'The Merchant of Venice' - William Shakespeare

'The Merchant of Venice' - William Shakespeare

1. Characters

   • Shylock
     • Jewish Moneylender
       • stereotypical
     • Evil
     • Discriminated against
       • "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 villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction. "  - Shylock
       • jewish
       • lends money with interest
     • Angry
     • Hates Christians
       • "I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. " - Shylock
       • " I hate him for he is a Christian;"  - Shylock
       • "But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon  The prodigal Christian. "  - Shylock
       • Antonio
         • "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 shall 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 villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction. "  - Shylock
         • pound of flesh
           • secure the bond
         • lends money free of interest
       • wants revenge
     • Daughter
       • Jessica
       • More interested in money than her
         • " I never felt it till now: two thousand ducats in that, and other precious, precious jewels. I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear! "  - Shylock
     • Villain
   • Antonio
     • Merchant of Venice
     • v. wealthy
     • sad/depressed
       • "In sooth, I know not why I am so sad,                           It wearies me; you say it wearies you."  - Antonio
       • accepts this
         • "I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano;                         A stage where every man must play a part,                       And mine a sad one. "  - Antonio
     • generous
   • Portia
     • v. beautiful
     • rich
       • Portia
     • suitors for husband
       • bassanio
         • prefers him to all other suitors
           • " I pray you, tarry, pause a day or two Before you hazard; for, in choosing wrong, I lose your company: therefore, forbear a while "  - Portia
           • " I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of thy praise "  - Portia
   • Bassanio
     • fortune hunter
       • "In Belmont is a lady richly left, And she is fair, and, fairer than her word, "  - Bassanio
       • portia
     • loves portia
       • " Let me choose; For as I am, I live upon the rack. "  - Bassanio
   • Other Characters
     • Gratiano
     • Salerio
     • Solanio
     • Nerissa
     • Jessica
       • Shylock's daughter
     • Lorenzo
       • In love with Jessica

2. Act 1

   • Scene 1
     • Introduction
     • characters
       • Antonio
         • sad/depressed
           • "I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano;                         A stage where every man must play a part,                       And mine a sad one. "  - Antonio
           • unknown
             • "In sooth, I know not why I am so sad,                           It wearies me; you say it wearies you."  - Antonio
       • Bassanio
         • needs money
           • Portia
       • Salerio
       • Solanio
       • Lorenzo
       • Gratiano
     • Antonio's Mysterious Sadness
   • Scene 2
     • Characters
       • Portia
         • Pampered but Unspoiled
       • Nerissa
         • Confidential Companion
     • A husband for Portia
       • thinking about suitors
         • sad/angry
         • Bassanio
           • happy
     • Belmont
   • Scene 3
     • Characters
       • Shylock
         • villain introduced
           • hates christians
             • "I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. " - Shylock
             • " I hate him for he is a Christian;"  - Shylock
         • Villain or Victim?
       • Antonio
         • Inconsistencies
           • treats shylock terribly
             • " You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,   And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine, "    - Shylock
             • " To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too. If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not As to thy friends, for when did friendship take A breed for barren metal of his friend? "    - Antonio
       • Bassanio
     • Shylock the Moneylender

3. Setting/Time Period

   • Venice
   • Belmont
   • 1590s/1600s

4. Themes

   • Discrimination
     • Shylock
   • Love
     • Bassanio and Portia
     • Lorenzo and Jessica
     • Antonio and Bassanio
   • Appearance vs. Reality
     • Caskets

5. Act 2

   • Scene 1
     • characters
       • morocco
         • "Mislike me not for my complexion"    - Morocco
       • portia
     • belmont
     • first suitor we see
   • scene 2
     • joke
       • clowns
       • funny
     • characters
       • launcelot gobbo
       • old gobbo
       • bassanio
   • scene 3
     • launcelots farewell to jessica
     • chracters
       • jessica
         • introduced
       • launcelot
   • scene 4
     • a masquerade is planned
     • characters
       • salerio/solanio
       • gratiano
       • lorenzo
   • scene 5
     • characters
       • shylock
         • wants jessica safe
           • " Lock up my doors, and when you hear the drum And the vile squealing of the wry-neck'd fife, Clamber not you up to the casements then, Nor thrust your head into the public street To gaze on Christian fools. "    - Shylock
       • launcelot
         • leaving to work for bassanio
         • passing on note to jessica
       • jessica
         • plans to leave with lorenzo