Mercy and Justice

We hear a lot about Mercy in this play. It is held up as an ideal, especially in Portia's famous courtroom speech:

The quality of mercy is not strained:It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven.Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed:It blessed him that gives, and him that takes.

Shylock on the other hand is determined to get revenge on Antonio. Even when offered money his hatred and need for revenge are paramount.

My deed upon my head! I crave the law,The penalty and forfeit of my bond.

We see here two differing ideas about the relationship between mercy and justice. In Elizabethan times Portia would have been seen as representing the Christian idea of mercy. The New Testament advocates that Christians should "turn the other cheek" rather than exact revenge from the the person who has wronged them. Shylock's view of justice is the complete opposite: it is "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" - which interestingly is an idea of justice which can be derived from the Old Testament.

Shylock also believes that Christians are hypocritical about their mercy - that in reality they are as keen on revenge as he is: "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!" (Do you agree with Shylock's argument? Shylock has clearly had experience of a Christian 'justice' which discriminates against Jews.)

The end of the play could be interpreted as underlining Shylock's point. Portia makes a very persuasive speech about mercy, yet when it come to deal out justice, she is less generous than her words. She emphasises that Shylock shall have "all justice" - and catches him out as she knows the law better than he does. Portia refuses to let Shylock back out of the deal, saying "He shall have merely justice and his bond". Just as Shylock missed his chance to be merciful, so Portia comes back with the full weight of the laws against him and shows no mercy. Having begged Shylock to show mercy to Antonio, she seems less than merciful to him. So - to what extent does Portia actually demonstrate justice and mercy?

Here are some other questions to ask yourself about Justice and Mercy in the play:

 To what extent do the Duke and Antonio show justice and mercy to Shylock at the end of the trial? The law states that Shylock can be put to death for plotting against a Venetian and his wealth confiscated. The Duke allows him his life, and Antonio allows him to keep his half of his wealth - but Antonio forces him to become a Christian and makes him bequeath his fortune to Jessica and Lorenzo.  Do you think that it is just that a Christian court should try a Jew?  The Duke, officially in charge of trying the case, is obviously on Antonio's side: at the start of the trial he sympathises with Antonio, saying that Shylock is "an inhuman wretch, / Incapable of pity, void and empty / From any dram of mercy." Given that attitude, is it ever likely that Shylock will get a fair hearing?  You could also consider justice and mercy in a broader sense. For example, you could ask yourself whether it was just that Portia's father prevented her from marrying someone of her choice, or whether Portia and Nerissa were fair to trick Bassanio and Gratiano with the rings.

Appearance and Reality

There are many instances in the play when all is not quite as it seems. We, the audience, are aware of the disguises and deceptions with which some of the characters are involved.

 Lancelot deceives his blind father, pretending that he is not his son.  Jessica dresses up as a boy in order to elope with Lorenzo.  Portia and Nerissa disguise themselves as Balthazar and his clerk in order to attend the trial.  Portia and Nerissa then develop the deceit so that they can test their husbands.

It is clear that we should not judge by appearances! Do you think that it is fair to deceive others, even for 'honourable' motives? Are there any characters in the play who, in your opinion, take deception too far? We could also question the 'appearance' of the Venetians - they call themselves Christians (and so ought to follow the teachings of the New Testament, loving their neighbours), but the reality is that they own slaves and persecute the Jews.

Value and Worth

Linked to the idea of appearance and reality is the idea of value and worth. The plot revolves around money, debts and payment. But do all things have a price? Can we put a monetary value on everything - even human life?

 Are the women in the play treated as objects rather than people by the men? It could be argued that Portia's father saw her as a possession to include her in his will; Shylock treats the loss of Jessica equally with the loss of his money - "My ducats and my daughter!"  The caskets are deliberately labelled with riddles, intending to confuse potential suitors. The gold casket contains the famous line, "All that glisters is not gold" which emphasises the idea that appearances can be deceiving.  When Bassanio is about to make his choice, he comments that "So may the outward shows be least themselves". The lead casket, which has the least monetary value, contains the greatest prize.  Portia tells Bassanio, "Since you are dear bought, I will love you dear". This pun on dear reminds us of a key problem that the play presents us with - do money and love genuinely go together?

Love and Hate

There are various types of love explored in the play. From which characters do we learn about the different sorts of love?

Love and Hate in The Merchant of Venice Type of love Characters

Love of a Antonio would literally give his life for Bassanio; Bassanio says at one point that he would do the same, and friend that he would give up his new wife for Antonio.

Portia has strong ties to her father beyond the grave: she respects and honours the terms of his will when she looks for a husband - even though she is very much in control of men in other parts of the play. Jessica has Father - less strong ties to her father, Shylock. She welcomes the chance to run away from his house and deny her child love religion. Lancelot seems to have broken the ties with his father, who does not recognise his own son when they accidentally meet in Act II, scene 2. Yet he does recognise him for his blessing and they are happy to have met.

Portia marries Bassanio. Is he as in love with her as she is with him? (Remember his motives for marrying Romantic / her!) Nerissa marries Gratiano. They hardly know each other when they marry - will it last? Jessica marries married love Lorenzo. They come from very different backgrounds - will it last?

Which type of love is shown to be the strongest in the play? What about the tensions in some of the relationships? What is Shakespeare telling us about the nature of love?

You could also comment on the love of possessions: would you say that Shylock loves money?

Yet the play is also full of hatred.

 Christians and Jews hate each other at all levels of society. Even Lancelot says "I am a Jew if I serve the Jew any longer", as if being a Jew is the worst think he can think of. When Jessica escapes with Lorenzo, Gratiano pays her the complement of calling her "a gentile and no Jew" (even though she had not yet converted to Christianity).  This hatred fuels Shylock and Antonio's personal feud. We know that it has been going on a long time because Shylock speaks of an "ancient grudge" between them.  Shylock's hatred for Antonio causes him to seek revenge rather than be merciful.

Which proves to be stronger, love or hate? Do you think that the play provides an answer? (It is worth considering that some productions miss out the final act and finish the play at the end of the trial. How would that alter what the play shows us about love and hate?)