After this week's lengthy scholar readings, I feel I have very little to add to the already deep conversation surrounding The Merchant of Venice. Yes, it has racist characters and characterizations and we're not totally sure these things are indicative of Shakespeare being racist or not. Yes, it has some very quotable lines in which the Bard is clearly humanizing Jews and African peoples but again, it's not solid evidence of his stance on semites or black people. Yes, it is really Portia's play, because she dramatically cross-dresses to help her money-grubbing husband's best friend. But ultimately, all I got out of this is that a bunch of bored young upper-class Venetians had nothing better to do than futz around with second-class peoples' minds and lives for a while. Bunch of dicks.
To the first point, it's very likely that in a handful of these early plays, our boy Billy is just trying to one-up Marlowe by shaping more three-dimensional characters than him. We have Chris to thank for Billy's (relatively) nuanced portrayals of moors and women and "the other" in some of these works. Whether or not the man was an actual feminist or civil rights advocate or humanist is up for debate, but most everyone believes there's room for benefit of the doubt.
With Aaron in Titus Andronicus, we got a pretty cutthroat asshole, but he had eloquently expressed his reasoning behind his behaviors and he cared for the outcome of his bastard son enough to offer his life. With Juliet, we got a beautifully deep young girl-woman who was far more than a housewife or trophy. With Shylock, we got a greedy Jew who defends his religion and his career and existence despite everyone wanting to spit on him and constantly compare him to the devil incarnate solely because he provides usury services (which the "Christians" can't engage in because they're "Christians"). Shylock was written in deliberate contrast with Marlowe's Maltese Jew Barrabas, who is an actual total monster, so that's progress (I guess?).
At the start of the play, our main male protagonist Antonio has the sads and his friends think he is suffering from love (it very well may be unrequited because he's gay for Bassanio) but he may also just be clinically depressed. I mean I would be, having such shallow friends as he has surrounding him. Anyway, Bassanio decides to take this opportunity to make Antonio lend him money so he can woo some fancy chick in Belmont. Though he is currently technically broke because all his ships are currently en route to their ports, Antonio enthusiastically agrees to use his largesse of good credit to help a bro out.
In Belmont, Portia is bored off her tits and complains to her lady-in-waiting, Nerissa. She bitches about how her father died and left her in his will as a prize to whatever wise man selects the correct casket with some obscure poetry inside. Nerissa lists off all the suitors who have come and gone and Portia drags them all but still wants to honor her dad's wishes. They are interrupted by a servant who says four suitors are bowing out of the casket test since if they lose they are sworn not to reveal which one they chose and cannot marry another for the rest of their lives, but a Moroccan dude will arrive soon. Portia makes some snide racist remark about him.
Bassanio decides to go to Shylock the money lender to obtain 3000 ducats in Antonio's name. Shylock is wary because all of Antonio's cash is sunk into some risky ventures. Shylock hates on Antonio, because the merchant fucks up his business by lending money gratis and Antonio has spit on him and kicked him in the street, as all "good Christians" are wont to do in Venice, apparently. Antonio enters and they snipe at each other a bit. Shylock says he'll be a friend and lend Antonio the damn money if he signs a contract saying that if he forfeits the repayment, he owes Shylock a pound of flesh. Cocky Antonio agrees despite his friend's protests.
Portia allows the braggadocious Prince of Morocco to brag about himself and she pretends to flatter him.
Launcelot Gobbo, Shylock's servant, hems and haws about whether or not he should leave his master's service until his half blind father arrives. Launcelot has a little fun with the fact that his dad doesn't recognize him and then announces that he will try to get work with Bassanio. Speak of the devil, Bassanio comes in and Launcelot offers his services. Bassanio says "Why not? Even though I am penniless except for the ginormous loan my bestie gave me on pain of some bloody weight-loss!" Verbose Gratiano, Bassanio's other buddy, begs to come along wth him to Belmont and he says "Sure, as long as you keep your clever trap shut."
Jessica, Shylock's long-suffering daughter, tells Launcelot that she will miss him, as he made her living hell not so bad. She asks him to bring a letter to Bassanio's other dude bud Lorenzo, her beau.
Lorenzo, Gratiano, and some other bros gab about the plan to steal Jessica away and Launcelot delivers Jessica's letter.
Shylock is none too happy about Launcelot's departure. Nonetheless, Shylock semi-reluctantly prepares to sup with Bassanio that night. He tells Jessica to shelter in place against the partying outside in the streets.
