The Merchant Of Venice Essay

neither a comedy, romance nor tragedy. Due to the nature of the play, it cannot be classified by any one genre. This play dates to somewhere between 1595 and 1600 (N.p., 2016), when William Shakespeare was producing some 12 plays including this play. “The Merchant of Venice” would be more properly referred to as a problem play, which means it raises far more questions than it answers. Having a total of three main plot lines; the Shylock-Antonio bond, the Portia-Bassanio romance, and the ring trick, this complicated play show us the relationships between mercy and justice, love and honesty. The play has several main characters that play into several different threads of the story. The introduction of the play starts with gloomy Antonio, a merchant whose love for his friend Bassanio prompts him to sign a contract and almost lose his life, then Gratiano who falls in love with and eventually …show more content…
When Antonio’s ships fail to return, leaving him unable to re-pay the debt owed to Shylock. Shylock not surprised by the events demands justice, and by justice I mean a pound of Antonio’s flesh. As Shakespeare does in romantic plays, it is the heroine that uses her intellect to solve the problem. Unlike most heroines portrayed in Shakespearian plays, Portia lacks moral sophistication. Portia cautions Shylock to show mercy, and she then reminds shylock and the audience that “earthly power doth then show likest God’s / When mercy seasons justice.” (Shakespeare, 1569) The clever Portia catches Shylock in a bind, he is due a pound of flesh, but he cannot spill one drop of blood. Then she proceeds to humiliate Shylock as she taunts him, saying that he in open court rejected the principal so he shall go home empty handed. For the populations of Venice and Belmont, mercy is the just due who are of likened appearance, behavior, beliefs, and