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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre)
- 809 statements
- 160 feature instances
- 146 referencing feature instances
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | page |
TheMerchantOfVenice | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | comment |
As the play is Older Than Steam and most twists in Shakespeare's plots are now widely known, all spoilers on this page are unmarked.The most excellent Historie of the Merchant of Venice. With the extreame crueltie of Shylocke the Iewe towards the sayd Merchant, in cutting a iust pound of his flesh: and the obtayning of Portia by the choyse of three chests is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written between 1596 and 1598. It is one of his most controversial, owing to its treatment of Judaism and antisemitism in Venetian society.Bassanio is of noble blood, but has spent all his money and is deeply in debt. His solution is to marry wealthy heiress Portia, whom he has visited before and wooed successfully. But his suit itself will require substantial funds, so he approaches his close friend Antonio, the eponymous merchant, who has lent him money in the past.Antonio's wares are out at sea, and he has no money on hand. But he's devoted to Bassanio and is eager to lend him anything he can get, and plans to use his reliable reputation to borrow money somewhere else. Bassanio finds Shylock, a wealthy Jewish moneylender.Shylock hates Antonio, partly for being a Christian, but mainly because Antonio publicly insults him and spits on him for being a usurer. So he agrees to the loan, and won't even charge interest—but if the debt isn't repaid by the specified date, he gets a pound of Antonio's flesh. Antonio's ships are set to return a full month before the money is due, so, despite Bassanio's entreaties not to, he signs the bond in a combination of antagonism, suicidal bravado, and desire to prove his devotion to Bassanio.Bassanio returns to Belmont to woo Portia, but he's got to get in line; half the single men in Europe want to marry her. Her father's will decrees that her suitors must choose from three caskets: one silver, one gold and one lead, as a test of character. The princes of Morocco and Aragon choose the first two and are sent away unhappy. Bassanio chooses the lead one, which is of course right. All is happiness as Portia agrees to marry him right away.But during the celebrations, Bassanio receives a letter from Antonio: all his ships have been wrecked, leaving him unable to repay the loan. To make matters worse, Shylock's daughter Jessica has eloped with Bassanio's (Christian) friend Lorenzo, and taken most of her father's money with her—so Shylock is royally pissed off and out for revenge. Antonio has been arrested and awaits his trial.Seeing Bassanio's grief at Antonio's plight, and impressed by the deep love between the two, Portia insists that her new husband return to Venice with three times the value of the bond (from Portia's inheritance) in the hope of dissuading Shylock. Unbeknownst to Bassanio, she follows him to Venice and disguises herself as a young male lawyer to aid in Antonio's trial...The Merchant of Venice is officially classed as a comedy. While during its original production it would have been seen as pretty funny (with a pantomime Jew as a villain who gets his comeuppance in the end), it was a comedy in the classic sense of having a happy ending, rather than the more modern humourous one. These days, it tends to be played and interpreted more as a straight drama, focusing on the antisemitic prejudices against Shylock. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_11187387 | type |
Gentile Jew-Chaser | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_11187387 | comment |
Gentile Jew-Chaser: Lorenzo has it bad for the Jewish Jessica, although he (and all the other guys) seem to regard Jessica's lovable qualities as existing in spite of her Jewishness. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_11187387 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_111f14e | type |
Proverbial Wisdom | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_111f14e | comment |
Proverbial Wisdom: Portia really likes speaking in proverbs, a habit which seemingly passed on to her servant Nerissa. In contrast to modern views, in Elizabethan era the abundant usage of proverbs was considered a sign of wisdom and sharp wit; besides, it is widely believed that the character of Portia was based on Queen Elizabeth, who was very much fond of proverbs herself. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_111f14e | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_121b3725 | type |
Age Lift | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_121b3725 | comment |
Age Lift: Some productions attempt to flesh out the Prince of Aragon by portraying him as an adolescent schoolboy who is accompanied by his mother and his tutors when he arrives at Portia's home to attempt her Engagement Challenge. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1282bf4f | type |
No Celebrities Were Harmed | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1282bf4f | comment |
No Celebrities Were Harmed: Some scholars argue that Shylock was inspired by Roderigo Lopez, the Portuguese "New Christian" (converted Jew) who served as Royal Physician to Queen Elizabeth, and whose trial and execution were tinged with anti-semitism despite Lopez's insistence that he was innocent and a Christian. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1282bf4f | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_12dc4d97 | type |
Greedy Jew | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_12dc4d97 | comment |
Greedy Jew: Shylock is a Trope Codifier in the western tradition, but in hindsight is actually a subversion. Within the play, Shylock is framed as a grudge-holding Loan Shark by other characters, but it's clear that he hates Antonio because the latter is an open anti-semite who abused him even when Shylock did nothing to him. Throughout the story he's motivated by vengeance, not greed, offering the initial loan to Antonio without interest to entice him to risk his life, and even demanding Antonio's flesh instead of accepting an offer of three times his money back! The only time he's really treated like a stereotypical greedy Jew is when Jessica robs him to elope with Lorenzo and he bemoans the loss of his ducats as much as the loss of his daughter. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_12dc4d97 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_12e2a068 | type |
Alone Among the Couples | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_12e2a068 | comment |
Alone Among the Couples: Antonio's eventual fate, with Bassanio/Portia, Gratiano/Nerissa, and Lorenzo/Jessica happily(?) paired off. This is the presumed fate of the Prince of Morocco and the Prince of Aragon. By failing the Engagement Challenge they have doomed themselves to a life of celibacy. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_141a6acb | type |
Madness Mantra | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_141a6acb | comment |
Madness Mantra: | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_141a6acb | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_14ed6ab7 | type |
Does This Remind You of Anything? | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_14ed6ab7 | comment |
The rings Portia and Nerissa use to entrap their new husbands, like rings in general in Shakespeare's time, are symbolic of female genitalia, in addition to their more obvious function as symbols of marital loyalty. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_14ed6ab7 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_15b2cab3 | type |
Tempting Fate | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_15b2cab3 | comment |
Tempting Fate Antonio's general attitude while signing the flesh-bond. Bassanio at the beginning of the ring plot: During the trial scene: of course Shylock's impassioned declaration, "My deeds upon my head! I crave the law," comes back to bite him. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1649e053 | type |
Your Mom | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1649e053 | comment |
Your Mom: Launcelot comes up with a whole bunch of these when he and Jessica discuss her parentage. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1649e053 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_177a6464 | type |
Genre Shift | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_177a6464 | comment |
Genre Shift: The first three acts are a mix of drama and comedy split almost evenly between the Portia and Shylock plots, while the fourth act is straight drama (despite some snarking from Portia and Nerissa) and the fifth act is almost farcical. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_177a6464 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1a3a91dd | type |
Say My Name | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1a3a91dd | comment |
Say My Name: Shylock says his daughter Jessica's name a lot in their first scene. One gets the feeling that he cares for her, but he's somewhat overprotective and possessive. "What, Jessica!" — "What, Jessica!" — "Why, Jessica, I say!" — "Jessica, my girl." — "Hear you me, Jessica." | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1a3a91dd | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1bf0adc6 | type |
Did You Think I Can't Feel? | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1bf0adc6 | comment |
Did You Think I Can't Feel?: One of the most famous examples: | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1bf0adc6 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1c79ae8c | type |
Those Two Guys | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1c79ae8c | comment |
Those Two Guys: Antonio and Bassanio's two friends Salerino and Solanio, who are always together. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1c79ae8c | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1dfbbf31 | type |
Heterosexual Life-Partners | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1dfbbf31 | comment |
Heterosexual Life-Partners: Antonio and Bassanio... Possibly. These days the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon itself portrays them as being in a romantic relationship, with Portia's full consent and approval. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1dfbbf31 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1e7487cd | type |
Breaking the Fourth Wall | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1e7487cd | comment |
