Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice

Central Idea of the Play “The Merchant of Venice”

By: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Teacher, Damphu Central School.

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The play “The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare was written between 1596 and 1598. The play centrally focuses on the nature of racial and religious interactions. The main topic of discussion in the play is the significant differences between Jews and Christians.

In the play “The Merchant of Venice” Shakespeare has employed his most memorable and complex character where Antonio takes the major roles. In contrary, most audiences are fascinated by the character Shylock who is a Jew by birth and wants to sue Antonio for a “pound of flesh” in return for the unpaid dues. On the other stand, Portia, the wealthy heiress wants to save Antonio’s life, she being married to Bassanio who is Antonio’s friend.

Shylock in the play is Shakespeare’s villain who appears to be the Elizabethan caricature of the cruel and hated Jew. He is complex by nature with merciless cruelty and a strict commitment to the letter of the law but found to be broken at the end of the play. On the other end, like Shylock, Portia too is bound by the strict devotion to the law. For instance, she is to marry a man according to the correct choice of the casket made by her suitors, according to her father’s will. Nevertheless, Bassanio chooses the correct casket from where she acquires an idea of the law to free Antonio technically from the charges of Shylock. But her appearance in the court in man’s dress to forecast her brilliancy exhibit the prejudices and restrictions of Venetian society. The play ends happily with Shylock’s earlier exit.