Later, outside Shylock's house, Lorenzo and his friends gather beneath Jessica's window and call to her. She is disguised as a boy. She tosses them a box of ducats and jewels and leaves with him. Antonio reminds Gratiano that Bassanio is ready to head off to Belmont.
The Prince of Morrocco poetically muses over the three caskets: one gold, one silver, one lead. He chooses the gold and loses, reading the note inside:
All that glisters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.
Salerio and Solanio, more of Antonio's bosom buddies, have a good laugh about Shylock's reaction to Jessica leaving him with all his cash in tow. They also gossip about how it's been rumored that Antonio's ships have encountered some problems. They decide to try cheering Antonio up somehow.
The Prince of Aragon tries his luck at choosing one of Portia's caskets. He chooses silver and loses. Portia's servant announces that another suitor from Venice has arrived, however, and she and Nerissa almost pee their pants with excitement.
Solanio and Salerio mock Shylock for his daughter's flight and talk about Antonio's bad luck. Shylock loves this news and does a Mr. Burns impression, glad that he will have his pound of flesh after all. Solanio asks WTF Shylock could possibly do with a pound of human meat and Shylock responds:
To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? 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? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villany you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.
They give Shylock the side-eye, shocked at the Jew's avarice (though this speech is always held up as a perfect example of Shakespeare's talent for putting perspective on varied human experiences). Tubal, Shylock's Jewish friend, reports that Jessica has been witnessed prancing around Italy, spending all his ducats and trading a precious ring (a gift from her own mother to her father) for a monkey. Shylock rails, but then Tubal reminds him that Antonio is almost certainly bankrupt, so at least there's that.
Portia and Bassanio hang together, enjoying life. She wishes him to wait a few days to chill with her some more in case he makes the wrong choice and she will never see him again. He insists on undergoing the test of his love, choosing the lead casket, which is correct. He wins her hand in marriage and her entire vast fortune. Gratiano is overjoyed as well, because he has eyes on Nerissa, and now they can get married too. In the midst of all this back-patting, Salerio, Lorenzo, and Jessica come in and throw a bucket of cold water on the situation: Antonio has sent a letter to Bassanio, elucidating him on how he is SOL and going to jail and Shylock is all over him. Portia immediately wants to throw money at the problem, offering multiples of the 3,000 ducats owed just to make her new husband happy. Jessica confirms that Shylock won't take the money anyway, as he wants his revenge on Antonio more. Bassanio prepares to leave.
In jail, Antonio tries to reason with Shylock to no avail, Solanio is sure that the Duke won't honor the terms of the contract, but Antonio points out that Venice's entire economy is based on contracts and bonds and the Duke can't just throw that away.
Lorenzo heaps praise upon Portia for offering to help Antonio but she brushes it off as a dawdle. She tells Lorenzo and Jessica to take care of her house while she and Nerissa head to a monastery until Bassanio comes back, but actually, they're going to dress as men and go to Venice.
Launcelot and Jessica meet up and talk about how she is converting to Christianity and how the price of pork will go up if every Jew does the same (HILARIOUS). Lorenzo comes in and they leave Launcelot to his work. Lorenzo lauds Antonio and Portia as super decent human beings and Jessica kind of rolls her eyes.
Antonio's about to have his day in court, and the Duke apologizes for this madness. Antonio, though, being such an upstanding moron, says he'd rather suffer the consequences of his very legal bond and uphold the law than be pardoned out of it, you know, for the sake of Venice's integrity. Whatever, bro. Have it your way. The Duke still bugs Shylock to just give this up and Shylock of course says "Hell naw bra! Antonio's right! Venice would fall if it doesn't stick to its guns."
Bassanio offers 6,000 ducats. Shylock says nope. Antonio tells Bassanio to quit trying to save his ass. The Duke wants to dismiss the court because the lawyer from Padua named Bellario hasn't arrived yet, but then a letter comes saying that Bellario has sent someone in his stead, who would be perfectly capable of handling this mishegoss. Portia and Nerissa, in drag as lawyer and clerk, arrive. Portia declares that this case is solid and nothing can prevent the taking of Antonio's flesh unless Shylock decides to be merciful. She then launches into her famous speech:
The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.
Shylock shakes his head. Why should he have to be merciful if Christians aren't nice to him?
Portia reads over the contract and says it's legit and must be followed. Shylock grows more excited by the minute. Shylock is about to take a knife to Antonio's breast when Portia interrupts and points out that the contract only stipulates a pound of flesh--no blood may be spilled lest Shylock be convicted of conspiring to murder Antonio.
