6Themes

Merchant of Venice - Themes

A central theme of the play is money. For Portia, who has lots of it, money is almost an embarrassment and something that attracts many of the wrong kind of people (drunks, slobs and fools). (Note when in Act 3, Scene 2, Line 297 Bassanio tells Portia that Antonio owes Shylock 3000 ducats, she responds: "What, no more?/Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond[make it worthless]./Double six thousand, and then treble that"). For Shylock, money seems to be less important than revenge. Antonio, a wealthy and successful merchant seems to be continually depressed; his wealth is not making him happy. Certainly, a reason why Bassanio wants to marry Portia is love but it is also to make money. As he tells Antonio, at the beginning of the play, he cannot repay Antonio but if he shoots another arrow in the direction of the one that he has lost he will find both. That is, if he spends more money [marrying Portia] he will be able to repay Antonio for everything.
 * Money**

All throughout the play, race is a very obvious theme. Even Portia, who seems to be a very smart and beautiful person cannot help being racist towards the Jewish minority in Venice. The Prince of Morocco seems to be well aware of what Venetians think of black people and his first words to Portia (in Act 2, Scene 1) are "Mislike me not for my complexion,/The shadow'd livery of the burnish'd sun,". Complexion is skin colour, livery is clothes, and shadows are dark. That is, do not dislike me because I have a dark skin. Note here, that the Prince of Morocco explains what he is [a dark skinned person] in a way that Portia should be able to understand and sympathise with. That is, he is a person who lives in a very hot place and can't help it that his skin has become dark. In much the same way, Shylock explains himself to Salanio and Salarino in a way that they should be able to understand and sympathise with (Act 3, Scene 1, Lines 52-58): "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?". As with Portia, explanations such as these seem to fall on deaf ears. Portia is very happy when the Prince of Morocco chooses wrong and has to go away; "A gentle riddance! Draw the curtains, go./Let all of his complexion choose me so." (Act 2, Scene 7, Lines 78-79).
 * Race**

Most modern girls would find Portia's situation unacceptable. She is very wealthy but has to obey the wishes of her father who has arranged to choose a husband for her. As a woman she can be unhappy about the situation all she likes but she is to be the possession of a man and all she owns will be his. As we see with the casket test, which is a lottery, any man will do so long as he has the good luck to choose the right casket. Nevertheless, just as Shylock speaks up for the powerless Jewish people, Portia often speaks up for the powerless women. She wants to choose her husband, she kind of helps Bassanio to choose the right casket, she helps Jessica (who has defied her father), and she even seems to outdo the men in terms of manliness in the courtroom scene.
 * A Woman's Role **

Revenge is a very obvious theme of the play. Love it or hate it but Shylock seems to make a very good argument for revenge. It is a natural part of being human ("if you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"). Christians do it and should not have any problem with Jewish people wanting to do it. In the courtroom scene, Shlock's desire for revenge is defeated by Portia but then Portia herself seems to take revenge on Shylock. She could have let him take the money but no, she uses a law that no-one but herself knows about to make Shylock give up his money and property and beg for his life. In doing so, Portia confirms Shylock's explanation of revenge: "The villainy you/teach me I will execute". The best example today of the stupidity of revenge is the conflict between Israelies and Palistinians. Both sides keeping taking revenge on each other and the violence never stops.
 * Revenge**