Breaking the Fourth Wall: Launcelot does this pretty shamelessly, actually asking the audience to pay attention while he plays this awesome prank on his dad! | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1e7487cd | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1e98a5bc | type |
Upper-Class Equestrian | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1e98a5bc | comment |
Upper-Class Equestrian: One of Portia's unseen suitors, a Neapolitan prince, does nothing but talk about his horse and he is exceptionally proud of the fact that he can shoe it himself. Portia opines that this skill set may be the result of the prince's mother having an affair with a blacksmith. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_1e98a5bc | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_237404cc | type |
Ironic Echo | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_237404cc | comment |
Ironic Echo: Gratiano starts jubilantly quoting Shylock after the tables turn in the court scene. Since he's the Audience Surrogate and not really playing by the rules of drama, this quickly turns into an Overly Long Gag. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_237404cc | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_266a9dd6 | type |
Heel–Faith Turn | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_266a9dd6 | comment |
Heel–Faith Turn: Equivocally. Part of Shylock's punishment is a forced conversion to Christianity, but it's hard to take his apparent compliance at face value. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_266a9dd6 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_26ac510e | type |
Mythology Gag | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_26ac510e | comment |
Mythology Gag: Lorenzo and Jessica's plotline approaches a downright parody of Shakespeare's earlier Romeo and Juliet. They even have a balcony scene. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_26ac510e | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_26f924ef | type |
Court Jester | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_26f924ef | comment |
Court Jester: Launcelot Gobbo, who may become a literal jester during the course of the play.note After he's given his special "guarded" livery, his punning becomes more deliberate and he's repeatedly referred to as "the fool". Either way, he tells Jessica that she's "damned" and complains that converting Jews will raise the price of pork. Nobody seems to him too seriously. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_26f924ef | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_29d26001 | type |
Spoiled Sweet | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_29d26001 | comment |
Spoiled Sweet: Portia is the richest woman in the area (see Arbitrarily Large Bank Account), but she's also as kind as she is wealthy. When she hears that Antonio—who she's never even met—is in financial trouble, she offers triple what he owes to get him off the hook; later, she dons the guise of a male lawyer to save him. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_29d26001 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_2a090d00 | type |
Lampshade Hanging | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_2a090d00 | comment |
You'll find that the Christian protagonists do not act with any of the Christian values they so preach. This is lampshaded by Shylock in his famous monologue. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_2a090d00 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_2c1f1138 | type |
He Who Fights Monsters | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_2c1f1138 | comment |
He Who Fights Monsters: In the narrative, Shylock is shown to have legitimate reasons to hate Antonio but it also portrays him as an antagonist for demanding "A pound of flesh" as penance for not paying back the loan. Shylock explains how his actions are merely a response to persecution and abuse and not of genuine malice like everyone believes. It's understandable why he goes to such extreme methods to prove his point, even though it's far from justifying Antonio's death. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_2c1f1138 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_319e4a2f | type |
Even Evil Has Standards | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_319e4a2f | comment |
Even Evil Has Standards: Even Shylock is taken aback in the courtroom when Bassanio and Gratiano declare that they would sacrifice their wives to save Antonio. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_319e4a2f | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_31ae6183 | type |
Got Me Doing It | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_31ae6183 | comment |
Got Me Doing It: Portia's servant and friend Nerissa adopts many of her mistress' traits, including her sharp wit, her adventurousness... and her love for proverbs, which was considered a sign of wisdom in Elizabethan era. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_31ae6183 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_31fbee81 | type |
Money Dumb | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_31fbee81 | comment |
Money Dumb: The formerly wealthy Bassanio's absolute inability to manage his own money is what kick-starts the plot. He has frittered away all of his inheritance and is forced to take out a loan. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_31fbee81 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_326a44a1 | type |
Create Your Own Villain | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_326a44a1 | comment |
Create Your Own Villain: Antonio and Shylock have been at loggerheads because Antonio made repeated anti-semitic remarks to him and mocked him for being greedy simply because he accrues interest on his loans (something forbidden by Christian law). This makes what should have been a mild grudge into a psychopathic obsession for Shylock: | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_326a44a1 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3283f169 | type |
Coming and Going | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3283f169 | comment |
Coming and Going: It's subtle, but the correlation between sex and death is an important underlying theme. Look carefully at the language in Antonio's Final Speech—and remember, Shakespeare often used die as an Unusual Euphemism. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3283f169 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3322dd48 | type |
Hollywood Law | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3322dd48 | comment |
Hollywood Law: A contract that gives you the right to murder another person is not enforceable by law. This was true in Elizabethan times as well—though of course, the play is set in Venice (the codes of theater forbade representation of the Elizabethan court system and other institutions). | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3322dd48 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_373e2b9f | type |
Murder the Hypotenuse | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_373e2b9f | comment |
Murder the Hypotenuse: Inverted. Instead of letting Antonio die, thus clearing Bassanio of all his outstanding debts (both fiscal and romantic), Portia saves his life. As sacrificing himself for Bassanio seems to be all Antonio truly wants, this salvation is Portia's way of establishing control over Antonio and Bassanio's relationship—effectively neutering the hypotenuse. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_373e2b9f | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_396e1c2a | type |
Face Death with Dignity | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_396e1c2a | comment |
Face Death with Dignity: Starting from the line, "I'll follow him no more with bootless prayers," Antonio is bent on doing this. Unless, of course, he secretly wants to pay the bond. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_396e1c2a | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3d455888 | type |
Then Let Me Be Evil | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3d455888 | comment |
Then Let Me Be Evil: Summed up with a memorable line, spoken in response to Antonio's pleading: | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3d455888 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3d5c5deb | type |
Flat Character | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3d5c5deb | comment |
Flat Character: Apart from being a haughty nobleman, the Prince of Aragon doesn't have much in the way of a backstory or other characterization. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3d5c5deb | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3f7a958b | type |
Secret Test of Character | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3f7a958b | comment |
Secret Test of Character Sure, you can have the ring that my wife (to whom you bear absolutely no resemblance) made me swear to never take off! Bassanio nearly passed until Antonio persuaded him, which (alongside his earlier remark that he'd give everything of hers to save Antonio) shows Portia that she is not as important to Bassanio as he'd like her to think. The caskets are a test of character too, though you would have to be as dense as mud (or, apparently, as dense as a prince) to not spot that. Launcelot pretends to be somebody else and reporting that "Master Launcelot" is dead when conversing with his nearly-blind father Old Gobbo, to detect if his father can still recognize him with the little sight he still has, and tells him that Margery is his wife and Launcelot's mother, and he is alive and well. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3f7a958b | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3fca462c | type |
Deus ex Machina | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3fca462c | comment |
Deus ex Machina In-universe: When the laws of Venice are at a loss to save Antonio, a mysterious young lawyer suddenly appears and saves the day. The audience knows it's Portia, but to the court it seems like a miracle. In the final scene, Portia suddenly announces to Antonio that three of his supposedly lost merchant ships have returned and he is no longer bankrupt. No justification is given for how she found this out when he doesn't even know yet. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3fca462c | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3fe2b13f | type |
Ungrateful Bastard | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3fe2b13f | comment |
Ungrateful Bastard: Jessica not only runs away from home and abandons her father to a solitary life, she also robs him of much of his money and to twist the knife further, allegedly sells a ring he gave her that belonged to his wife—her mother—for a monkey. It's implied that Shylock might be an Abusive Parent, but that's still a pretty heartless list of crimes to commit against anyone, let alone your own father. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_3fe2b13f | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_407d3e6d | type |