Bassanio offers his money again and Portia says nope; this ball is rolling and cannot be stopped. Shylock, feeling painted into a corner, relents, but then Portia says that because Shylock had attempted murder, his estate is forfeited to Venice and Antonio and Shylock can be put to death.
Now the Duke very gracefully pardons Shylock, but Shylock says he is worthless without his precious ducats and goods and house. Antonio generously gifts back his half of Shylock's estate, but only under the condition that Shylock wills his worldly possessions to Lorenzo and Jessica after Shylock's death. And that he convert to Christianity. Shylock actually says he is "content" and begs to head home so he can sign whatever it is he must sign to make this legal.
Back at Belmont, Lorenzo and Jessica are enjoying their house-sitting duties and have a fake lover's quarrel, though some lines in there make me feel like Jessica is wary of Lorenzo's loyalty to her (and probably rightly so). Stephano enters to announce Portia and Nerissa are back from "chilling at the monastery" and Launcelot announces that Bassanio and friends are returning as well. Lorenzo tells Alexa to play some music on Pandora as everyone enters the house. Portia comes and tells them not to let on to her husband that she has been away all this time.
Bassanio comes and introduces Antonio to his wife and she welcomes him. Nerissa notices that Gratiano's ring is missing and she starts accusing him of cheating on her and being a bastard. Portia does the same. Antonio insists that the story Bassanio and Gratiano tell about giving the rings to the lawyer and clerk is totally true and that this is all his fault but Portia just huffs. Finally, Portia admits to the group that she and Nerissa "went to bed" with the lawyer and the clerk, causing a moment of sad cuckolded confusion for the men, but then she says "GOTCHA!" and tells the truth about her and her gal pal being drag kings for a day. Portia also magically knows that Antonio's ships came to port after all (I suppose she has a Google alert implant in her brain) and Nerissa informs Lorenzo that he and Jessica will inherit all Shylock's shit one day. Everyone laughs and goes to bed with each other. The End.
Now, granted, this was all a very exciting bit of drama. It has a well-formed plot and has some memorable moments. I still stand by my assessment that these people are all BASTARDS, Portia being the least horrible only because she's clearly the most intelligent of the group. She's still a total snob and a racist, but at least she could run circles around all the men with no problem.
Shylock's portrayal can be tweaked by a thoughtful actor to present him as relatable and sympathetic for modern viewers/readers. In the 2004 film version directed by Michael Radford, Al Pacino opts for such an angle, and aptly pulls it off with the deftness one comes to expect from the experienced method actor. I'll admit that I got a little kick out of watching his Shylock begin the story with a kind and gentle approach to the Christians, and then see it evolve into the signature Pacino fuming flourishes.
Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes, with equal/predictable proficiency, paint Antonio and Bassanio as homosexual and bisexual respectively. This works fine, and Lynn Collins, who plays Portia, appears nonplussed. This is cosmopolitan Venice, after all. Anything goes! The film basically sticks to the original play's stance that the Christian characters are ultimately charming "good" people, but who notably, unevenly express their classist/racist feelings. The courtroom scene gives one a sense that Venice is on trial more than anything, if only for having such strict laws they really should revisit sometime soon. It also lends awkwardness to the sudden vehemence with which the Christian characters hurl hatred at Shylock, probably because present-day, more tolerant sensibilities leached into the actors' performances in the rest of the film.
Though the text ultimately leaves little room for anything more than what passes for one of the most historically stereotypical "Jew" characters in literature, it soothes the post-WWII audience's soul to see the antisemitism reflected more in the Venetians than in the playwright. It's a lushly produced, solidly performed version of the story whose only through-line appears to be "make Shylock sympathetic and Antonio definitely gay for Bassanio" and it delivers on both accounts.
Before this week, I really wasn't looking forward to reading/analyzing this one. But I came out of it actually more intrigued and appreciative of the socio-political mores it thrusts into our faces. I do wonder what a more bold modern version of The Merchant of Venice might look like. Perhaps Shylock is Muslim? Perhaps Portia is black? Set it in the similarly water-logged American city of New Orleans, where the famously liberal sentiments clash with the Deep Southern roots? That could be fun.
Next week, we engage with the rest of the HENRIAD at long last. I may be convinced to stick with it for an extra week, if only due to the massive stack of reading/viewing material coming my way. Also, my favorite silver screen Brits tend to cluster around the main characters at many points in time. I have SO MUCH TO SAY.