Shakespeare explores serious matters through the genre of comedy.

With reference to ¨The

Merchant of Venice, DISCUSS the validity of this statement.

Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” is a complex play that certainly supports the

idea that he explores serious matters through the genre of comedy. While the play is categorized

as a comedy, it delves into several profound issues that are experienced in today’s society. There

were issues such as poverty with people like Bassanio and Launcelot. Matters of depression are

displayed by Antonio, and monetarily greedy by almost all characters. It also involved matters

of religious conflict between Shylock and the Christians; Shylock’s vengeful attitude towards

Antonio. Jessica’s and Shylock’s unstable household and the love among the characters are also

huge factors. These comedic situations in the play definitely shed light on serious matters of life.

Bassiano is depicted as a poor man until after his marriage to Portia. In the introduction,

Act 1, Scene 1, Bassiano says to Antonio “Tis not unknown to you, Antonio, how much I have

disabled mine estate by something showing a more swelling port than my faint means would

grant continuance…..To you Antonio, I owe the most, in money and in love…..How to get clear

of all the debts I owe.” This statement illustrates how into debt Bassiano was in debt to others,

especially to Antonio. Bassiano acknowledges that he has strained his finances by trying to

maintain a lifestyle beyond his means. There are similar situations in real life when you see a

person trying to maintain an expensive lifestyle or be part of the high-ranking class of

individuals in society. While doing so, they become deep into debt because they don’t have the

funds to maintain that lifestyle and everything they have is taken away, resulting in them

becoming poor, just like Bassiano. Bassano was so poor that he had to ask Antonio for money to

go to Venice to meet Portia. “For the four winds blow in from every cost renowned suitors, and

her sunny locks hang on her temples like a golden fleece……..O my Antonio! Had I but the
means to hold a rival place with one of them, I have a mind presages me such thrift that I should

questionless be fortunate,” says Bassiano in Act 1, Scene 1. His financial unfortunate is also

illustrated in Act 3, scene 2 when Bassiano is silent while reading a letter from Antonio and

Portia, thinking it’s good news asks for half of what is on the paper only to find out the letter is

about Antonio’s ship being lost at sea and he is unable to pay the debt. “When I told you my

state was nothing, I should have told you that I was worse than nothing,” says Bassiano;

admitting to Portia that he is a broke man who is also on loan. In the real world, certain people

are of low status, yet they still take loans from others, causing them to suffer from poverty. In

Act 2, scene 3, Launcelot is introduced as a servant who wants to get away from his master

Shylock and find a new one because Shylock either left Launcelot hungry or paid him too little.

Launcelot complained to his father Gobbo, “I am famished in my master’s service; you may tell

every finger I have with my ribs.” In today’s world, we see people doing back-breaking long-

hour jobs, and prices are going up, yet still, their wages are low. The salary is sometimes so little

that they can’t provide everything needed and are classified as poor.

Depression is an illness characterized by persistent sadness and loss of interest in

activities that you normally enjoy. Throughout the play, Antonio’s mental state is depressed.

“In sooth, I know not why I am so sad….But how I caught it, found it, or came by it, what stuff

‘tis made of, whereof it is born, I am to learn” says Antonio to Salarino and Salanio. No one

knew the reasoning behind Antonio’s sadness, not even he himself knew. “Your mind is tossing

on the ocean; there were your argosies, with portly sail,” says Salarino. Salarino thought that

Antionio’s depressed state was due to his boats being out at sea and that the weather could

interrupt them, causing a fall in his financial affairs, but he was absolutely wrong. Antonio made

the statement in Act 4, scene 1 “Make no more offers, use no farther means, but with all brief
and plain conveniency. Let me have judgment, and the Jew his will.” His depression seemed to

be at its peak in Act 4 when he could care less and did not plead his case to prevent the cutting of

one pound of his flesh. In society, people tend to put a reason behind someone’s sadness. Not

everyone wants or needs someone to ‘fix’ them when they’re sad, as sadness can be a deeply

personal emotion with a wide range of causes.

Love is displayed in so many different ways in the play. There was Jessica and Lorenzo,

Portia and Bassanio, Antonio and Bassiano, and also Nerissa and Gratiano. Jessica’s and

Lorenzo’s love was the most genuine. Lorenzo was not hesitant in helping the love of his life

Jessica, to get away from her unstable household. There was no animosity between the two, they

were like two peas in a pod who were in the honeymoon phase forever. Portia loved Bassiano so

much that she dressed as Balthazar, a lawyer, in order to help her husband his friend in Act 4.

She despised the other suitors and told them to leave right after if they chose the wrong casket.

Because of her love for Bassanio, she tells him to prolong his choice and stay a day before he

chooses, in case he chooses the wrong casket. Bassanio loved her so much that he was able to

pick the right casket which was the lead casket and it contained a picture of Portia and

determined that they would be together. He says in Act 3, scene 2t “the plainess of the lead

casket moves him that eloquent.” Nerissa and Gratiano were also a type of love. The play is not

really centered around their for each other but Nerissa also dresses as a male, lawyer clerk to

help her husband’s friend. They were also persistent in getting married. Antonio’s love for

Bassiano was one of a kind. Indeed Salarino stated that Antonio only loves the world for

Bassanio. Imagine someone willing for you to take a loan on their name and have a pound of

their flesh if unable to pay, just because they love you. Antion was willing to go to the extent of

having not only his business ventures but his flesh and blood to be affected by his deep bond
with his friend Bassanio. There was love for materialistic things in times when the suitors chose

their caskets. The gold casket read “Who chooseth me gains what every man desires” and the

silver casket read “Who chooseth me gains what he deserves”. The first two suitors chose the

gold and silver, demonstrating that they went for the materialistic thing because they would gain

from it rather than choosing the lead casket which they would lose from as it stated “who

chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.” Jessica’s and Lorenzo’s love was really genuine.