Morton's Fork | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_407d3e6d | comment |
Morton's Fork: Launcelot describes being tempted by the devil to run away from Shylock. He then reasons that Shylock is "the very devil incarnation", so whether he runs or not, he'll be getting bossed around by the devil. Later, he breaks it down for Jessica: she's either going to hell because her father is a Jew, or else she's not really his daughter, in which case she's going to hell because her mother was unfaithful. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_407d3e6d | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_40cc0c7e | type |
Bittersweet Ending | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_40cc0c7e | comment |
Bittersweet Ending: In many adaptations, including the Al Pacino film version. Almost everyone is married and happy, but Shylock has lost everything, both material and spiritual, and Antonio is alone, with his best friend (whom he seems to have spent years pining for) married and living his own life. The film goes one step further and suggests that Shylock and Antonio are not so different. Jessica often gets one of these, where it's hinted that she misses her father.note The 2017 Bell Shakespeare performance in particular actually ends the play with her breaking down in hysterical tears of grief in Lorenzo's arms when she realises what she has brought on her father and Lorenzo remorsefully tearing up the deed that entitles him to inherit all of Shylock's estate on his death. Shylock's own ending is somewhat improved when you consider the Values Dissonance (the play was written in the Elizabethan era, after all) and realize that Antonio was actually trying to save Shylock's soul when he asked the court to force Shylock to convert to Christianity. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_40cc0c7e | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_4192763e | type |
Malaproper | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_4192763e | comment |
Malaproper: Both the Gobbos constantly use the wrong words. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_4192763e | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_434d893c | type |
Funny Foreigner | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_434d893c | comment |
Funny Foreigner: All of Portia's suitors, the Italian Bassanio excepted. She and Nerissa spend most of their first scene mocking the suitors with stereotypical criticisms of their nationalities. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_434d893c | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_453871ec | type |
What Could Have Been | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_453871ec | comment |
In a comic-relief scene, Lorenzo and Launcelot are bantering and it turns out that Launcelot got a Moorish woman pregnant. Launcelot makes a joke about it, and it's never mentioned again. A few scholars have suspected that the line is the final remnant of a lost subplot. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_453871ec | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_48c99e19 | type |
Death by Adaptation | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_48c99e19 | comment |
Death by Adaptation: Shylock sometimes falls victim to this when directors want to turn him into an all-out tragic figure; one notable production had him stab himself upon exit from the court scene. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_48c99e19 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_4b1afa0d | type |
Spiteful Spit | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_4b1afa0d | comment |
Spiteful Spit: Shylock notes that Antonio would literally spit on him as a way of showing contempt. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_4b1afa0d | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_4d044580 | type |
Motive Rant | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_4d044580 | comment |
Motive Rant: Shylock's famous "Hath not a Jew eyes?" speech. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_4d044580 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_4d395e81 | type |
Harem Seeker | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_4d395e81 | comment |
Harem Seeker: At one point Launcelot reads his palm and discovers that he's going to have fifteen wives. He feels cheated; he wanted at least twenty. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_4d395e81 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_4e20ce40 | type |
Returning the Wedding Ring | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_4e20ce40 | comment |
Returning the Wedding Ring: Inverted. Portia and Nerissa give rings to their new husbands as symbols of their love and fidelity, then disguise themselves as young men and trick their husbands into giving them the rings. Later, they confront their husbands and revel in their stammering excuses before revealing that they were the young men all along. Portia then returns her ring to Bassanio (through Antonio, oddly) as a symbol for their renewed commitment to each other—though it's also a deliberate power play. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_4e20ce40 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_50b05d30 | type |
Disproportionate Retribution | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_50b05d30 | comment |
Disproportionate Retribution: Shylock decides to enforce the terms of the loan in the most gruesome way possible because of Jessica's elopement with Lorenzo, which he wrongly assumes Antonio had a hand in. Antonio is a douchebag to Shylock, there's no denying, but that's hardly a capital crime. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_50b05d30 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_51561f43 | type |
Hurricane of Euphemisms | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_51561f43 | comment |
Hurricane of Euphemisms: | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_51561f43 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_517f8d71 | type |
Delusions of Eloquence | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_517f8d71 | comment |
Delusions of Eloquence: Launcelot Gobbo and his father, Old Gobbo try to use vocabulary that's beyond their level of education: | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_517f8d71 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_54bbe8ae | type |
Blind Mistake | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_54bbe8ae | comment |
Blind Mistake: Old Gobbo is half blind. As a result, he fails to recognize his own son and then mistakes his son's hair for his beard. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_54bbe8ae | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_5941d75 | type |
Beta Couple | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_5941d75 | comment |
Beta Couples: Nerissa and Gratiano and Lorenzo and Jessica, to Official Couple Portia and Bassanio. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_5941d75 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_59e5940e | type |
AnimalMotif | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_59e5940e | comment |
Animal Motif: Shylock has been frequently compared to a dog as an insult and he even calls himself a dog to threaten Antonio and his friends. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_59e5940e | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_5fcedca | type |
Big Eater | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_5fcedca | comment |
Big Eater: Launcelot, according to Shylock, is noted for gormandizing, and being a huge feeder. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_5fcedca | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_603f1a80 | type |
Pragmatic Adaptation | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_603f1a80 | comment |
Pragmatic Adaptation: The film version starring Al Pacino as Shylock opens with a montage to illustrate how the Jewish community is appallingly mistreated enough for Shylock to want revenge. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_603f1a80 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_605cf3f | type |
Something Only They Would Say | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_605cf3f | comment |
Something Only They Would Say: Launcelot identifies himself to his father when he mentions that Old Gobbo's wife and Launcelot's mother is Margery. Old Gobbo promptly recognizes Launcelot as his son. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_605cf3f | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_6106d967 | type |
Off the Table | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_6106d967 | comment |
Off the Table: Both Shylock's refusal to take three times the value of the bond after it has defaulted and Balthazar's refusal to let him take the money once he's been refused the pound of flesh. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_6106d967 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_619bc34b | type |
High-Class Gloves | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_619bc34b | comment |
Gloves in Shakespeare's time held a manifold significance. Like rings, they carried sexual connotations. They were status symbols; and as such a pair of gloves was a common courtship gift, so came to symbolize romantic initiative. And, of course, gloves and gauntlets were used to issue challenges. So it's very interesting that disguised Portia, directly after preventing Antonio from sacrificing himself for Bassanio, commands: | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_619bc34b | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_62df92d4 | type |
Involuntary Charity Donation | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_62df92d4 | comment |
Involuntary Charity Donation: After the trial gets underway, Shylock refuses reimbursement from Bassanio, reminding Venice of its unchangeable laws of precedent. Judge Balthasar (Portia in disguise) decides that Shylock is entitled to the one pound of flesh, but no blood can be shed and it cannot be even the smallest part higher or lower than exactly one pound or he forfeits his lands and goods. Afterwards, the court finds that because he sought Antonio's life, one half of Shylock's money will be awarded to Antonio and the other half will go to pay the Venetian treasury. Antonio urges the court to allow Shylock to keep half of his fortune, with the other half to be granted to Lorenzo and Jessica as a trust fund. In addition, Shylock must convert from Judaism to Christianity. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_62df92d4 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_680bb6b1 | type |
