Book Review of The Merchant of Venice

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE introduces Bassanio, who wants to woo Portia, but needs more money. So he tries to borrow money from his kind friend Antonio, who lends money for no interest. But Antonio's ships haven't arrived yet, so they borrow from Shylock, who lends money for interest. But Portia's father only allows the man who solves his riddle to marry her daughter. While other men have failed, Bassanio takes the chance and succeeds. While he marries Portia, his friend Gratanio marries Portia's maid, Nerissa. However, Antonio's ships haven't arrived in one month, so he takes the punishment of having one pound of flesh taken. Portia and Nerissa are disguised as the lawyer and clerk at the court. Portia reasons that Shylock must take out one pound, no less or more, and not shed any blood, or he will die. Shylock doesn't dare do it, but Portia reasons that since he has betrayed the law, all his money and properties will be taken from him. After that, Shylock's daughter and Lorenzo elope and marry.

Antisemitism is the main cause that led to Shylock’s hate for Antonio and such a series of events in the court. Antisemitism is when Jewish people are mistreated and hated, and discrimination is held against them. In the novel, the unusual part of the contract is created majorly by antisemitism and the hatred towards Shylock, who is a Jew. Jewish people at that time were treated unequally by everyone else and weren’t able to do many jobs. They were only able to do abnormal jobs, like Shylock, who got money from lending people money for interest. Shylock, therefore, hates Antonio, as he lends money without interest and takes away all of Shylock’s customers. Antonio lends money without interest mainly as he has a big business and doesn’t need interest, unlike Shylock. At that time, everyone, including Antonio, hated Jewish people like Shylock, no matter what. Antonio would talk disrespectful to and about Shylock, making Shylock hate him even more. If someone cannot return lent money at the deadline, most people would want them to return or give the money when they do have enough. However, Shylock’s hatred for Antonio makes him want one pound of flesh from his chest, and if he did that, Antonio would die eventually. The unusuality of the contract is mainly led by antisemitism, the hatred for Jewish people. Antisemitism can lead to many big happenings and problems that could change the future of anyone.

Mercy is a complex theme that can be put on different people in different ways and amounts, generally depending on people’s personalities. Mercy is mostly given to people with a good reputation and a kind personality, instead of ones with a mean heart and no sympathy. In the novel, different assortments of mercy are shown during Antonio’s trial at the court. Shylock and Antonio have opposite personalities and reputations in their area. While Shylock is always profiting, mistreats his daughter, and has no friends, Antonio is generous, kind-hearted, and has many friends. That’s why during the court, the Dutch ruler, the lawyer, and most of the audience beg Shylock to show mercy, but he doesn’t. Then, the lawyer outsmarts Shylock and Shylock no longer wants to kill Antonio, and as he doesn’t obey the law, he should have died as a punishment. However, the Christians claim they will show mercy on Shylock and take all his possessions away instead. Though Shylock asks to be killed as he will no longer live for anything, his possessions are still taken away. The Christians claim that they showed mercy on him, but he himself doesn’t want the mercy and wants to die. Because of this, the Christians might haven’t truly given mercy to Shylock, therefore emphasizing fake mercy. Mercy differs for different types of people, showing either real or “fake mercy”.

Hatred and revenge could cause major consequences for both the person creating it and the person who is taken over by it. When it comes to revenge, people can go as far as manipulating the law, like Shylock, because of their hatred for someone. In the novel, Shylock hates Antonio more than anything, as he is not only disrespectful to Shylock, but is also stealing Shylock’s only business, by lending money free of interest, unlike Shylock. Therefore, Shylock has become nearly traumatized because of his ever-lasting hatred for Antonio; he gets so far that he ends up getting his own consequences when trying to take advantage of the law to get rid of Antonio. Everyone, especially a kind-hearted man like Antonio, doesn’t deserve to die just because they couldn’t pay off some bills. Shylock manipulated the law and used it as a “tool” to get revenge on Antonio. However, during the trial, Antonio’s lawyer, Balthazar (or Portia in disguise), manages to outsmart Shylock, causing him to have the consequences. The great power and how quickly revenge can manipulate people can cause extreme problems and damages to people’s lives. Revenge and hatred are some of the most manipulative types of cruelty, which can cause people like Shylock to go way beyond the line, leading to great consequences and changes to people’s futures.

In THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, Bassanio and Antonio borrow money from Shylock in order to let Bassanio woo Portia; but in the deadline, Antonio doesn’t have enough money, and so as part of the contract, Shylock could take one pound of flesh from Antonio’s chest. Portia, the disguised lawyer, outsmarts him, causing him to lose all his possessions. Shylock’s unusual contract is crated majorly by antisemitism, where the Jews, like Shylock, are mistreated. His only business is made by lending money for interest, but when Antonio started lending money free of interest, he took Shylock’s business. Therefore, it cause Shylock to attempt to kill Antonio, but faces the consequences instead. Mercy differs on many people’s personalities and reputation, creating the concepts of real mercy and fake mercy. Hatred and revenge can cause people like Shylock to cross the line; therefore manipulating the law and facing the extreme consequences.