Characters (The Merchant of Venice)
This section looks at the key characters in The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare. The characters are intricately linked to the play’s themes of justice, mercy, prejudice, and love. Each character contributes to the development of the plot, offering different perspectives on key moral and societal issues.
Key Characters
Shylock
Character Overview: Shylock is a Jewish moneylender and one of the most complex characters in the play. He is often portrayed as both a villain and a victim. His demand for a pound of Antonio’s flesh as repayment for a loan makes him appear cruel and vengeful, but his motivations are rooted in the mistreatment he has suffered at the hands of Christians, particularly Antonio.
Shylock’s Character traits:
Vengeful: Shylock's determination to claim his bond from Antonio stems from a desire for revenge. His famous line, “If you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” captures his deep resentment.
Prideful: Shylock is proud of his Jewish heritage and refuses to bow to the prejudices of Christian society. However, this pride isolates him and leads to his downfall.
Victim of prejudice: He is subjected to constant anti-Semitic abuse, especially from Antonio, who spits on him and publicly insults him.
Sympathetic elements: Despite his vengeful nature, Shakespeare gives Shylock moments of humanity, especially in his emotional response to the loss of his daughter, Jessica.
Shylock’s Role in the play: Shylock represents the theme of justice versus mercy and embodies the consequences of revenge and intolerance. His forced conversion at the end raises questions about the fairness of the Christian characters' actions.
Antonio
Character Overview: Antonio is the titular merchant of Venice and a Christian who lends money without interest, contrasting with Shylock’s role as a usurer. He is melancholy throughout the play, and his strong friendship with Bassanio drives much of the plot.
Antonio’s Character traits:
Loyal and self-sacrificing: Antonio risks his life to help Bassanio, agreeing to the dangerous bond with Shylock to secure money for Bassanio's courtship of Portia.
Prejudiced: Antonio openly expresses disdain for Shylock because he is Jewish, frequently insulting him and spitting on him. His treatment of Shylock reflects the ingrained anti-Semitism of Venetian society.
Melancholic: From the beginning of the play, Antonio is portrayed as melancholic, though the source of his sadness is never fully explained. Some interpretations suggest that his feelings for Bassanio are more than friendship, adding a layer of complexity to his character.
Antonio’s Role in the play: Antonio’s bond with Shylock sets the central conflict into motion, and his willingness to suffer for Bassanio highlights the theme of friendship and loyalty.
Portia
Character Overview: Portia is a wealthy heiress from Belmont who is bound by her late father’s will to marry the man who correctly chooses between three caskets (gold, silver, and lead). She is intelligent, resourceful, and plays a crucial role in saving Antonio’s life during the courtroom scene.
Portia’s Character traits:
Intelligent and witty: Portia demonstrates her sharp mind, particularly in the courtroom scene where, disguised as a male lawyer, she cleverly outwits Shylock and saves Antonio.
Resourceful and assertive: Although bound by her father’s will, Portia finds ways to assert her agency. She uses her disguise to manipulate the court system and later tests Bassanio's loyalty with the ring plot.
Compassionate: Portia’s famous speech on mercy (“The quality of mercy is not strained”) reveals her belief in the importance of compassion over strict justice.
Loyal and loving: Portia genuinely loves Bassanio and proves her loyalty by taking matters into her own hands to protect his friend Antonio.
Portia’s Role in the play: Portia’s intelligence and actions drive much of the resolution. She represents themes of appearance versus reality (through her disguise) and mercy versus justice.
Bassanio
Character Overview: Bassanio is a young Venetian nobleman and Antonio’s close friend. He is in love with Portia and seeks to win her hand in marriage, though he needs financial help from Antonio to do so.
Bassanio’s Character traits:
Ambitious: Bassanio admits that he is initially drawn to Portia because of her wealth, showing his practical and somewhat materialistic motivations.
Charming and likeable: Despite his financial irresponsibility, Bassanio is portrayed as likeable and honourable. His charm wins over Portia, and his strong friendship with Antonio is a central aspect of his character.
Loyal: Bassanio is deeply loyal to Antonio, expressing regret and guilt over Antonio’s suffering because of the bond. He rushes back to Venice to try and save Antonio’s life.
Romantic: Bassanio’s love for Portia is genuine, and he proves his worth by choosing the lead casket, which reflects his ability to look beyond outward appearances.
Bassanio’s Role in the play: Bassanio’s quest for Portia drives the plot forward, and his actions reveal themes of love, friendship, and the importance of inner values over wealth and appearances.
Jessica
Character Overview: Jessica is Shylock’s daughter. She elopes with Lorenzo, a Christian, and converts to Christianity, betraying her father. Her actions raise questions about loyalty, identity, and familial duty.
Jessica’s Character traits:
Rebellious: Jessica defies her father by eloping with Lorenzo and converting to Christianity, suggesting her desire to escape the confines of her Jewish upbringing and Venetian society's expectations.
Ashamed of her father: Jessica’s comments about Shylock suggest that she is embarrassed by her father’s behaviour and his obsession with wealth.
Conflicted: Despite her rebellion, Jessica displays moments of guilt, particularly when she takes a large amount of Shylock’s wealth when she flees.
Jessica’s Role in the play: Jessica’s elopement with Lorenzo intensifies Shylock’s bitterness and desire for revenge. Her character also explores the themes of loyalty, identity, and the tension between familial and personal desires.
Gratiano
Character Overview: Gratiano is a close friend of Bassanio and accompanies him to Belmont. He is outspoken, boisterous, and provides comic relief throughout the play.
Gratiano’s Character traits:
Lively and talkative: Gratiano’s lively nature contrasts with Antonio’s melancholy. His exuberance can sometimes be insensitive, especially during serious moments.
Outspoken and blunt: Gratiano is not afraid to speak his mind, often making bold and sometimes tactless comments. He criticises Shylock harshly in the courtroom.
Loyal: Despite his loud nature, Gratiano is a loyal friend and supports Bassanio throughout his journey to Belmont.
Gratiano’s Role in the play: Gratiano provides comic relief but also reflects the play’s themes of friendship and loyalty. He marries Nerissa, Portia’s maid, reinforcing the play’s focus on romantic pairings.
Lorenzo
Character Overview: Lorenzo is a Christian and Jessica’s lover. He helps her escape from Shylock’s house and elopes with her, converting her to Christianity.
Character traits:
Romantic: Lorenzo is devoted to Jessica and helps her escape her father’s oppressive household.
Compassionate: His treatment of Jessica contrasts with Shylock’s harshness, and he expresses genuine affection for her.
Lorenzo’s Role in the play: Lorenzo and Jessica’s relationship explores the theme of love, as well as the cultural and religious tensions between Christians and Jews.
Nerissa
Character Overview: Nerissa is Portia’s maid and confidante. She is loyal to Portia and eventually marries Gratiano.
Nerissa’s Character traits:
Loyal and supportive: Nerissa provides Portia with emotional support and assists her in her disguise as a lawyer’s clerk during the courtroom scene.
Witty: Like Portia, Nerissa is quick-witted and offers humour throughout the play.
Nerissa’s Role in the play: Nerissa serves as a mirror to Portia, helping to resolve the central conflicts and embodying the theme of female loyalty and intelligence.