Hot-Blooded | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_680bb6b1 | comment |
Hot-Blooded: Gratiano is sometimes portrayed this way. At any rate, he's the most animated of the male cast. The Prince of Morocco is a very passionate man who seemingly lives for conquest and battle. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_680bb6b1 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_6849cc47 | type |
Where da White Women At? | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_6849cc47 | comment |
Where da White Women At?: One of the noblemen who tries to win Portia is the Prince of Morocco. She's relieved when he chooses the wrong casket and gets sent home, not least because of his dark skin. Later in the play, it turns out that Launcelot's been having some kind of offscreen affair with a "Moor" (and gotten her pregnant). | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_6849cc47 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_69c5fb9e | type |
Recursive Crossdressing | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_69c5fb9e | comment |
Recursive Crossdressing: Shakespeare was very fond of this trope. Male actors play women—Portia, Nerissa, and Jessica—who disguise themselves as men. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_69c5fb9e | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_69f8d6a0 | type |
Older Than Steam | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_69f8d6a0 | comment |
Older Than Steam: This play is the first recorded instance of the name "Jessica." | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_69f8d6a0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_6bda9a30 | type |
Meaningful Name | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_6bda9a30 | comment |
Meaningful Name Portia is the "port" towards which many merchant-like princes venture in an attempt to claim the "goods", her money and herself. It also implies a "portal" or means to an end, which her riches ultimately render her. She may also have been named after Portia, the beautiful and clever wife of Brutus, to whom Bassanio compares her. The name "Shylock" is possibly derived from shallach, a Hebrew word for "cormorant" which was also used to describe usurers. Regardless of original uses, his constant torment has made him shy, with a tendency to lock his true feelings and opinions away. "Gratiano" means grace, and can also be taken to mean "gratuitous"—his very existence is in excess. "Launcelot" means servant, which is, well, exactly what he is. In some productions his last name, "Gobbo" (Italian for hunchback) is taken as an indication that he has curvature of the spine. His name in the quartos and folios is spelled as "Launcelet" or "little lance", possibly referring to his sharp tongue or his sharp wit . . . or to exactly what you'd imagine. "Nerissa" is Italian for black-haired. Shakespeare may have intended to contrast her, a more traditional Italian beauty, with the exotic, golden-haired Portia. "Jessica," a name Shakespeare coined, is likely meant to invoke the "jesses," or ties, by which captive hawks are secured. "Belmont" means Beautiful Mountain and is viewed as an earthly paradise, the place where the characters are happiest and (literally and figuratively) closest to Heaven. Some of Antonio's ships, according to Salarino, were wrecked on "the Goodwins," which means good friends. "Aragon" sounds similar to the word "arrogant", which is the Prince of Aragon's defining characteristic. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_6bda9a30 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_6f0fd7b8 | type |
Everyone Loves Blondes | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_6f0fd7b8 | comment |
Everyone Loves Blondes: Many lines are devoted to describing Portia's beautiful long blonde hair, which makes her seem exotic and desirable contrasted with the black-haired Italian beauties around her. She is however too cunning and sharp to qualify for Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_6f0fd7b8 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_6fb5cb83 | type |
I Gave My Word | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_6fb5cb83 | comment |
I Gave My Word: Shylock claims he swore a solemn oath that he'd have Antonio's heart in revenge for the wrongs done him as his justification for refusing even several times the money he is owed. As they leave her house after failing to win her hand, both the Prince of Morocco and the Prince of Aragon take time to assure Portia that they will keep the oaths that they swore to as a condition of entering the Engagement Challenge. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_6fb5cb83 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_72cc2b00 | type |
The Dividual | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_72cc2b00 | comment |
The Dividual: Salerio and Solanio. Although their existence as two separate characters is justified (it further isolates Antonio), they are virtually interchangeable. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_72cc2b00 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7464705c | type |
Arc Words | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7464705c | comment |
Arc Words: Content and satisfied recur throughout the play . . . always in situations that make the content itself somewhat doubtful. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7464705c | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7503483d | type |
Original Position Fallacy | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7503483d | comment |
Original Position Fallacy: Portia pulls the gambit variation on Shylock. She pleads for him to choose mercy, but he insists on the Exact Words of the contract, thinking it will bind Antonio to suffer having a hunk of flesh carved out of his chest. Portia then reminds him that it binds him to take a pound, and only a pound, and without taking any blood... which of course is impossible. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7503483d | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_772e049b | type |
Maid and Maiden | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_772e049b | comment |
Maid and Maiden: Nerissa is the Maid to Portia's Maiden. They both even go undercover together as men and keep the same dynamic. Nerissa is also officially Portia's waiting maid. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_772e049b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_772e049b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_772e049b | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7921ad77 | type |
Actually, I Am Him | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7921ad77 | comment |
Actually, I Am Him: Launcelot approaches his nearly-blind father Old Gobbo, claiming to be a stranger, and eventually telling his father that he's his son, who is alive and well. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7921ad77 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7921ad77 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7921ad77 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7a0374eb | type |
Impoverished Patrician | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7a0374eb | comment |
Impoverished Patrician: Bassanio comes from a noble family, but he has frittered away all his money (and quite a bit more borrowed from Antonio) and now needs to borrow more money to woo Portia, so that he can marry her and use his fortune to pay his debts. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7a0374eb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7a0374eb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7a0374eb | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7aba8180 | type |
Job Title | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7aba8180 | comment |
Job Title: Spoiler: it's about a merchant in Venice. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7aba8180 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7aba8180 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7aba8180 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7ac5c1de | type |
Unishment | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7ac5c1de | comment |
Unishment: It starts to seem that paying the flesh-bond (sacrificing himself for Bassanio) is exactly what Antonio wants. His extreme eagerness to hasten the trial and give Shylock his forfeit goes beyond Face Death with Dignity or Get It Over With. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7ac5c1de | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7ac5c1de | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7ac5c1de | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7e676cdf | type |
Engagement Challenge | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7e676cdf | comment |
Engagement Challenge: Portia's suitors must choose between three caskets to win her hand. If they choose incorrectly, they must leave Belmont, swearing to never again court a woman. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7e676cdf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7e676cdf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7e676cdf | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7fe29ba6 | type |
Symbolism | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7fe29ba6 | comment |
Symbolism: Since this is Shakespeare, any object or motif is pretty much guaranteed to carry plenty of connotations. The rings Portia and Nerissa use to entrap their new husbands, like rings in general in Shakespeare's time, are symbolic of female genitalia, in addition to their more obvious function as symbols of marital loyalty. Gloves in Shakespeare's time held a manifold significance. Like rings, they carried sexual connotations. They were status symbols; and as such a pair of gloves was a common courtship gift, so came to symbolize romantic initiative. And, of course, gloves and gauntlets were used to issue challenges. So it's very interesting that disguised Portia, directly after preventing Antonio from sacrificing himself for Bassanio, commands: | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7fe29ba6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7fe29ba6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_7fe29ba6 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_805deb6e | type |
Small Role, Big Impact | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_805deb6e | comment |
Small Role, Big Impact: Lorenzo and Jessica's elopement is what arguably pushes Shylock over the edge. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_805deb6e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_805deb6e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_805deb6e | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8409a385 | type |
