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The Merchant of Venice

‘The Merchant of Venice’ is one of Shakespeare’s most widely-read plays. The play is set in the sixteenth century, with Antonio, Bassanio, Portia, and Shylock as the main characters of the story. Bassanio is a wealthy prince who lost all his money but wants to seek the hand of Portia, a wealthy heiress in marriage. To do this, he needs a loan, and he approaches Antonio, a Christian lender who does not believe in usury. Unfortunately, Antonio committed all his money on a shipping investment but promises to guarantee Bassanio’s loan from Shylock. Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who has no mercy on his debtors if they fail to repay their loans. Shylock despise Antonio because Antonio practices his business differently, lending money without interest and repaying some of Shylock’s debts. In 2004, Michael Radford made a film based on the play. He tried to adapt the play to the modern audiences by changing aspects such as the language used in the play (Magnus), but the major themes of gender, money and justice remain the same in both the film and play.

One of the significant points of contention in The Merchant of Venice is the character of Shylock. In the original play, Shakespeare presents Shylock as a ruthless and bloodthirsty Jew, intent upon causing harm and suffering to those who could not repay his money. Many have argued that Shakespeare was either anti-Semitic or tried to expose the anti-Semitism in Venice at the time. Radford tried to change this view of Shylock, but this proved a difficult task (Magnus). In contrast to this, Antonio is presented as a merciful and understanding Christian, lending money at no interest showing that his main aim was helping others.

The central theme in both the play and the film is money. Bassanio lost all his wealth, yet he wanted to woo Portia and get access to her wealth. Bassanio is forced to take a loan from Shylock when Antonio cannot lend him any money. Antonio stands in as a guarantor for Bassanio, promising Shylock a pound of flesh if he failed to repay the loan on time (Gale). Antonio’s investment is lost at sea, and Shylock insists on the pound of flesh he had been promised. The whole play revolves around the theme of money, and how it affects other areas of the character’s lives such as love, family and friendship. Connected to the topic of money is the theme of justice, presented similarly in both the play and the film. Justice mainly relates to the situation between Antonio and Shylock. Shylock is Jewish, and he believes in the Old Testament which emphasizes following the law to the letter. Antonio’s Christian beliefs are based on the New Testament that focuses on mercy. Which direction will ensure that justice prevails? Shylock is unjust because he refused to take Bassanio’s money and instead insisted on a pound of Antonio’s flesh, motivated by his long-standing hatred for Antonio.

The theme of gender is also evident and remains similar in both the play and the film. Shakespeare challenged the idea that women should be subservient and submissive as per sixteenth-century standards. Instead, the women in The Merchant of Venice defy stereotypes and show strength. An example of this is Portia and Nerissa who had the courage to disguise themselves and defend Antonio against Shylock (Gale). In conclusion, the film retains many of the themes found in the original play, ‘The Merchant of Venice.’ The themes of gender, money and justice are the base around which the plot of the play revolves, and Radford did a spectacular job showcasing these themes.

Works Cited

Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide for William Shakespeare’s” The Merchant of Venice”. Gale, Cengage Learning, 2016.

Magnus, Laury. “Michael Radford’s The Merchant of Venice and the Vexed Question of Performance.” Literature/Film Quarterly 35.2 (2007): 108.