Two essays on The Merchant Of Venice
On the juxtaposition of head and heart
The first problem posed in
The Merchant of Venice is that of Antonio who is wondering about the reasons for his feeling
weary and down. Like a typical, well-respected
Renaissance gentleman, Antonio goes about his
predicament in an intelligent manner. He looks within himself, down to his centre of being to try and discover the
rational meaning of his emotions - he searches to the very core of his soul. With clear objectives, Antonio uses his head and thinks philosophically. There is no hint of rash self-pity or
bemusement, only incisive
cogitation. This shows how Antonio can be a calm, measured man, capable of carefully thinking things over in order to come to the best
conclusion - he can control his natural impulses and uses his
intellect to reason. It reflects his attitude to his job and Antonio is evidently a
competent and successful businessman. He deliberately
fathoms out the cause of his sorrow and is able to comprehend the true meaning of things. Antonio eloquently
dismisses his friends' reasoning, ignoring Salerio's vivid
scaremongering imagery and responding with the measured, "My ventures are not in one bottom trusted"
(I, i, l. 42).
However, Antonio's response to a later problem provides a
stark contrast to his apparent shrewd composure and calculated deliberation. Although he is clearly able to comfortable and skilfully trade with large sums of money in business, when it comes to personal relations, Antonio's apperception of important issues is rather lacking. His lack of concern in relation to loaning the indebted Bassanio an
exorbitant amount of money is so absurd it even brings us to question how deep Antonio's
love for such a close friend is. Away from business transactions, his heart rules his head and Antonio gives in to Bassanio's
cunning attempts to have his latest expedition financed for nothing. By merely throwing in
snippets of
emotional blackmail and petty childhood mental pictures, Bassanio convinces the overly generous Antonio to say, "My purse, my person, my extremest means/Lie all unlocked to your occasions"
(I, i, ll. 137-8). In this scene Antonio displays a distinct lack of self-control, awareness and
rationality. By giving in so easily to Bassanio's wordy
spiel, he displays a mind that can behave in drastically different ways. One moment, Antonio is the definitive
ponderous intellectual and the next, he's a
whimsical weak-willed loveable old man with too much warmth in the bottom of his heart.
Shylock is another
canny businessman who is unlikely to be irrationally swayed by his emotions in an important
usury deal. He is calm, collected and knowledgeable because he knows he is well informed from his contacts upon the
Rialto. When dealing with Bassanio and Antonio, Shylock is very cunning and avoids awkward questions whilst keeping the
negotiations efficiently short, sharp and to the point. This is emphasised by the short line lengths and quick interchanges at the beginning of scene three. The
haggling is not
convoluted, though Shylock is wary and deliberative - he never allows his head to give way during important business. With careful management, the Jew believes he can design and create success; a point highlighted by Shylock's retelling a story from the Old Testament. By weighing up the risks and the "
peril of the waters"
(I, iii, l. 20), he thinks things over carefully and even uses
social engineering so as to be sure to
glean the most out of Antonio and his desperate companion Bassanio. Shylock
contrives and expertly extracts all the money he can get out of Antonio who, in this situation, has to agree to any offer he is given.
When Shylock mentions the
pound of flesh penalty as "a merry sport"
(I, iii, l. 139), it is not clear whether this was intended and planned
malice designed as revenge on his Christian
nemesis or a light-hearted joke thrown in for the sake of humour. As such, it cannot really be said whether Shylock is allowing himself to be ruled by his head or his heart. I tend to believe that it was more likely to be
premeditated and thus, was an action thought about from his head. Still, strong emotions from the heart are
prerequisite for someone to want to seek retribution in such a way. If it had been a spontaneous decision on Shylock's part, there would have been more of a case for him following his heart, as it would be a petty way to
cozen his bitter rival Antonio for no real
economic gain.
Another character with crucial and influential judgements to make is Bassanio. He has already made the decision to travel to
Belmont to seek Portia's hand in marriage. This is partially a conscious decision, as marrying into
money was a shrewd thing to do and would enhance his social status no end. However, despite the fact she is a woman "richly left"
(I, i, l. 160),
Portia hold far more attractions for Bassanio. She was probably beautiful and was worthy enough to attract many
meritorious and grand suitors. Although he has only met Portia once from a distance, she favourably recollects his visit ("I remember him well"
(I, ii,, l. 102)) and it's quite possible that he may be in love with her. Either way, it is an important choice with strong
repercussions and Bassanio must have thought about taking out another loan from Antonio very deeply as well as being swayed enough by his feelings to risk everything and venture out to
woo Portia.