Exactly What It Says on the Tin | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8409a385 | comment |
"Launcelot" means servant, which is, well, exactly what he is. In some productions his last name, "Gobbo" (Italian for hunchback) is taken as an indication that he has curvature of the spine. His name in the quartos and folios is spelled as "Launcelet" or "little lance", possibly referring to his sharp tongue or his sharp wit . . . or to exactly what you'd imagine. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8409a385 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8409a385 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8409a385 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_863fa679 | type |
What Happened to the Mouse? | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_863fa679 | comment |
What Happened to the Mouse? In a comic-relief scene, Lorenzo and Launcelot are bantering and it turns out that Launcelot got a Moorish woman pregnant. Launcelot makes a joke about it, and it's never mentioned again. A few scholars have suspected that the line is the final remnant of a lost subplot. Solanio disappears completely after Act III (and so does Salarino if he isn't Salerio), with both of them displaced as Antonio's companions once Bassiano and the others return to Venice. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_863fa679 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_863fa679 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_863fa679 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_87e4c9a2 | type |
Used to Be More Social | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_87e4c9a2 | comment |
Used to Be More Social: According to Gratiano, Antonio was not always this melancholy. Indeed, he has a loyal following of friends and acquaintances who are just now beginning to get sick of his gloom. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_87e4c9a2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_87e4c9a2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_87e4c9a2 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_88fd6847 | type |
Converting for Love | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_88fd6847 | comment |
Converting for Love: Jewish Jessica turns to Christianity for Lorenzo. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_88fd6847 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_88fd6847 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_88fd6847 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_890d4ef2 | type |
Humiliation Conga | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_890d4ef2 | comment |
Humiliation Conga: At the play's end Shylock has lost, in short order, his daughter, his fortune, his property, and his religion. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_890d4ef2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_890d4ef2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_890d4ef2 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_89a17726 | type |
Spell My Name with an S | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_89a17726 | comment |
Solanio disappears completely after Act III (and so does Salarino if he isn't Salerio), with both of them displaced as Antonio's companions once Bassiano and the others return to Venice. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_89a17726 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_89a17726 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_89a17726 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ace85ef | type |
Audience Surrogate | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ace85ef | comment |
Since he's the Audience Surrogate and not really playing by the rules of drama, this quickly turns into an Overly Long Gag. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ace85ef | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ace85ef | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ace85ef | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8cbd311b | type |
Good Angel, Bad Angel | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8cbd311b | comment |
Good Angel, Bad Angel: Launcelot's comedic moral struggle, in which he parodies morality plays of the time. In the end, he sides with the devil. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8cbd311b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8cbd311b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8cbd311b | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ed5c6e4 | type |
Asshole Victim | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ed5c6e4 | comment |
Asshole Victim: Traditionally, Shylock. To modern audiences, often Antonio. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ed5c6e4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ed5c6e4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ed5c6e4 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ff8d545 | type |
Kissing Cousins | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ff8d545 | comment |
Kissing Cousins: Debated. Bassanio is referred to once as Antonio's "kinsman" (which could denote any distant family relationship) in the first scene. Such a relationship is never mentioned again, and some scholars believe it to have been a mistake, especially since Bassanio and Antonio are necessarily of different classes. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ff8d545 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ff8d545 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ff8d545 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ffd5bdc | type |
The Penance | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ffd5bdc | comment |
The Penance: If Antonio is indeed homosexual, his eagerness for death could be due to guilt, either conscious or subconscious. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ffd5bdc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ffd5bdc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_8ffd5bdc | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_916c72b3 | type |
Rule of Symbolism | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_916c72b3 | comment |
There are three significant rings (the two from Portia's ring plot and the one Jessica supposedly exchanges for a monkey), one for each of the three female characters. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_916c72b3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_916c72b3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_916c72b3 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9203bf6 | type |
Arc Number | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9203bf6 | comment |
In the final scene, Portia suddenly announces to Antonio that three of his supposedly lost merchant ships have returned and he is no longer bankrupt. No justification is given for how she found this out when he doesn't even know yet. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9203bf6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9203bf6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9203bf6 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_950bbfa7 | type |
Take a Third Option | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_950bbfa7 | comment |
Take a Third Option: Instead of running away (thereby committing a sin) or continuing to serve his hated master, Launcelot enlists his father to help him switch jobs. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_950bbfa7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_950bbfa7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_950bbfa7 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_97d97c28 | type |
Revenge Before Reason | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_97d97c28 | comment |
Revenge Before Reason: In the courtroom scene, Shylock turns down the complete value of the bond—even doubled and doubled again—in favor of his revenge on Antonio. Can be played as a Villainous Breakdown, where the injuries Shylock has suffered are driving him to irrationality. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_97d97c28 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_97d97c28 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_97d97c28 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_97ee273 | type |
Momma's Boy | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_97ee273 | comment |
Momma's Boy: In some productions the Prince of Aragon is accompanied by his mother when he arrives at Portia's house to attempt the Engagement Challenge. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_97ee273 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_97ee273 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_97ee273 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9843be73 | type |
As You Know | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9843be73 | comment |
As You Know: | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9843be73 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9843be73 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9843be73 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_98d3f973 | type |
Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_98d3f973 | comment |
Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: Launcelot argues that Jessica might not be her father's child (but that, hey, she's damned either way). | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_98d3f973 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_98d3f973 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_98d3f973 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9bcd82c0 | type |
Took a Level in Badass | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9bcd82c0 | comment |
Took a Level in Badass: Portia, at first the typical love interest, goes on to save the day as the smartest lawyer in Venice. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9bcd82c0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9bcd82c0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9bcd82c0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9ed90b36 | type |
Elopement | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9ed90b36 | comment |
Elopement: Jessica runs away from her father to marry Lorenzo. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9ed90b36 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9ed90b36 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9ed90b36 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9f9b5a20 | type |
Arbitrarily Large Bank Account | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9f9b5a20 | comment |
