BUDDY READS/ READ-ALONG - William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice - Page 5

Hi. This is an interesting convo for sure. Sorry for being late to the party, I had my sudents' thesis defence today, hence I couldn't interact much. But I will be more active from tomorrow!

Originally posted by: ThaneOfElsinore

Goodness! I didn't even read this post since I was framing my own analysis. And I used the same word "premonition" there! Too much of telepathy!

Haha I didn’t read your post before I posted just about the same thing

But I always felt Antonio had inner instincts that something was definitely gonna go wrong hence his despair, so to speak. Plus his repressed feelings that he couldn’t express out aloud only added to it.

Originally posted by: ThaneOfElsinore

True. Anti-semitism has always been a point of contention between the Jews and the Christians. Moreso because Jews were usually financially well-off and therefore, were ill-treated and there were deep-seated prejudices about them in the then Abrahamic society. Hitler also encashed onto and exacerbated these stereotypes, leading to the proliferation of propaganda and mechanised hatred against Jews in Nazi Germany. He also twisted Darwin's Theory of Evolution and his maxim of "survival of the fittest" to create a racist order in the German and European society at large.

Not only were they financially stable but also they were quite intelligent. It is said that Jews teach their kids to be ambidextrous, music, books and stuff when the child is in mother’s womb … more like Abhimanyu who learnt how to break the Chakravyuha when he was inside his mother’s womb.

Hitler tapped into that existing hatred and insecurity.

Originally posted by: LizzynDarcy

Hi. This is an interesting convo for sure. Sorry for being late to the party, I had my sudents' thesis defence today, hence I couldn't interact much. But I will be more active from tomorrow!

It's completely fine. I know you're a busy person. Professors need to do a lot of work. You can share your thoughts at your convenience.

Act 2 Scene 1:

The scene opens with the Prince of Morocco talking to Portia about marriage. He highlights his complexion, pointing at the racial prejudices in the Venetian society.

“Mislike me not for my complexion,

The shadowed livery of the burnished sun,

To whom I am a neighbour and near bred.”

He asks Portia to not misjudge his capabilities due to his appearance. This scene can also be interpreted as Shakespeare’s motif for the theme of deceptive appearances throughout the play. Portia and Nerissa disguise themselves as a young lawyer and a clerk later in the play, deceiving the courtroom. Also, in Act 1, Shylock is condemned by Antonio who says that he is a liar, a man hiding his true face as seen in these lines,

“The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.

An evil soul producing holy witness

Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,

A goodly apple rotten at the heart.

O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!”

Meanwhile, Portia’s dialogues come across like a bird trapped in a golden cage; she seems helpless against her father’s words and test of choosing the right casket for her suitors.

“Besides, the lott’ry of my destiny

Bars me the right of voluntary choosing.

But if my father had not scanted me,

And hedged me by his wit to yield myself”

The scene mixes formality, politeness as well as tension to give hints to the audience to let them know that Morocco is going to fail in this test. In that case, his final dialogue looks so humorous:

“Good fortune then!

To make me blest or cursed’st among men.”

Act 2 Scene 2:

This scene introduces Lancelet, the Clown who is in a moral dilemma. His conscience tells him to not run away but the “fiend” asks him to do so, to abandon Shylock because he is a Jew.

“To be ruled by my conscience, I should stay with the

Jew my master, who, God bless the mark, is a kind of devil; and

to run away from the Jew, I should be ruled by the fiend, who,

saving your reverence, is the devil himself. Certainly the Jew is

the very devil incarnation, and in my conscience, my conscience

is a kind of hard conscience to offer to counsel me to stay with the

Jew; the fiend gives the more friendly counsel.”

I find this ironical as the clown character of the play seems more self-aware of his hatred towards Jews than the supposed leading character, Antonio.

Lancelet then proceeds to fool his own blind father, and this in my opinion foreshadows how Shylock’s daughter, Jessica will fool and abandon him for her lover Lorenzo, who is a Christian.

He further says after revealing the truth,

“To him, father, for I am a Jew if I

serve the Jew any longer.”

This brings us to the question of the Jewish identity. Is one born a Jew, or does become a Jew? Is Jewishness inbuilt or is it acquired? This is very important since Jews lived in ghettos in Venice even after contributing so much the Venetian economy. So what exactly is the human psychology behind ostracizing a certain community? Is it a form of inferiority complex that stems from the want of being superior to another? In other words, is superiority a form of disguised insecurity, an inferiority? I find this thread of thought quite applicable to other social constructs like race and caste.

