The Merchant of Venice - Recap & Review (By Patrick L. Roque of 1D - PH)

                     One of Shakespeare’s plays is The Merchant of Venice. It is written in the years between 1596 and 1598. It is a comedy with a blend of romance and a twist of tragic element which overcasts the story if we look into it in another perspective. It is one of Shakespeare’s works that portrays  the time during the 16th century of how and what is the life of the people during this time.

                     The story and development of the characters in The Merchant of Venice is set in the place of Venice and Belmont in Italy during the time of the sixteenth century. The main characters in this story are Antonio, the merchant who is said as the kindest person in the world, his friend Bassanio, who pursues her love in Belmont, Portia, who played a big role in the end about mercy and law and Shylock, the Jew moneylender, who is the antagonist of the story. Shylock is a very unique character who is famed and plays a big role in the story unlike any other antagonists found in Shakespeare’s plays. The story is about Antonio and his friend Bassanio, who made a deal to borrow money from Shylock, the Jewish moneylender who has a deep vengeance for Antonio, in the condition of taking a pound of flesh of Antonio if he wasn’t able to comply with the deadline of repaying his debt, Bassanio’s travel in Belmont together with his friend Gratiano to win his love, Portia, who with Nerissa disguises and later on saves Antonio from Shylock by implying mercy and applying logic. In the end, Shylock’s possessions are given to his daughter, and the comedic revelation of Portia and Nerissa and their reconciliation with their partners.

                       

                    The Merchant of Venice is a wonderful piece of literature written by Shakespeare because it entertains the audience, including me, for its element of comedy, tragedy and romance together in one story and its prominent antagonist, Shylock, who has a unique aura to sympathize and dislike him at the same time, makes him a memorable character in the story. The components of the story and what they imply are interesting such as: Its witty logic portrayed by Shylock to redeem his pound of flesh from Antonio and how it backfired at him later on by Portia also shows how the law can be manipulated by words and logic and be taken to one’s advantage which is a usual thing that happens in our courts today. The part where Portia convinces Shylock to give mercy to Antonio and later on at the end of the trial where Antonio tells Shylock to convert to Christianity and his property be given out to his daughter instead of being punished implies the sense of mercy and acceptance of guilt of one’s action.
                

                         The play has still much to offer and I challenge you to at least read or watch the play itself and find more about what I mean and experience it yourself and I guarantee that it will be worth your time.