Arbitrarily Large Bank Account: Portia's inheritance. While the rest of the cast is falling over themselves trying to pay back Antonio's bond to Shylock, when Bassanio tells Portia about it, her reaction is "Three thousand ducats? Is that all? Here, give Antonio the money. No, have twice as much. You know what? Just to be on the safe side, let's triple it." | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9f9b5a20 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9f9b5a20 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_9f9b5a20 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a0d9c2f3 | type |
Final Speech | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a0d9c2f3 | comment |
Final Speech: Antonio gets an epic one, directly after Portia asks, "You, merchant, have you anything to say?" Subverted when he doesn't end up dying at all. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a0d9c2f3 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a0d9c2f3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a0d9c2f3 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a63fd70f | type |
The Promise | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a63fd70f | comment |
The Promise: Antonio swears he will "be racked even to the uttermost" to finance Bassanio's pursuit of Portia. Needless to say, he is.note with a special pun on "racked," as a string of shipwrecks, or wracks, is what undoes him. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a63fd70f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a63fd70f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a63fd70f | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a7c91a10 | type |
Meaningless Villain Victory | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a7c91a10 | comment |
Meaningless Villain Victory: The court finds that Shylock's contract with Antonio is legally binding, so he is entitled to a pound of Antonio's flesh. The court goes on to say that Shylock is not, however, entitled to any of Antonio's blood. Since he couldn't take any flesh without also spilling blood, Shylock's "win" is rendered moot. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a7c91a10 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a7c91a10 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a7c91a10 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a8217606 | type |
Sweet Polly Oliver | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a8217606 | comment |
Sweet Polly Oliver Jessica dresses as a boy to elope with Lorenzo, with much chagrin. Portia and Nerissa later dress as young men to aid in Antonio's trial, with less. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a8217606 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a8217606 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_a8217606 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ab5eea65 | type |
Dramatic Irony | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ab5eea65 | comment |
Dramatic Irony: Rampant in the courtroom scene, when the audience knows that the mysterious young lawyer Balthazar and his clerk are in fact Portia and Nerissa in disguise. When Antonio implores Bassanio to tell his story to Portia: "And when the tale is told, bid her be judge . . . " She is in fact judging. Slightly later, after Bassanio swears he would sacrifice his wife to save Antonio: | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ab5eea65 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ab5eea65 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ab5eea65 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_acecb17d | type |
Chekhov's Skill | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_acecb17d | comment |
Portia's skill in doing this is combined with Chekhov's Skill, as she proves clever enough to find an Exact Words loophole in her father's challenge earlier in the play. The rules state that she isn't allowed to tell her would-be suitors which of the three chests contains her portrait...but there's nothing stopping her from getting some local musicians to give him a hint. She orders them to play a song that gives away the trick of the Secret Test of Character; Bassanio quickly figures out the clue and chooses correctly. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_acecb17d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_acecb17d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_acecb17d | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b53077b3 | type |
Take That! | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b53077b3 | comment |
Take That!: Portia makes snarky comments about various contemporary European nationalities as personified by her suitors . . . including her English suitor, who borrows fashions from other countries but has none of his own (a common caricature of the English at the time). | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b53077b3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b53077b3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b53077b3 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b5bd58a3 | type |
Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b5bd58a3 | comment |
Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor: "Rich Suitors, Poor Suitor" in this case; the whole plot is catalyzed by Bassanio, a nobleman who has blown through his inheritance, needing to borrow money in order to woo Portia. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b5bd58a3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b5bd58a3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b5bd58a3 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b707726f | type |
Hypocritical Humor | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b707726f | comment |
Hypocritical Humor: Solario and Salarino are all over this: Whenever Launcelot says something like "To be brief ... " or "I have ne'er a tongue in my head," you can bet that he's about to go off on a tangent. Not to mention that he criticizes his dad for not being "honest"—which means both "honest" in the modern sense of the word (and the line happens right before he runs into his dad and starts lying to him) or "honest" in the secondary Elizabethan sense of "chaste" (which he clearly isn't, either—he later criticizes the girl he got pregnant for not being honest). At one point the Prince of Aragon opines that the world would be a better place if titles and wealth were earned through merit rather than by being bestowed through birth. Aragon himself only has his title and wealth because he was born to noble parents. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b707726f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b707726f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b707726f | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b9c3de84 | type |
Bumbling Dad | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b9c3de84 | comment |
Bumbling Dad: Old Gobbo, who comes on, makes a few Blind Mistakes, gets a few cheap laughs for his malapropisms, and leaves without doing much. | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b9c3de84 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b9c3de84 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) | hasFeature |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_b9c3de84 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ba26aa0d | type |
Teeny Weenie | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ba26aa0d | comment |
His name in the quartos and folios is spelled as "Launcelet" or "little lance", possibly referring to his sharp tongue or his sharp wit . . . or to exactly what you'd imagine. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ba26aa0d | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ba5bbda5 | type |
Mirror Character | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ba5bbda5 | comment |
Mirror Character: There's a lot of literary theory on Antonio and Shylock as this. The play presents them as twin outsiders—Shylock as a Jew to Venetian society, Antonio as a "tainted wether of the flock" to the world of love and marriage. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ba5bbda5 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ba907fe2 | type |
Entitled to Have You | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ba907fe2 | comment |
Entitled to Have You: Morocco and Aragon both feel this way about Portia, mostly because they're princes and on her social level. This is why they're both tempted to chose the silver casket, labeled "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves". Morocco doesn't, but Aragon does—they both get sent home, and Portia marries the far poorer Bassanio instead. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ba907fe2 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_bacf8e98 | type |
Preserve Your Gays | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_bacf8e98 | comment |
Preserve Your Gays: Antonio, the titular merchant, is pretty clearly in love with his only friend, the dashing young nobleman Bassanio — so much so that he is eager to enter into a contract on Bassanio's behalf by which the penalty for defaulting on a loan is having a pound of his flesh removed, nearest the heart. Inevitably, he defaults on the loan and is bound to a chair in court to have the flesh removed, which will most certainly kill him — but at the literal last second, Bassanio's new wife (in disguise as a young judge) announces an Exact Words loophole in the contract and saves his life. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_bacf8e98 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_bcbf7aef | type |
Plucky Comic Relief | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_bcbf7aef | comment |
Plucky Comic Relief: Gratiano, Nerissa, and Launcelot all qualify. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_bcbf7aef | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_c335b9ec | type |
Irony | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_c335b9ec | comment |
"Gratiano" means grace, and can also be taken to mean "gratuitous"—his very existence is in excess. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_c335b9ec | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_c4ea54f6 | type |
TheyCallMeMrTibbs | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_c4ea54f6 | comment |
They Call Me Mr Tibbs: A large portion of Act II, Scene 2, is devoted to comedy based on Elizabethan usage of this trope. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_c4ea54f6 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_c5474384 | type |
Vow of Celibacy | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_c5474384 | comment |
