The Merchant of Venice

In fact, Portia has nine suitors for her hand in marriage in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. In act 1, scene 2, Portia describes six of the suitors to Nerissa, Portia's "waiting woman."...

The Prince of Morocco's grand entrance at the beginning of Act a, is an excellent indication of his flamboyant and seemingly overbearing nature. His opening remark, "Mislike me not for my...

In Act Two, Scene 9, the Prince of Arragon arrives at Belmont and tries his luck choosing the right casket. After taking an oath to not tell anyone which casket he chooses and agreeing to never...

Antonio and Bassanio appear to have a family connection, since Salanio refers to Bassanio as Antonio's "most noble kinsman." This, however, is secondary to their deep friendship, to which Antonio...

It is unclear exactly what mad Antonio sad. He himself does not know either. In sooth, I know not why I am so sad:It wearies me; you say it wearies you;But how I caught it, found it, or came by...

Lorenzo's plan is that Jessica should dress up as a boy and then be his torchbearer during a street festival. In this way, nobody would notice her and her camouflage would make others believe that...

In The Merchant of Venice, the Prince of Morocco is the first of Portia's suitors to have to choose between the caskets of gold, silver, and lead to win her hand in marriage. He chooses gold...

The first of the three caskets is gold. The inscription on the outside reads: Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire. On the inside is a skull with the following inscription: All that...

The interaction between Lancelot and his father, Old Gobbo, in this scene, is based on a comic misunderstanding: Old Gobbo is nearly blind and does not even recognise his own son. Lancelot...

Antonio is a generous, willing, loyal friend and an understanding devoted friend. He is willing to come to Bassanio's aid for what some might call a flimsy reason. As a businessman, he has all his...

Act 2, scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice opens with Portia and the Prince of Morocco already in conversation. It appears that the Prince has been doing most of the talking, but Portia doesn't seem...

Shylock is one of Shakespeare's most memorable characters and can be viewed as both a victim and a villain in the play The Merchant of Venice. As a villain, Shylock is a heartless, cruel...

Gratiano has just told Antonio that he does not look well and that he is much too serious. He tells him that those who care too much about the world tend to lose the little they have. He says that...

Portia is the hero of the The Merchant of Venice. Men create or get themselves into predicaments, but Portia steers them through them successfully. Her greatest triumph comes when she disguises...

In Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, the Prince of Arragon, who appears in only one scene in the play, is the second of Portia's suitors who submits to the casket test devised by Portia's...

The terms bankrupt and prodigal are used in Act 3, scene 1 by Shylock the Jewish moneylender, when he refers to Antonio, a Christian merchant and also our protagonist. Shylock has been conversing...

At the beginning of scene 2, Act II, Launcelot mentions one of the reasons why he should leave Shylock's service. In his monologue, he makes it clear that it is not an easy decision and is...

While in this politically correct contemporary time, much is made of Shylock's character, The Merchant of Venice is really Portia's play, a romantic comedy. This distinction is certainly evinced in...

As was mentioned in the previous post, Bassanio has squandered his money and asks Antonio for a loan in order to travel to Belmont to win Portia's hand in marriage. Portia is a wealthy heiress who...

The ring in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice has great significance between Portia and Bassanio because it is a symbol of their marriage. Portia gives Bassanio the ring along with her vows and...

Shylock accepts the dinner invitation because he wishes to strengthen his advantage over Antonio. He has just caught the Christian merchant at a disadvantage since Antonio had asked him for a loan....

In Act 2 Scene 1 of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, the Prince of Morocco tries to impress Portia in order to marry her. He tells her that she should not dislike him because of his...

In act IV, Portia initially attempts to influence Shylock to show Antonio mercy by telling Shylock he should overlook the forfeiture. Bassanio even agrees to pay Shylock three times the sum of the...

These words are a portion of the retort uttered by the Moroccan Prince when he addresses Portia. In these lines, he is indirectly referring to the gamble that he has undertaken by competing in a...

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare approaches themes of friendship and loyalty in several different ways, some more obvious than others. Characters exemplify both loyalty and...