Portia herself has some
knotty decisions to deal with. Her head tells her that the declaration in her father's
will shall be beneficial. Despite being forcefully bound to it and having no
choice herself, I think she comes to the conclusion that overall, it will end with a
propitious outcome. Portia trusts her father, believes that he will always do what is best for her and, although the rules set down in his will do not very clearly
manifest a timeless wish for her
felicity, she believes it will be prosperous to obey his wishes. Portia has faith in the three
caskets test and thinks that her father has designed it so that only someone really worthy of her, someone who chooses well, could ever become her husband. When she confides in her maid Nerissa, she is more than resigned to having to follow her father's will - she even treats it in a light-hearted and jocular manner, eloquently joking about prospective partners-to-be. Nerissa articulately agrees that it is not necessarily bad thing: she believes in the "
Golden Mean" Renaissance
philosophy that "it is no mean happiness...to be seated in the mean"
(I, iii, l.6-7).
Still Portia confides that her heart does have a say in the matter. Like all girls, she dreams and her heart tells her that she will someday marry for
love, not a place in society, and is still waiting for her
sweet prince to come. In her conversation with Nerissa, we find that her ideal man is the opposite of all the suitors see has met so far: joyous,
modest, generous, interesting and a good communicator. She wants to be the wife of someone
noble and have a good relationship, but so far, has been unimpressed and
frustrated by her suitors saying "I pray God grant them a fair departure"
(ll. 94-5). Portia is wise enough to realise that sometimes the
heart will overrule what the rational brain tell her: "The
brain my devise laws for the blood, but a hot
temper leaps o 'er a cold decree"
(I, iii, 15-6). Luckily for Portia, she doesn't face much of a
dilemma and is able to carefully balance head and heart in accepting her
fate by her father's design.
Later, in the second act, Portia reveals that should anyone want to choose a casket in order to win her hand and fail, they shall never be able to "speak to lady afterward/In way of marriage"
(II, i, ll. 41-2). As such, many of her wooers use their heads to
weigh up the odds and consider it too big a risk to take. Only those who care enough about her are willing to make such a
hazardous plunge again. It is also interesting to see how freely Antonio agrees to Shylock's
loan conditions with a complete lack of caution. He is overconfident and one suspects that he would have been more
wary and attentive had personal issues not been involved. As it is, he
swiftly agrees without even an
infinitesimal pause for thought and says, "I'll seal to such a bond," even though Bassanio objects. This is unusually
harebrained and unwise for a businessman such as Antonio, again demonstrating how he lets his heart rule his body.
Throughout the play, we can observe conflict within characters between their heads and their hearts. When people rely on just their head, they are successful but often miss out on more subtle sensitivities, whereas always following your heart means
imprudent judgements are made and it is
foolish at best - especially when people are unable to return or understand your love. As the story progresses, the
compromisers tend to come out best as they can balance their brain and their
emotions equally.
Shylock, the most interesting and complex character, commands our respect and even our sympathy, yet is his own worst enemy
Shylock is certainly an interesting character made even more
intriguing by
Shakespeare's portrayal of him. Much before the twentieth century,
anti-Semitism was rife and
The Merchant of Venice is a curious tale, as we are able to see how
Jews were viewed in the late 1500s - especially as Shakespeare's depiction was
at odds with the accepted anti-Jewish prejudiced views in that he considers both sides of the
argument. This play is an
insight into the general opinions of Jews, the daily
hostility facing them Shakespeare's time and helps us understand why the
hatred facing them through the ages came about.
When Shylock is first encountered in Act I, scene iii, he strikes the reader as
contemplative and very
shrewd businessman. He takes his time over
deliberative answers and never overcommits - by saying, "...well"
(I, iii, ll. 1, 3, 5) at the end of each sentence, Shylock allows himself time to think and weigh up the information he is just received. Everything he does is precisely
relevant and he conducts fast, efficient business that is not at all
convoluted with exactly measured short
utterances. He is canny and avoids Bassanio's direct questions with
ambiguity. Shylock is always in full control of the conversation and seems to be aware of everything that is going on in Venice from a
myriad of contacts "upon the Rialto"
(I, iii, ll. 15-6). Shylock does not appear to bear any strong
grudges against the
Christians despite the fact that Antonio has previously "spat on [him]"
(I, iii, l. 119), "spurned [him]"
(I, iii, l. 120) and "called [him] dog"
(I, iii, l. 121). Instead, he treats him without any contempt and even hints of respect - Shylock focuses on the business dealings, and ignores any malice he may feel when there is money to be made. Shylock may not like the people he is dealing with, but he
adores the rewards of dealing with them.