Vow of Celibacy: Any suitor who attempts Portia's Engagement Challenge is required to swear an oath that he will not court, or marry, any other woman for the rest of his life should he be unsuccessful. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_c5474384 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_c75df49a | type |
Shout-Out | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_c75df49a | comment |
Shout-Out: Per usual for Shakespeare, there are allusions to Classical Mythology and The Bible sprinkled throughout the play. Most notable in Act V, when Lorenzo and Jessica spend several minutes comparing themselves to various mythical couples. Whether they realize the irony—all the stories to which they allude end tragically—is unclear. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_c75df49a | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_caa28b82 | type |
Cloudcuckoolander | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_caa28b82 | comment |
Cloudcuckoolander: Launcelot toes the line. He's usually detached from the action in one way or another—talking to the audience, messing with his dad, or singing strange song snippets. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_caa28b82 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d001c42c | type |
Anti-Villain | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d001c42c | comment |
Anti-Villain: When it comes down to it, Shylock is still trying to kill Antonio (with law!), but the play spends a lot of time showing the audience where he's coming from; see Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d001c42c | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d028e0da | type |
An Arm and a Leg | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d028e0da | comment |
An Arm and a Leg: Parodied by Bassanio when Portia demands the ring he has given away. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d028e0da | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d397657d | type |
Hoist by His Own Petard | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d397657d | comment |
Hoist by His Own Petard: It's Shylock's insistence on claiming his bond no matter what and to the letter that leads to his undoing when Portia puts impossible conditions on him claiming it—when he attempts to back down and just take his money, Portia points out that he has already repeatedly refused the money in open court and may only have his "justice". When he gives up on that, Portia then uses his plan to accuse him of attempted murder. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d397657d | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d52d28b6 | type |
Hypocrite | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d52d28b6 | comment |
Hypocrite: When Launcelot suggests that Jessica's best hope of avoiding damnation is that she was born out of wedlock, Lorenzo rebukes Launcelot for having an affair with a Moorish woman: You'll find that the Christian protagonists do not act with any of the Christian values they so preach. This is lampshaded by Shylock in his famous monologue. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d52d28b6 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d5921e22 | type |
Prince Charmless | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d5921e22 | comment |
Prince Charmless: The Prince of Aragon, Portia's conceited suitor. He doesn't express any love or affection for her, only that he believes that he deserves to marry her simply due to the fact that he is a wealthy prince. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d5921e22 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d9b43373 | type |
Not-So-Final Confession | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d9b43373 | comment |
Not-So-Final Confession: Antonio's heckuva Final Speech is an implied if not explicit Anguished Declaration of Love for Bassanio. But then he doesn't die like he expected to. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_d9b43373 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_dca70c44 | type |
Reasonable Authority Figure | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_dca70c44 | comment |
Reasonable Authority Figure: The Duke doesn't require prompting to show mercy to Shylock, understanding that he sees the folly of his wrath against Antonio, and once the proceedings are finished, he allows Shylock to sign the deed after leaving the court, seeing how thoroughly broken the man is and not wishing further public humiliation on him. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_dca70c44 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_dd92bf66 | type |
Warrior Prince | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_dd92bf66 | comment |
Warrior Prince: The Prince of Morocco, one of Portia's suitors. In his introductory scene he boasts about his prowess as a fighter and of his conquests on the battlefield. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_dd92bf66 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_df02a97f | type |
City of Canals | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_df02a97f | comment |
City of Canals: The better part of the play takes place in Venice. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_df02a97f | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_dfa71e43 | type |
Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_dfa71e43 | comment |
Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: Shylock is very easy to portray this way, though it's not really clear if it was intentional. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_dfa71e43 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e11b003d | type |
Translation Convention | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e11b003d | comment |
Translation Convention: Lampshaded heavily when Portia complains that she can't understand the English baron: | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e11b003d | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e12670cd | type |
Freudian Threat | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e12670cd | comment |
Freudian Threat: Shylock specifies at the initial agreement that he gets to pick where the pound of flesh comes from, with this being the snide innuendo. Returns in a darker sense when he declares that he wants the piece closest to Antonio's heart—put alongside the work's thematic juxtapositions of love, sex, and business, the suggestion is that locations of literal or metaphorical proximity would suffice equally well as the "pound of flesh" that lead to Shylock losing both daughter and fortune. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e12670cd | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e19e68 | type |
Cruel Mercy | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e19e68 | comment |
Cruel Mercy: Let Shylock live, but only if he gives up his religion and signs his worldly goods over to the daughter who betrayed him. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e19e68 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e34400ab | type |
Ambiguously Gay | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e34400ab | comment |
Ambiguously Gay: Antonio. His devotion to Bassanio is intense enough that he's willing, even eager to sacrifice his life for him, and he explicitly parallels his love for Bassanio with Portia's during the trial scene. In modern productions, it's rarely all that ambiguous. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e34400ab | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e3d2f2 | type |
The Fool | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e3d2f2 | comment |
The Fool: Launcelot ends up playing this, despite it being nowhere in his job description. His opinion on the matter seems mixed. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e3d2f2 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e4d079c1 | type |
Greek Chorus | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e4d079c1 | comment |
Greek Chorus: A lot of the exposition falls to Salarino and Solanio, who commentate on the action and interview other characters. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e4d079c1 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e539f64f | type |
Kill Him Already! | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e539f64f | comment |
Kill Him Already!: Gratiano, when the tables are turned and Antonio gets to decide Shylock's fate. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e539f64f | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e5421161 | type |
Expy | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e5421161 | comment |
Expy: Launcelot Gobbo is very similar, in name and nature, to Launce from Shakespeare's earlier play, Two Gentlemen of Verona. This could be an Actor Allusion, as the two Launces were almost certainly played by the same comic actor, Will Kemp. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e5421161 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e563bf09 | type |
Insistent Terminology | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e563bf09 | comment |
Insistent Terminology: Launcelot uses this a lot. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e563bf09 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e624f0e8 | type |
Suspiciously Specific Denial | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e624f0e8 | comment |
Sure, you can have the ring that my wife (to whom you bear absolutely no resemblance) made me swear to never take off! Bassanio nearly passed until Antonio persuaded him, which (alongside his earlier remark that he'd give everything of hers to save Antonio) shows Portia that she is not as important to Bassanio as he'd like her to think. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e624f0e8 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e68b72 | type |
The Load | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e68b72 | comment |
The Load: Shylock mentions in Act II, Scene 5 how Launcelot has become this to him: Later in the same scene, he hopes that Launcelot will become such a burden, that he would end up ruining Bassanio: | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e68b72 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e69efe7f | type |
Lysistrata Gambit | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e69efe7f | comment |
Lysistrata Gambit: Portia and Nerissa vow never to go to bed with their husbands until they see the rings. Of course, they're the ones who took the rings. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e69efe7f | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e8cae797 | type |
Freudian Trio | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e8cae797 | comment |