In this day and age, genuine love is really hard to find. Persons tend to love the materialistic part

of it and they don’t go the extra mile like the individuals in the story who went over and beyond

for the people they love.

The tension between Christianity and Judaism is the primary religious conflict in the

play. Antonio represented that of Christian and Shylock, a jew. Shylock faces discrimination

and mistreatment because of his faith, which reflects the religious bias of the time. Shylock was

so agitated with the bias towards him being a Jew that he was determined to get that pound of

flesh from Antonio. Portia’s speech in court, disguised as a lawyer used the legal system to

resolve the between Antonio and Shylock. She has a whole talk about the quality of mercy.

“The quality of mercy is not strained; it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place

beneath….Therefore Jew, though justice is thy plea, consider this, that in the course of justice,

none of us should see salvation; we do pray for mercy,” says Portia. This really emphasizes the

Christian virtue of mercy. The religious conflict ended with Shylock being forced in converting

to Christianity. This forced conversion brings forth questions of sincerity in Shylock's

transformation. There is still conflict among religions in today’s day and age. “Much of the

difference between the Catholic Church and the mainstream Protestant churches can be traced

to their differences on questions relating to the source of ecclesiastical authority” (P O’Malley,

1995). As individuals from different religious backgrounds migrate and settle in new countries,

issues of religious accommodation and cultural integration can lead to tension and conflicts.

Shylock transferred the anger and hurt from the discrimination he received, into revenge

on Antonio. Two reasons why Shylock despised Antonio because of his religion; Shylock was a

Jew and Antonio was a Christian. Also because Antonio was messing up Shylocks’s business.

Shylock would give out loans with interest, however, Antonio would give out loans without

interest, so people tend to go to Antonio for loans rather than Shylock. In Act 3, scene 1,

Antonio says to Salrino and Salanio, “If a Jew wrongs a Christian, what is his humility?

Revenge. If a Christian wrongs a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example?

Why, revenge? The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the

instruction.” Because of Antonio’s inability to pay the loan, Shylock continuously demands he

get that one pound of flesh. In Act 3, Scene 2, Portia was offering to double the amount owed

and the triple the doubled amount to be paid to Shylock. Jessica stated “I have heard him I

swear…That he would rather have Antonio’s flesh than twenty times the value of the sum that he

did owe him.” This goes to show the extent Shylock is willing to go, just for revenge. In the

present times, people may not go as far as Shylock did, missing out on a lot of money, but they

would go to similar extents to obtain revenge on their enemies or spread rumors just like Salarino

and Salino. These two individuals gossiped about everyone and made false accusations about

Antonio’s boat being lost at sea causing this whole disruption because of a lie. This happens

today, people create rumors and then they tell others, and soon enough, one is known for

whatever the rumor stated about them.

The discrimination may have also been a reason for his harsh behavior towards his

daughter, creating an unstable household. “Close and lock the door, do not let the sound of
merriment in this home,” says Shylock to his daughter Jessica in Act 2, scene 5. He did not want

her to experience the things he was going through so he was overprotective. Things were so bad

that Jessica ran away from home and took her father's money, she even planned to convert to

Christianity. Salrino compared Shylock to “A dog with a confused passion” in Act 2, scene 8

because Shylock was in the streets wailing either about his daughter or his money, but more

about his money, illustrating that he cared for his money more. Rich or high-class parents tend

to protect their children in ways that lead to abandonment and this creates an unstable household,

and the child feels left out.

Monetary greed was the highlight of the play and it was the reason for all this drama.

First of all, one of the reasons Shylock was angry with Antonio is because Antonio messed up

his business which was related to money. When speaking of Portia in Act 1, scene 1, Bassanio

referred to her as “A lady richly left, and she is fair and, fairer than that word.” It is suggested

that Bassanio was not only interested in loving her for who she is but also for her money,

needing to say, that he could have been a gold-digger all along. Launcelt left his matter in search

of a better payment. Jessica also displayed actions of monetary greed when she took her father’s

money when escaping. She could have left without anything but she chose to take lots of money,

making it noticeable to her father that his earnings were gone. People do so many things just to

gain money. Whether it be working hard to earn it or committing illegal activities such as

scamming or assassination; they tend to go the extreme mile for income. Indeed, money is the

root of all evil.

In brief, “The Merchant of Venice” by Shakespeare communicates serious real-life

matters. Some of these include the poverty experienced by Bassiano and the debt he was in and

Lancelot being paid too little by his master which demonstrates the experiences that persons of
low status go through. Antonio being portrayed as having a melancholy mental state shows how

depression affects individuals. The play explores various aspects of love, including the

friendship between Antonio and Bassanio and the romantic relationship between Jessica and

Lorenzo. The religious conflict between Christianity and Judaism caused tension among the

characters which adds interest to the story and reflects prejudice in our time. Shylock’s

vengeful attitude and desire to gain revenge on Antonio are central to the plot. The play also

explores instability within Shylock’s household, especially regarding his daughter which shows

that children may run away from home when they feel abandoned. Several characters including

Shylock, Bassanio, and Jessica are motivated by monetary factors and it shows in the real world

the things people would do to gain money such as committing crimes. While “The Merchant of

Venice” is classified as a comedy, it tackles serious social issues.