Fatma Zişan Yerli

190406056
IDE 302 Shakespeare II
14.04.2023

The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare is a tragi-comic or romantic comedy play on

the surface, but it includes the realities that exist behind the visible. In other words, since the

reality Shakespeare presents and the meaning he reflects are different from each other, an

iceberg description appears before us. For this reason, the play has protected its popularity

and importance for many year, which causes its being movie adaptation. Michael Radford’s

reflection as movie of the play contradicts in some parts with Shakespeare’s reflection. The

play encapsulates a serious manner, revengeful theme and complexed relations; on the other

hand, the movie presents, uncomplicated relations, and the reasons of being revengeful. When

the movie and the play are compared and contrasted each other, there are two notable

differences to be examined, which are the reflection of Shylock, and famous and complicated

relationship between Bassanio, Portia and Antonio.

The first and astonishing difference, in my opinion, between the play and the movie is

that while the play dehumanizes of Shylock, the movie re-humanizes by giving him

motivations. When the play is analysed, his being stingy, ambitious and revengeful side

appear. For instance, when Bassanio offers dinner with him, he immediately rejects him due

to religious aspects. If the background, which is issue of anti-Semitism, is not known,

Shylock’s attitude stays rude and unsympathetic because he directly expresses his hate to

Christians. However, Shylock’s hate based on not only religious notion but also economic

ideal. In those times, in Venice, “usurer” stands for who follows even a little interest in his

business. When Antonio’s business is questioned, he neither borrows nor lends. In contrast,
Shylock, like contemporary capitalist, intends to take every last penny of his money and has

an insidious ambition in this direction. At this point, Shylock's will for a flesh of Antonio,

which he presented in his deal, proves how dangerous his ambition can be. No matter what

the situation is, asking someone to pay for some money with his life-flesh cannot be called an

ordinary request. This makes him unprincipled and unscrupulous in his business. Apart from

his looking unethical in his business in the play, he has no feeling towards his daughter except

for his being stingy. For instance, his daughter, Jessica calls their home as a hell, and she tells

her being ashamed to be Shylock’s daughter. Shylock not only displays a demon figure on the

trade route, but also makes hell in the house, at least that's how the play touts it. In the play,

Shylock seems as if he has an infinite devotion on his money even if his daughter, Jessica, is

on the subject. For instance, when Tubal could not find Jessica, Shylock did not upset because

of his daughter’s gone, but he was sorry about his ducats, precious jewels etc. Even that he

says he will never see his gold again rather than thinking his daughter. In this perspective, this

makes him hollow-hearted in his family relation in the play. On the other hand, although the

play shows Shylock in a dehumanized perspective, the movie gives many reasons and justifies

his actions with reflections of emotions and religious notions. For instance, at the beginning

of the movie, Michael Radford presents information about intolerance of Jews in 16th century

Europe and Venice. Namely, the movie already begins by showing a defence mechanism for

the Jews and attitudes of Shylock. For instance, the first scene shows Antonio’s spitting to

Shylock without any reason. His revengeful attitude bases on the fact of his being outsider.

Moreover, his asking every penny of his money is his motivation in living Venice conditions.

This is because as it is stated at the beginning, the Jews were not allowed to have a property.

The only way to live in a suitable position in the society is to practise usury; in other words,

they lend money at interest. Moreover, while Shylock tries to cope up with both his

daughter’s gone and his being marginalized, Christians are presented in a joy scene. Besides,
in the trial scene, Portia makes a speech about mercy for Antonio; however, while Shylock is

in pain, which Al Pacino’s acting has a great influence, no one shows mercy to him.

Therefore, it is possible to say Shylock’s greedy for revenge is a reaction to these cruelty

approaches. It is an open question where there is any sign of mercy in leaving a man in such

anguish who has tried to carve his own path in a trapped life. If compassion were universal,

Antonio would have responded positively to Shylock's statement that we can remain friends

despite all the humiliation. In Radford’s perspective and Al Pacino’s acting, there is definitely

a support or a motivation for Shylock in contrast of the play.

The other difference between the play and the movie is love triangle, which consists of

Antonio, Bassanio and Portia. On the one hand, the play shows us a kind of rival between

Antonio and Portia, and Bassanio stays in the middle. At the beginning of the play, although

he says that he does not know the reason of his sadness, his mind is actually on the news of

him. For this reason, when Bassanio comes, he suddenly forgets this sadness and focuses on

Bassanio. Antonio as the lover has such a deep devotion that he feels rejected when Bassanio

decides to marry with Portia. Bassanio is either aware of this fact or blind to see feelings of

Antonio, which is unknown; however, in both possibilities, Antonio are aware of the fact that

he should be satisfied with Bassanio’s happiness. Even if the subject is to lose Bassanio as a

beloved one, Antonio’s feelings reflects a real love because he can endure Bassanio’s glowing

words to Portia. Also, when Bassanio narrates Portia, he states not only her beauty but also his

wealth. This emphasis might be commended as rivalry of Antonio because Bassanio seems

him like a friend. At this point, the bond symbolizes Antonio’s effort for Bassanio’s love. For

instance, while dealing with Shylock about the bond, Antonio says that he breaks his custom,

which is to neither borrow nor lend. However, for the sake of Bassanio’s happiness, he

destroys his norms. Also, in trial scene, the bond is equalized with “nearest Antonio’s heart”,

which proves the bond as a symbol of Antonio’s unrequited love. Since the bond has a role to
connect Bassanio and Antonio, the only one who can break this is Portia. As a dazzling and

affluent woman, Portia has already attracted Bassanio. However, her striking point comes

appear when Shylock’s fortune is reversed by Portia. Particularly, her speech about being

merciful, I think, is equal of Antonio’s bond because both of the issue touches upon heart, and

Bassanio is in the centre of this heart. Namely, on the one side, there is Antonio who

sacrifices himself for the sake of Bassanio’s bliss; on the other side, there is Portia who has a

certain victory on love of Bassanio. On the other hand, in the movie, this love triangle is

reflected as though Antonio and Bassanio has already have feelings each other, but Portia is in

a powerful position between their relation with her beauty and wealth. The detail that keeps

them away from the topic of friendship is that at the beginning of the movie, Antonio and

Bassanio's conversation takes place in Antonio's bedroom. Also, the looks during the

conversation are too charming to match the gaze of an ordinary male friendship, and their

kissing part does not reflect their friendship relation. Furthermore, in trial scene, the fact that

he offers twice the money for the bond with Portia's money, I think, reflects the love and

sacrifice that Antonio's has for him, while Portia can be said to be in a place that fills

Bassanio’s lust and his desire to a woman. Their love relation comes appear when Antonio’s

saying farewell scene because, in this part, Bassanio reveals his emotions to Antonio, and

Portia perceives this relation. In order to save him for the sake of Bassanio, she applies her

words power, as well. Namely, in contrast of the play, I think, the movie represents a male

love relation, and Portia stays in the middle of this relation.

In conclusion, The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare presents a man who acts in

accordance with his own interests and ambition, and as a result lost all his possessions, even

the religion he belongs to. Shylock leaves himself in nothingness while wishing so much for

someone else to lose. On the other hand, the movie shows a reason for all these evils,

revealing that there are situations that can actually cause a villain to be villain. Moreover, the
love triangle in the play puts Bassanio at the top, offering an implicit rivalry between Portia

and Antonio. This rivalry is like of who falls in love the most or who sacrifices the most for

love; however, the answer depends on different perspectives. In contrast to this, Radford’s

depiction is on the love between Antonio and Bassanio, which still leaves Portia as a powerful

position.