Themes, Motifs and Symbols in The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice explores themes of justice and mercy, love and friendship, appearance vs reality, and prejudice and intolerance. These themes challenge us to examine our own values and actions.

Throughout the play, various symbols and motifs appear, including the three caskets, the rings, and the pound of flesh. They add layers of meaning to the play.

Themes

Justice and Mercy

Justice and mercy are central themes in The Merchant of Venice. Justice refers to fair treatment, and in a legal sense, this is often decided by a judge. Mercy means to show forgiveness and kindness rather than punishing someone.

Shylock relentlessly pursues the pound of flesh from Antonio, saying:

“My deed upon my head! I crave the law,
The penalty and forfeit of my bond.”

He sees this as justice for the abuse that Antonio and other Christians have directed towards him. However, it could be argued that this is too severe a punishment as it would undoubtedly end in Antonio’s death.

In the conclusion of Antonio’s court case, it is debatable whether justice has been served. On the one hand, Shylock has tried to murder Antonio, and so a harsh punishment of him losing half his wealth seems fair. However, forcing Shylock to convert to Christianity is troubling to a modern audience and may be seen as unjust.

We see ideas of mercy when Portia tries to save Antonio. She embodies the Christian value of forgiveness as she pleads with Shylock:

“The quality of mercy is not strained:
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven.
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed”

However, no such mercy is shown to Shylock when he asks for money instead of taking the pound of flesh. Portia pushes for him to be punished by death for being an “alien” attempting to kill a Venetian citizen.

The fact that this law more severely penalises those outside Venetian society, as Shylock is as a Jew, highlights its unfairness and injustice. Some mercy is given to Shylock in that he avoids the death penalty, but the play ends with the audience questioning to what extent justice and mercy have been applied.

Love and Friendship

Romantic love is a driving force in the comedy. The three romantic couples are:

• Portia and Bassanio

• Gratiano and Nerissa

• Jessica and Lorenzo

Portia and Bassanio’s love story is the central romance. Portia is shown to value personality and true love above wealth and status, which the other suitors possess more abundantly than Bassanio. Their relationship, full of humour and honesty, is satisfying for the audience to see develop. It is also central to the plot as it is Bassanio’s love for Portia that leads to him borrowing money from Antonio, setting in motion the storyline with Shylock and his bond.

The elopement of Jessica and Lorenzo is also significant as it deepens Shylock’s hatred for the Christians, making him more determined to take his pound of flesh.

Platonic friendship is also explored in the play. Portia and Nerissa have a close bond, and the waiting-maid is humorous and caring when she consoles Portia about the unlikable suitors she encounters.

Antonio and Bassanio’s friendship demonstrates a strong platonic affection, although some critics view this relationship as driven by Antonio’s unrequited love for his friend. Antonio demonstrates his loyalty to Bassanio, not wanting Bassanio to feel responsible for his potential death. In a letter, Bassanio tells him:

“Grieve not that I am fall’n to this for you”

Bassanio also begs to see his friend one last time, accepting his fate of death but desiring this final comfort in his life.

Appearance vs Reality

Characters in the play frequently wear disguises and hide their true intentions. Portia disguises herself as a lawyer to save Antonio. The disguise gives her power that she otherwise wouldn’t have as a woman in this patriarchal society. She is taken seriously and her intellect is not questioned, which contributes to her winning the court case.

When Jessica escapes from her father’s household, she also dresses as a man. Once again, disguise is presented as a means of empowering a woman in a way that would otherwise be denied to her. However, she is “ashamed” of her appearance at this moment, and is thankful “tis night” so Lorenzo cannot see her as a boy. This reflects societal expectations of women’s beauty and Jessica’s fear that Lorenzo would no longer love her if he saw her without her feminine appearance.

Prejudice and Intolerance

Prejudice and intolerance are seen in the way that Shylock is discriminated against due to his Jewish faith. Antonio refers to Shylock as “the Jew”, and also uses derogatory terms like “misbeliever” and “dog”. Symbolically, he spits on Shylock’s “Jewish gaberdine” (clothing), showing his disgust for the moneylender’s culture.

The court case also exposes the deep prejudice in this society. Shylock is legally deemed to be an “alien” to Venice due to being a Jew, and the law punishes him more severely as a result. Also, his forced conversion to Christianity reflects the societal belief that Christianity was the more acceptable religion.

Portia is another character who faces prejudice. She has her life controlled by her late father and cannot choose who she marries. She lives in a state of virtual imprisonment as she waits for a suitor to pick the correct casket. One could argue that the test is designed to find her a better husband, one less concerned about wealth and status, unlike the suitors who chose the gold and silver caskets. However, she is still powerless to decide who she will marry. This reflects the position of women in this patriarchal society.

Symbols and Motifs

The three caskets

The casket test reflects the theme of appearance vs reality. The correct choice leads to true love. The wrong choice leads to a lifetime of solitude. There are clues for the suitors on the different caskets:

• On the lead casket, it says: “Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath”

• On the silver casket, it says: “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves”

• On the golden casket, it says: “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire”

The more selfish and wealth-motivated suitors typically choose the gold and silver caskets, enticed by their promises of gain. Bassanio chooses the lead casket as he realises that true love is about what you give to the other person, not what you take from them. In this way, Portia’s father has devised a test to bring his daughter a more loving and kind husband.

Rings

The ring that Portia gives to Bassanio is a symbol of their true love, rising above wealth or status. Bassanio unknowingly demonstrates his love for Antonio by paying Balthazar (Portia in disguise) with the ring for his legal fees. Portia then teases Bassanio by pretending to think he has been unfaithful for giving the ring away, saying:

“If you had known the virtue of the ring,
Or half her worthiness that gave the ring,
Or your own honour to contain the ring,
You would not then have parted with the ring.”

Later, Portia reveals that she was Balthazar and returns the ring to him, symbolising once more the solidity of their love.

A ring also holds significance for Shylock. When Jessica runs away, she steals her deceased mother’s ring. This devastates Shylock, and we see that it symbolises the love he has for his wife. His anger at having this taken from him drives his desire for revenge against Antonio.

The Pound of Flesh

The pound of flesh symbolises Shylock’s desire for revenge. e feels that it is a fitting punishment for the hatred and abuse he has endured from Antonio. He declares with determination:

“The pound of flesh, which I demand of him,
Is dearly bought’ ’tis mine and I will have it.”

It could also be said to represent Shylock’s view of the world in numerical values. As a moneylender who profits from the interest on loans—a practice viewed as immoral during Shakespeare’s time—Shylock is often associated with numerical values. Similarly, he shows a desire for this quantifiable amount of flesh, which will kill Antonio, over emotions such as compassion and mercy.