THE MERCHANT OF VENICEWilliam Shakespeare

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PLOTBassanio, a noble but poor Venetian, ask his friend Antonio, a rich merchant, for 3.000 ducats; but Antonio, as he spent all this money for his ships which are now in the sea, borrows the necessary to help Bassanio, from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, Shylock demands as penality one pound of flesh from Antonio's body. Meanwhile Lorenzo a friend of Bassanio and Antonio, escapes with Shylock's daughter . Jessica. Then usurer in time: for this reason Shylock claims his penality in a court of justice, where Portia is disguised as a lower. For Sawing Antonio, Portia admits the validity of Shylock's claim, but states that he must out off his pound of flesh without spilling a drop of blood on he will be killed. In this way Shylock is forced to ask to mercy: the lawer permits him to live, but only if he becomes a Christian. At the end Antonio receives a letter which informs him that his ships are safe.

NARRATIVE FEATURES

Venice is an exciting, cosmopolitan setting for this Shakespeare’s play.The Merchant of Venice is technically classified as a comedy, but it's sometimes referred to as a "problem comedy" ,mostly because it's so controversial, or a "tragicomedy," because it shares features in common with comedies but also contains the kind of dark elements we typically find in tragedies.Generally speaking commoners, or "everyday Joes",like Gobbo and Lancelot, tend to speak like we do, in regular old prose.The noble characters mostly speak in unrhymed iambic pentameter,which is also called "blank verse".A "Iambic pentameter" is a kind of rhythmic pattern that consist of five iambs per line.The plot is a mixture of references to the fable story and courtly romance; in it the most important themes are: - law and the idea that law is equally applied to men  - Jew

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CHARACTERSAntonio is a wealthy Venetian merchant who occasionally lends money, but never charges interest. Since his main source of income is from his merchant ships, he is the "merchant" of the play's title.

Bassanio is a typical Elizabethan lover and nobleman who is careless with his money; hence, he has to borrow from Antonio so that he can woo Portia in style.

Portia is one of Shakespeare's most intelligent and witty heroines,she is famous for her beauty and for her wealth, and she is deeply anguished that she must marry only the man who chooses the single casket of three which contains her portrait.

Shylock is an intelligent businessman who believes that, since he is a moneylender, charging interest is his right; to him, it makes good business sense.

SECONDARY THEMES In The Merchant of Venice, Judaism and Christianity aren't just religions—they're constructed as racial and even national identities as well.The Merchant of Venice is structured partly on the contrast between idealistic and realistic opinions about society and relationships. On the one hand, the play tells us that love is more important than money, mercy is preferable to revenge, and love lasts forever. On the other hand, more cynical voices tell us that money rules the world, mercy alone cannot govern our lives, and love can evaporate after marriage.The play switches abruptly between these different attitudes. Shakespeare organizes the shifts between idealism and realism by associating the two concepts with the play's two locations. Venice is depicted as a city of merchants, usurers, and cynical young men. Belmont, in contrast, is the land where fairytales come true and romance exists.

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