Honestly, after this part, I started getting bored because of Bassanio’s intro but I’ll still analyse.

Prejudice against Jews seems to cement bonds between Venetians of different social classes. It is unlikely that Bassanio would have hired Lancelet away from another Christian. Lancelet also feels no bond to Shylock despite having served him for years. The line below is a proof of that.

“take leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an eye”

Later, Gratiano enters in the scene and asks to accompany Bassanio as he goes to meet Portia. The most amusing part about this is Bassanio allows him to come with him even though he calls him “wild”. Now, if you notice carefully, Antonio and Bassanio use terms like dogs and other wild animals to abuse Shylock. But by applying the animal word "wild" to Gratiano, when most animal abuses are directed at Shylock, it’s evident that Bassanio is willing to take Gratiano on as a companion, despite his evident bad behavior, and this shows the strength of social bonds among Venetian Christians. It’s pure hatred here, no exceptions, no compromises.

Act 2 Scene 3:

This is the shortest scene, I believe and the most important one, revealing the sentiments related to faith in this play and changing the course of thought for the audience. Shylock’s own and only daughter feels ashamed that she is a Jew and wishes to convert into Christianity to be Lorenzo’s wife.

"Alack, what heinous sin is it in me

To be ashamed to be my father’s child!

But though I am a daughter to his blood,

I am not to his manners. O Lorenzo,

If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife,

Become a Christian and thy loving wife."

These lines are a bit shocking coming from a Jewish girl herself, but it also shows how love transcends boundaries. That love can make you do the impossible. But this also indicates, perhaps, the all-consuming nature of ostracisation. I feel Jessica has a subservient nature to her oppressors, namely the Christians. She didn’t stand up for an identity for herself and allows herself to get subjugated by an emotion, love. It's also problematic because a young girl is accepted into the high Venetian society only after her complete submission to their demands.

The ultimate victim is Shylock, the antagonist himself, who we know, is left all alone at the end of this play. I personally feel this is the point where the audience starts subconsciously empathising with Shylock’s hardened behaviour.

You see, while Shylock's later cruelty (his insistence on Antonio’s flesh) is villainous, his suffering gives us a glimpse into why he becomes so hardened. Jessica’s betrayal complicates the audience’s judgment of him—he is not a simple villain, but a man wounded by rejection, racism, and grief.

Analysis of Act 2: Scenes 1 to 3

Act 2: Scene 1

In this scene, the Prince of Morocco arrives at Belmont and meets Portia. He tries hard to make her understand that he’s worthy of her love and tells her not to judge him because of his dark complexion. This scene sheds light on the prejudice towards black people that existed during the 16th century. Portia is bound by his father’s will in this drama. As she can’t choose a husband for herself, this scene raises important questions related to the freedom and the independence of women in that era. It can also be noticed that Portia doesn’t reveal her racial prejudice in front of the Prince of Morocco, even though she made a negative comment on his appearance, saying ‘complexion of a devil’ in Act 1. In this scene, she talks to the Prince of Morocco politely and makes him understand that choosing a husband isn’t in her hands.

Act 2: Scene 2

This scene introduces a clown named Launcelot Gobbo. The scene is light-hearted and different from the introduction scene of Shylock. In this scene, the clown wants to leave Shylock’s job and work for Bassanio. His conflicted emotions are revealed through his monologues. His interaction with his father is funny and serves the purpose of comical relief in the drama. In this scene, Launcelot’s anti-Jewish feelings also get revealed through his conversation with his father. He says, “O rare fortune! Here comes the man, to him, father, for I am a Jew if I serve the Jew any longer.” He believes he will become a Jew if he continues serving the Jew, Shylock. However, it is also true that Shylock mistreates Launcelot and doesn't give him enough food to eat.