In her famous "the quality of mercy is not strained" speech in act 4, scene 1 of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, Portia, disguised as a young Doctor of Laws, appeals to Shylock's...

Portia was there to defend Antonio against Shylock's claim to a pound of his flesh for forfeiting on a bond which he had signed as a guarantee for the repayment of a loan in the amount of three...

There are numerous allusions made throughout William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. The allusions made are meant to make the reader think about how the allusion makes a statement about what...

Antonio and Bassanio are very close friends who have a great deal of loyalty to one another. They are both well-respected members of Venetian society. That being said, it is worth noting that their...

Portia manages to save Antonio from Shylock collecting on his bond by disguising herself as a male doctor and cleverly finding a loophole in the law that prevents Shylock from harming Antonio....

When discussing the matters of the law, one must accept what is written in the law books which are accepted by the people or rulers of the country. Laws are written in order to protect people from...

Antonio is portrayed as a melancholy character from the outset of the play. In the first scene, Antonio's friends, Salarino and Solanio, insist that Antonio is upset and depressed about his ships....

In thinking about the reasons Bassanio chooses the lead casket over the gold or silver one in The Merchant Of Venice by William Shakespeare, it is also worth considering the qualities of lead. As...

Bassanio in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice is the central instigator of all the follows and he not the most steady young man in Venice. He has considerable bad qualities but he also has...

The conflict between Antonio and Shylock arises partly from religion and partly from economic causes. Antonio wants to borrow money from Shylock, who is employed as a moneylender. While he needs...

The trial is perhaps the most crucial scene in the play. In Act IV, Scene I, Shylock demands the right to cut a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body. The court’s decision determines Antonio’s fate....

When the audience first meets Portia, she is lamenting her difficult situation to Nerissa at her palace in Belmont. Portia expresses her displeasure by telling Nerissa, O me, the word “choose!” I...

The reference to Janus comes in Act I, Scene 1—Antonio is complaining because he is sad, but does not know why, and Salanio and Salarino are making suggestions as to the possible causes of his...

In Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, Shylock tries to defend the charging of interest by referring to a Biblical story in the Old Testament. The story he refers to is Jacob taking care of his...

When the Prince of Morocco first appears in Williams Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice as a suitor to Portia, a beautiful and wealthy heiress, the Prince seems to want to impress her with his...

When Shylock appears before the Duke, his initial mood can best be described as vengeful. He takes an uncompromising stance and wishes to exact his revenge. Even when the Duke asks him to be...

While Portia does not seem to dislike the Prince of Morocco as she does the foolish Arragon, she certainly did not want to marry him. Her comment after he chooses the incorrect casket demonstrates...

Shylock is a usurer who mercilessly exploits his victims. His relationship with Antonio is a contentious one because Antonio has denounced Shylock in public, and he has rescued many from their...

Portia, disguised as a doctor, cleverly manipulates the law to show that Shylock isn't entitled to spill any of Antonio's blood although he's entitled to Antonio's flesh. If he does, his land and...

In The Merchant of Venice, Antonio is unable to pay his bond to Shylock and Shylock is therefore claiming his "equal pound of your fair flesh" (I.iii.144) from Antonio which is the forfeit to which...

As we are limited in space, here are a few ideas to help you understand the passage better and help get you started:Jessica is the daughter of Shylock, the rich Jew that Launcelot was employed...

Bassanio needs money to woo the wealthy Portia. He asks his friend Antonio, a wealthy merchant, for a loan. Antonio's money is tied up in merchant ships carrying back goods from different parts of...

In act 3, scene 1, Solanio informs Salarino that there are rumors throughout the Rialto that confirm Antonio has lost a ship with expensive cargo in the English Channel on the Goodwin Sands, which...

In act three, scene one, Salarino asks Shylock what good it will be to receive a pound of Antonio's flesh, and Shylock responds by saying that he will use the merchant's flesh as fish bait. Shylock...

The title of the play seems to refer specifically to Antonio, who is indeed the Venetian merchant of the story. This is odd, as Antonio is more of a secondary character, remaining offstage and...