Antonio, only a pound of blood. I think Portia was just wise enough to turn the tables around on Shylock. However, I do think it is unfair that there was a disguised judge that was the wife of the subject. If the bond did have a pound of blood and flesh, I believe it would have had to been carried out.
1. Antonio is the merchant of Venice. As many people have already pointed out, Shylock simply is not a merchant. He does not sell things, and instead follows Jewish stereotypes working as a money lender. Also, I think Antonio drives the plot more than people are giving him credit for. He opens the whole play, and if it weren't for his love for Bassanio the set up with Shylock would not have occurred in the first place.
2. I'm not really answering this one fully, but I agree with Eric in that Venice law is not against Christian blood shed - Portia was just clever and made a lot of statements in the court scene that weren't necessarily true or lawful.
3. When Mary first said at the end of class that we needed to think about the symbolism of the ring, I immediately thought it could be virginity. (Simply because many artists who worked in and around the Renaissance spent a lot of time on this motif.) If we look at the ring through this lens, when Portia gives the ring to Bassanio she is symbolically (and probably literally at some other point) losing her virginity to him. When she takes it back, it shows that she has come to regret somewhat her bond with him, and wants what she gave back (this is symbolic since some things just can't be undone).
1. Who is the merchant of Venice designated in the title of the play?
Antonio. Similarly to Kyle, I believe that the points given by those who believe that Shylock is the Merchant of Venice are true, but I don't think that they necessarily lead to the conclusion that he is the Merchant of Venice. He may be central to many of the plotlines of the play, but he is only a moneylender, and he certainly isn't in control by the end of Act IV Scene I. Antonio, on the other hand, is indeed a merchant, and is named by Shakespeare as such. Also, though Shylock may be central to the play, Antonio really catalyzes the main storyline by enabling Bassanio to woo Portia.
2. Is Venice law against Christian bloodshed?
Portia does explain that the Venetian law is indeed against Christian bloodshed, for if Shylock removes a pound of flesh but spills a single drop of blood, he will be punished by the state. However, I am tempted to agree with Grace in saying that Portia could have just made it up. It seems that lying to get something done isn't out of character for Portia (indeed, she dresses up as a man, possibly forges a letter, passes herself off as a lawyer, and gives herself a fake identity). It also seems to me that the Duke would have noticed if she made up a law, which implies that either the law or the Duke (or both) are against Christian bloodshed. Though the two aren't interchangeable, the idea that Christian blood is not to be spilt is present in at least culture, if not law itself.
1) Antonio is the Merchant of Venice. I agree with Sarah that Shylock is simply not a merchant - he is a lender of money. Antonio I the one who drives the plot, opens the play and there is much talk of his trading ships out at sea. Shylock, although a vital component, is not the main ingredient in this play. He is the one who is being affected and manipulated by Antonio and his actions. But most importantly Shylock is just not a merchant in the first place.
2) Like many have said, Venetian law is certainly against bloodshed. As Portia says, it is illegal for Shylock to remove a pound of flesh from Antonio if blood is shed, even if he will not die from it. Therefore, in Venice Christian blood is very important; another form of religious segregation from Jews.
I believe that Shylock is the ultimate Merchant of Venice. I don't think that the merchant is antonio, although he is a huge character in the play, because his importance is much more expressed in the play. The play revolves around shylock and his inconsistent power struggles. What i mean is that although he has lost his daughter and has gone through many hardships, he still retains power over the entire city of Venice from his job. He also has a huge affect of the city of Venice indirectly and directly. the play would be nothing without him
I think that the ring was a definite test of Bassanio's love for portia. I think that at the same time that the ring is significant at the same time insignificant. its significant because of its value (currency) but i think its insignificant at the same time because i think portia would have loved bassanio without it. so it really is just a shiny peace of jewelry to be worn. I think that it cannot measure portia's love for bassanio
1. Who is the merchant of venice?
I believe that Shylock is the merchant of venice, partly because, as Michael stated, he controls the bargain between Antonio and he seems to be the richest and best business man of all the characters. I also think Shylock is the merchant because he seems to be more involved in the many plots than Antonio. He is connected to the story surrounding Bassanio and Portia because he lent the money and because Jessica flees to Belmont with Bassanio. He is also obviously connected to Antonio because the bargain was made in his name.
2. Is venice law against christian bloodshed?
As Bo points out, Portia does pointedly say that if Christian blood is spilt, the perpetrator will be punished. Shakespeare goes out of his way, as he does countless times in the play, to distiguish Venetian from Christian, thereby setting Christian Venetians apart from other venetians. This puts Shylock in a pretty bad position; either way, he loses.
Daniel
First of all, sorry for the late response, for some reason my comments did not go through before.
1. I agree with Michael, AJ, Grace, and others who say that Shylock is THE merchant of Venice. Shylock is the one who drives all the action in the play. Every single plot and sub-plot that goes on in the play can be directly connected with him. Even though Shylock is not a "good" character, he can be the Merchant of Venice. Just as Macbeth was not a "good" character, he still had a play named after him, just as The Merchant of Venice refers to Shylock.
2. Technically Venice law is not against "Christian bloodshed" but rather the murder of citizens by aliens. This is one place in particular where Shylock's self isolationalism comes back to harm him. Because Shylock self identifies as belonging to a different "tribe" the law protecting citizens against aliens can be applied to him. This is especially ironic as, in the end, Shylock is striped of his religion after it is used to get him into an area where he can be punished under a specian Venecian law. Portia is also especially clever as she basically gets Shylock to admit that the only thing that he is interested in is in killing Antonio, thus proving that by "direct or indirect means" Shylock sought to kill a citizen.
Who is the merchant of Venice designated in the title of the play?
i'm not sure who the merchant of venice is...
Shylock drives the plot more than Antonio. He is involved in some way in every story line. Although Antonio is a really important character, honestly most of the time I forgot he was there. As Ross said, Shylock is the more obvious title character, because the play is seemingly more about him.
Question: is Shylock not a merchant? I know he is a money lender, but is that his only job? Antonio is both a merchant and a money lender. Kyle makes a good point about the way they are titled in the dramatis persona, but then why is this a question? Looking back I can't recall any time where Shylock was openly called a merchant, but i've been under the impression than he was throughout the play.
Antonio is referred to as a merchant, while Shylock is not. (although this may be because his identity as a jew is more important than his identity as a merchant). Also, Antonio as a Christian is indisputably a citizen of Venice. As a Jew, Shylock is seen as a foreigner. By this logic, Antonio is the only one who is truly "of Venice". It would be more likely to refer to Shylock as the Jewish merchant.
Is Venice law against Christian bloodshed?
My short answer is officially no, but actually yes
During the time period, Venice was an anti-Semitic culture. Even if the laws are not specifically against Christian bloodshed, the culture is going to dictate how the laws are interpreted. Portia's argument that the bond states that Shylock can take a pound of flesh but not any blood is really shoddy. Her interpretation of their agreement is ridiculously literal, but because her argument helps the Christian and hurts the Jew, it is allowed even praised. Even the duke who i would assume has no reason to be biased (i don't think he really knows either party) is willing to go along with it.
It's kind of like in America with the declaration of independence and slavery. The official document may have said "all men are created equally", but they still had slaves. As a metropolitan place would try to seem progressive, but the anti-semitism was very real.
I also agree with Daniel's point. although I wonder who the law would side with in an argument between a foreign christian and a jew from venice. probably the christian.
sorry this is soo long and ramble-y, also that its late
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