Act 2: Scene 3

This scene introduces Shylock’s daughter, Jessica who in love with a Christian man named Lorenzo. She feels ashamed of being Shylock’s daughter and she's very different from her father. Shylock’s hatred towards Christian people is extremely strong, on the contrary, his daughter, Jessica wants to be Christian herself. This scene focuses on Jessica’s inner turmoil and broken relationship with her father. This scene can make a lot of readers curious about the consequences of her actions. This scene also suggests a contrast between Portia and Jessica. Portia is a dutiful daughter who has reverence for her dead father and his will. On the other hand, Jessica is a rebellious young woman and doesn’t respect her father. Jessica is much more impulsive compared to Portia. Even though this scene is short, it highlights important themes of identity, loyalty, religious conflict. and emotional struggle.

Honestly, I didn't like Scene 2 (The Clown, Launcelot's introduction scene) very much. Scene 1 and Scene 3 are okay.

Originally posted by: Shirsha

Honestly, I didn't like Scene 2 (The Clown, Launcelot's introduction scene) very much. Scene 1 and Scene 3 are okay.

Same here. Scene 2 felt a bit of a drag and boring to me. Although I could interpret a lot from it, but it felt as if I was forcing myself to go through it. Scene 1 was tad witty and Scene 3 was short yet a revelation.

I truly felt for Portia in this scene. Portia is a highly intelligent and capable woman, yet she remains confined by the limitations of a patriarchal world. Despite her wit and insight, she is reduced to being a "golden bird in a cage," forced to abide by her father's will even in matters as personal as marriage. The casket test, while clever in filtering out unworthy suitors, fails to take into account Portia’s own feelings or preferences—highlighting how little autonomy women like her were granted.

If I’m not wrong, she subtly helps Bassanio choose the correct casket in the future, which would reflect her quiet resistance within the constraints imposed on her. Also, in the later part of the play, she chooses to disguise herself as a man—a lawyer—while pretending to go to a monastery. This all reflects her understanding of how to navigate a patriarchal world. Instead of openly rebelling against societal norms or her father and being shamed, she cleverly operates within them, adopting roles that grant her the agency she is otherwise denied.

The Prince of Morocco comes across as arrogant and pompous. While he is clearly aware of the racism he faces, he uses it to deflect from his own flaws. The way Portia and the other women treat him—politely on the surface but with underlying prejudice—exposes the social hypocrisy of their world.

The scene reinforces the idea that racial discrimination exists alongside gender discrimination, yet neither excuses poor character or behavior.

The scenes with Launcelot and Jessica are carefully crafted to build sympathy for Shylock’s growing sense of betrayal. His own daughter elopes with a Christian and steals from him, and his servant leaves him for Bassanio. These events will fuel Shylock’s hatred and his demand for revenge in the form of Antonio’s pound of flesh. However, while Shylock is undeniably wronged, Shakespeare does not absolve him of his own faults. He is portrayed as miserly, vengeful, and emotionally detached from those in his household. His obsession with wealth and revenge isolates him.

In contrast, Bassanio and his companions, though financially unstable, are shown to value loyalty and emotional bonds. Their mutual care creates a sense of community and support—qualities Shylock lacks. This perhaps explains why Bassanio’s circle garners more loyalty from others, even those like Jessica and Launcelot who once belonged to Shylock’s household.

Morocco and Shylock:
Interestingly, both the Prince of Morocco and Shylock are outsiders who face racial prejudice. However, while the discrimination they endure is unjust, it does not erase their personal shortcomings. Being a victim of prejudice and being a flawed individual are not mutually exclusive. I always liked how Shakespeare creates complex characters whose vices and sufferings must be considered separately.

Act 1.3
It’s interesting how Shylock tries to hide his hatred for Antonio in front of Bassanio initially , but he can’t stop himself from expressing the pain and anger caused by Antonio’s past insults. The first time I read this scene, I was surprised to see such cruelty from Antonio, who had earlier seemed like a kind , selfless and generous friend. But now knowing more about his pride and prejudice, his cold and arrogant attitude in this scene wasn’t surprising at all.

This scene also brings up a deeper issue beyond just racism—the conflict between Shylock and Antonio over lending money with interest. Antonio sees it as morally wrong, while Shylock sees it as normal business. Their different views show how deeply divided they are, not just personally, but in their values too.

When Shylock demands a pound of Antonio’s flesh instead of money, it’s not just about revenge—it’s also his way of proving a point. Antonio always looked down on Shylock for charging interest, so Shylock offers a deal without any money involved—but with a much harsher penalty. It’s like Shylock is saying, “You hate my way of doing business? Fine. Let’s try it your way—but with a cost you won’t forget.”