Freudian Trio Antonio: Superego. He's the most sensible of them and a voice of reason (when he's not being an ass to Shylock). Bassanio: Ego. He drives both the plots and tends to be a little self-absorbed. Gratiano: Id. He's known for not censoring his emotions and desires. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e8cae797 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e979656a | type |
Honor Thy Parent | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e979656a | comment |
Honor Thy Parent: Portia's deceased father has stipulated that only a man who has passed a test may marry her. She complains to Nerissa that "I may neither choose whom I would nor refuse whom I dislike; so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father. Is it not hard, Nerissa, that I cannot choose one nor refuse none?" It is not clear whether she is purely bound by filial obedience to her father or whether the latter stipulated in his will e.g. that she must respect the result of the test in order to keep her inheritance. Nerissa opines that "Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men at their death have good inspirations: therefore the lottery, that he hath devised in these three chests of gold, silver and lead, whereof who chooses his meaning chooses you, will, no doubt, never be chosen by any rightly but one who shall rightly love." In the end, the test works as it should, with Bassanio, who of all suitors was most pleasing to Portia, choosing the correct leaden casket (she does help him choose by having musicians play/sing him a song that hints to him not to judge by appearances). Shylock's daughter Jessica is less reverent toward her own father, having no qualms about eloping with Lorenzo, converting to Christianity for him, and taking off with some of Shylock's wealth, even buying a monkey with a ring her late mother had given her father. But even she shows some requisite piety when preparing to elope: "Alack, what heinous sin is it in me / To be ashamed to be my father's child! / But though I am a daughter to his blood, / I am not to his manners." | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e979656a | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e9e35e8f | type |
Exact Words | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e9e35e8f | comment |
Exact Words: Shylock demanded one pound of Antonio's flesh, and compounds this trope by insisting that he is under no obligation to provide a doctor to stem Antonio's bleeding as "it is not in the bond". It is arguably this insistence on following the bond to the absolute letter that inspires Portia to, while posing as a judge, inform him that he is entitled only to that one pound, no more or less, and only to Antonio's flesh—no blood can be spilled, otherwise the deal is void. Portia's skill in doing this is combined with Chekhov's Skill, as she proves clever enough to find an Exact Words loophole in her father's challenge earlier in the play. The rules state that she isn't allowed to tell her would-be suitors which of the three chests contains her portrait...but there's nothing stopping her from getting some local musicians to give him a hint. She orders them to play a song that gives away the trick of the Secret Test of Character; Bassanio quickly figures out the clue and chooses correctly. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_e9e35e8f | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ec9a5f50 | type |
Deconstructed Character Archetype | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ec9a5f50 | comment |
Deconstructed Character Archetype: The "merchant" figure was a common stock character of Shakespeare's day. He was one-dimensional and entirely preoccupied with his wealth and the jeopardy that wealth was inevitably placed in. In the first scene, Antonio is shown to be a deconstruction of this: he is not overly concerned with his fortune (though perhaps he should be), but is melancholy for other, more complex reasons. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ec9a5f50 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ef20dac5 | type |
Servile Snarker | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ef20dac5 | comment |
Servile Snarker: Launcelot, whose Ultimate Job Security allows him to pass snarky comments to his employers without retribution. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f0c4ce7d | type |
The Lost Lenore | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f0c4ce7d | comment |
The Lost Lenore: Shylock alludes to his dead wife Leah. It implies he still loves her. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f0e85546 | type |
Unbuilt Trope | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f0e85546 | comment |
Unbuilt Trope: It plays very much like one would expect a deconstruction of Panto tropes to. The villain is unpleasant and mean in all the ways you expect a panto-villain to be, but he's also the most put-upon character in the play: he begins as the underdog and ends stripped of everything, his money, his daughter, even his religion. With the exception of his murderous intent all other characters treat him far worse than he treats them, and they largely hate him simply for being a Jew. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f2877d9e | type |
IncrediblyLamePun | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f2877d9e | comment |
Incredibly Lame Pun: | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f46fb603 | type |
Pungeon Master | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f46fb603 | comment |
Pungeon Master: Launcelot, much to Lorenzo's annoyance. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f46fb603 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f6b2bfb7 | type |
Gold Digger | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f6b2bfb7 | comment |
Gold Digger: An uncharitable reading of Bassanio, who, while he later seems genuinely besotted with Portia, initially spends a lot longer extolling her money's virtues than hers. He introduces his plan to woo her as "How to get clear of all the debts I owe." | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f6b2bfb7 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f765e2d3 | type |
Dying Alone | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f765e2d3 | comment |
Dying Alone: This is the ultimate fate that a suitor risks when he enters Portia's Engagement Challenge. If he fails then he will be bound to live by a Vow of Celibacy and so he will never be able to marry or produce an heir. Thus when he dies, his line will be extinguished and he will be forgotten. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f8e1ddb6 | type |
Trickster Girlfriend | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f8e1ddb6 | comment |
Trickster Girlfriend: Portia, for Bassanio: she gives him a ring, asking not to give it to anyone else. Then, disguised as a male lawyer, she tricks him into giving her the ring as gratitude. At the end of the play, she pretends to be angry and accuses him of infidelity, then gives him back the ring and implies that she slept with the doctor to get it. Eventually, she admits that she was the doctor herself. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_f8e1ddb6 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_fb5ab090 | type |
Loan Shark | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_fb5ab090 | comment |
Loan Shark: Already an established trope that Shakespeare is riffing on. In a bit of a Memetic Mutation, the term "Shylock" is now synonymous with loan sharks. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_fbc54605 | type |
Riches to Rags | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_fbc54605 | comment |
Riches to Rags: Happens to Antonio when all his merchant ships are lost in a not-at-all contrived manner. The effect is reversed at the end when three of them unexpectedly return in an even less contrived way. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_fc151e9d | type |
Department of Redundancy Department | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_fc151e9d | comment |
Department of Redundancy Department: Used for drama in Shylock's speeches and comedy in Launcelot's. Portia also does this while humorously confessing that she's stalling. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_fc151e9d | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_fc4f3b4f | type |
Friend Versus Lover | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_fc4f3b4f | comment |
Friend Versus Lover: A major theme of the main plot and in sub-plots. Exactly who is the friend and who is the lover gets a little confusing. During the trial scene, Bassanio and Gratiano swear that, if they could save Antonio's life, they would give up everything, even their new wives. Little do they know that their wives are standing right there. Later, Bassanio refuses to give away his wife's ring... until Antonio talks him into it. It's nicely tied up when Portia refuses to give Bassanio back his ring until Antonio talks her into it. In the subplot, there seems to be a bit of tension going on between Lancelot and Lorenzo as to which of them gets to spend time with Jessica. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_fd94c4ac | type |
Theme Naming | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_fd94c4ac | comment |
Theme Naming: Solanio, Salarino and (if he exists at all and isn't just one of the other two with his name misspelled) Salerio. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_fe793a63 | type |
Last-Second Chance | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_fe793a63 | comment |
Last-Second Chance: One interpretation of Portia's actions during the trial; while masquerading as a young judge and admitting that Shylock is on firm ground with his claim to Antonio's flesh, she repeatedly attempts to convince Shylock to show mercy on Antonio, either by taking the money (three times the original loan) or simply for goodness' sake with her famous speech about "the quality of mercy". It's only when Shylock insists that he will not be swayed by any argument, and furthermore refuses to even provide a doctor for Antonio because "it is not in the bond" that she is forced to resort to trickery to snare him with his own words. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_fe793a63 | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ffad4e9f | type |
Shown Their Work | |
The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) / int_ffad4e9f | comment |
Shown Their Work: The Goodwins, where Antonio's ships are wrecked, are actually a real place where there have been over 2000 shipwrecks. British people play cricket on them when the tide is low enough. | |
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The Merchant of Venice (Theatre) |
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