However, our opinion of Shylock
drastically changes when
Antonio enters. Before, he seemed like an unfairly
persecuted Jew, hated only because of his race and
usury. But, once the merchant arrives, Shylock states, "I hate him for he is a Christian,"
(I, iii, l. 35) and then rattles off a
plethora of reasons why he dislikes him so. What strikes the reader is that, coming from someone often facing prejudice, Antonio is hated not for personal reasons or particular wrongs, but because of his profession and
religion. Though, Shylock can be sympathised with a little later when confronted with Antonio's
flagrant superciliousness and unfounded moral superiority. Shylock displays a deep-rooted
enmity for Antonio because they have been long-standing enemies, while he is more
civil and forthcoming toward Bassanio. However, his hostile and
antagonistic attitude towards others does nothing to
alleviate the
disapprobation and
antipathy he faces - Shylock would be much more easily accepted if he did not constantly refer to his Judaism and behave in such an élitist manner.
In Act II, scene ii, we can understand Shylock from the angle of him as an employer.
Launcelot clearly dislikes the Jew, describing him in a typical way as "the very devil incarnation"
(II, ii, ll. 22-3). Later, it is made clear that Shylock is a bad master and Launcelot says, "I am a Jew if I serve the Jew any longer,"
(II, ii, ll. 100-1) as though the feared Jewish condition is
contagious. The cruelty and miserliness of Shylock is emphasised by the generosity of Launcelot's new master, Bassanio - the perfect Christian offers fine new clothes to his new
obsequious servant. It is clear that Launcelot has chosen the "
righteous" path despite Shylock being much richer and previously holding a more prosperous position - even betraying your father was considered
acceptable in the pursuit of Christianity.
Scenes iv and v then display Shylock from yet another perspective - though the eyes of his daughter. This part again shows the Jew to be an immoral person with little respect for others and a
spineless heart of stone. He is even unable to truly love his own daughter and instead, tries to shelter her from perceived threats from sinful
heathens by means of
Draconian rules.
Jessica feels very restricted by her father, and the fifth scene opens with Shylock
juggling her orders with a conversation with Launcelot. She even comes second best to a servant, and gracefully accepts her characteristically female
subservient position under her father responding to his every
whim as she answers his calls, "Call you? What is your will?"
(II, v, l. 10) Shylock thinks of money foremost, leaving Jessica to guard his riches. In his speech from lines twenty-seven to thirty-eight, Shylock adequately illustrates how he enforces a Jewish
divide and is caring toward Jessica but overly protective and
restrictive. He issues many orders and
commands her to not "thrust [her] head into the public street"
(II, v, l. 31) lest she be corrupted by the non-Jews perceived as being unholy. Shylock is
proud of his excessive
sobriety and Jewishness. However, ironically, he does not realise that by locking his daughter up, he finally grants her
freedom and that, by worrying only about having his jewels stolen, he stands to lose something far more
precious to him.
Shylock is a very different person to his daughter and servant than the businessman who dealt with
Bassanio and Antonio. He seems less calm and measured, as well as not as alert and
omniscient and, despite dishing out imperatives, does not appear to the reader to be as in control of the situation. The tone is almost insecure as though he is scared that his
daughter will betray him as he constantly reminds her to "lock up [his] doors"
(II, v, l. 28) and ignore
raucous partying outside. When specifying the terms of a loan, Shylock knew he had the upper hand and that Bassanio was desperate, as well as regarding the Christians with contempt, so he could deal with them without
invoking strong
emotions. By being so detached, he can work effectively and
maximise profit and well as staying
unflustered. Shylock was not at all
threatened by Antonio and Bassanio and controlled the conversation so much he even briefly uncovered some
empathy in the audience. However, in this scene, he clearly knows that ultimately Jessica will do whatever she chooses herself and this worries him. He tries to control her as much as possible with all sorts of oppressive restrictions but Jessica has no second thoughts or last-minute doubts about leaving her own father - the scene ends as she states, "I have a father, you a daughter, lost"
(II, v, l. 55).
Shylock does command our
respect as a businessman as he always seems to be on the
qui vive and aware of every happening in Venice. He conducts deals professionally and is more easily respected
nowadays as the practice of charging
interest on loans is very much acceptable in capitalism society. It is easy to see that Jews are unfairly persecuted in
Venice and
ergo, elicits some sympathy. However, Shylock does not help his cause by being so unwelcoming himself and coming up with
cruel terms such as his desire for "An equal pound/Of [Antonio's] fair flesh"
(I, iii, l. 143-4). It is easy to feel sorry for a widower and
social outcast who is hated by his servants and only
daughter but, when confronted with the details, it is very obvious why he is disliked. Even taking account of people's prejudice, Shylock is not a particularly pleasant or
amicable character. It is usually natural to support the
underdog, but Shylock just makes things hard for himself by being hostile and
repugnant to everyone despite clearly being aware how it feels to be disliked by people. Any
affinity and pity we feel for Shylock is countered and cancelled by his
blatant adversity to getting on with other people and the
negativity felt by those closest to him.
All quotations of the text are courtesy of William Shakespeare's The Merchant Of Venice. This work has been confirmed to be in the public domain free from copyright, and is availible on Project Gutenberg at http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext00/0ws1810.txt
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