"By THEMES we refer to the ideas presented in a play. What does the playwright think about certain topics? What message is he trying to communicate to us about the world and about how people behave?"
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"Shakespeare's plays are still relevant to us today because his themes are universal ones. His plays deal with love, hate, war, pride, ambition, racial prejudice, the generation gap and many more ideas which concern all of us today."
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"When you have discovered what the messages are that Shakespeare has to share with us, you may want to put them into practice in your own life."
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"As in all of Shakespeare's works, many different ideas are presented. These notes deal with the main themes only, as listed below."
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"*1. FRIENDSHIP"
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"*2. APPEARANCE AND REALITY"
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"*3. MERCY AND JUSTICE"
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"*4. PREJUDICE"
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"*5. LOVE"
8
"*FRIENDSHIP"
"One of the most striking features of the play is the deep friendship between Antonio and Bassanio."
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"Friendship involves giving and taking, and at the beginning of the play it is Antonio who gives and Bassanio who takes. Antonio makes the most generous offer"
"*My purse, my person, my extremest means"
"*Lie all unlocked to your occasions."
"and tells Bassanio not to bother with elaborate justification for his request. It is enough that they are friends."
"The sincerity of his offer is shown when he brushes aside Bassanio's mild protests and cheerfully signs the dangerous bond with Shylock."
7
"*FRIENDSHIP (Cont.)"
"Although Antonio is quite confident of his ships returning, as a shrewd and experienced businessman, he must have been aware that there was some risk."
"However, he calmly assumed the risk for the sake of his good friend. Shakespeare is showing that friendship involves some sacrifice."
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"Later in the play, it is Bassanio's turn to show the nature of this outstanding friendship."
"He turns pale when he reads the letter revealing Antonio's plight. He abandons his newly-won wife and hurries back to Venice to save Antonio, whom he describes as"
"*The dearest friend to me, the kindest man..."
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"*FRIENDSHIP (Cont.)"
"In the court, he argues with Shylock, and assures Antonio"
"*The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones and all,"
"*Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood."
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"Finally, although he resists when Portia asks for his precious ring, he gives way when Antonio adds his pleas, showing just how much weight Antonio's word carries."
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"Both friends show the nature of true friendship by making sacrifices."
"Other friendships in the play exist between Bassanio and Gratiano, and between Lorenzo, Salerio and Solanio."
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"*APPEARANCE AND REALITY"
"The concept that things are often different in reality from the way they appear, is another important theme in this play (as it is in several other Shakespearean plays)."
"For instance, Shylock appears to be friendly by loaning the 3000 ducats. In reality, we know that he is planning to"
"*...catch him (Antonio) on the hip..."
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"Notice that neither Antonio nor Bassanio is deceived by Shylock's false appearance, Antonio describing him as"
"*a goodly apple rotten at the heart."
"and Bassanio warning that he likes not"
"* ...fair terms and a villain's mind."
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"*APPEARANCE AND REALITY"
"The casket story is another striking example of deceptive appearance. Morocco is quite misled by the gorgeous appearance of the gold casket."
"Both Arragon and Bassanio are more careful about judging a book by its cover, although Arragon is still fooled by his own high opinion of himself."
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"Bassanio's speech as he ponders his choice is the clearest statement of this theme."
"He begins by advising himself to take care because"
"*So may the outward shows be least themselves."
"and goes on to give a long series of examples."
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"*APPEARANCE AND REALITY"
"He mentions corrupt cases at law"
"*...seasoned with a gracious voice..."
"and cowards who wear"
"*The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars..."
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"Other comparisons are"
"*beauty ... purchased by the weight"
"and"
"* ...the beauteous scarf"
"*Veiling an Indian beauty;"
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"More deception is to come."
6
"*APPEARANCE AND REALITY"
"Disguises figure prominently in the story. First Jessica is disguised as a page-boy to effect her escape from her father's house."
"More important are the disguises adopted by Portia and Nerissa, which not only permit them to save Antonio's life, but also to trick Bassanio and Gratiano out of their rings."
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"Finally, it has been pointed out that even language may be deceptive."
"For example, Portia is formally polite to Morocco and Arragon, but scathing about their characters behind their backs."
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"*MERCY AND JUSTICE"
"This theme comes to prominence in the later stages of the play, most noticeably in the Trial Scene."
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"Shakespeare makes the point that justice by itself is not sufficient; it must be 'tempered' with mercy."
"Shylock claims to 'stand for justice', but his cruel demands only raise our revulsion of him."
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"Portia's Mercy speech in this scene is worthy of close study - if Shakespeare allows his own voice to be heard in this play, it is surely here. Let's look at some of the points she makes:"
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"*MERCY AND JUSTICE (Cont.)"
"1. Mercy is a gentle quality"
"2. Mercy rewards both the giver and the receiver"
"3. It is especially suitable for Kings"
"4. God shows mercy, so human powers should follow suit"
"5. Because we all seek mercy, we should be merciful"
"6. Following justice strictly , would mean that none of us would ever get to Heaven."
"7. Because we pray for mercy for ourselves, we should also be merciful to others."
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"Notice that both the Duke and Antonio later show mercy to Shylock."
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"*MERCY AND JUSTICE (Cont.)"
"There is much irony in the fact that Shylock calls for justice, but is defeated because Portia offers him strict justice, or as she says"
"*For as thou urgest justice, be assured"
"*Thou shalt have justice more than thou desir'st."
"That is, she interprets the bond in its strictest sense, when she claims that Shylock can take a pound of flesh but must not shed a drop of blood."
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"*PREJUDICE"
"This theme arises in relation to the treatment of Shylock by the other characters in the play. He is a villain, but how much of the harsh treatment meted out to him is due to this?"
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"*PREJUDICE (Cont.)"
"It is clear that Shylock hates Antonio because Antonio is prejudiced against him."
"* ... and what's his reason? I am a Jew. (III,1)"
"Certainly Antonio and his friends such as Solanio and Salerio treat Shylock with contempt. This treatment of Jews was accepted (and even expected) by Shakespeare's audiences, but Shakespeare still presents Shylock as a man with feelings."
"Despite his cruelty, we feel sympathy for Shylock because of the treatment he receives."
"Shylock's important speech in Act III, scene 1 is a key element in this theme. It is a mark of Shakespeare's quality that he can so perceptively gauge the emotions of someone belonging to a race and a religion almost unknown to him."
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"*PREJUDICE (Cont.)"
"Also contributing to this theme are Portia's comments about the Prince of Morocco, a black man."
"Even if he was saintly, she says, she would not marry him if he had"
"*... the complexion of a devil.."
"And later she exclaims in relief when he is unsuccessful in his choice of the caskets"
"*Let all of his complexion choose me so."
"Again Shakespeare's audience would have blandly accepted this sheer racism, and it must be admitted that Shakespeare, in this instance, probably accepted it too."
"It seems unlikely that he would put remarks he considered shameful into the mouth of his otherwise stainless heroine!"
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"*LOVE"
"As is usual in Shakespeare's romantic comedies, different types of love are shown."
"The love between friends has already been discussed, but what about the love between couples?"
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"The love of Bassanio and Portia is an idealised kind of love, as may be seen from their speeches before and after the choosing of the casket."
"Portia gives herself (and all of her belongings) totally to Bassanio, and he makes extravagant promises about dying before he will part with her ring - promises we know he is destined to break."
"Gratiano and Nerissa reveal a different aspect of love."
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"*LOVE (Cont.)"
"No sooner have they revealed that they want to marry than they are combining to make a sexual pun, and talking of producing children."
"This sense that their relationship is a more physical one is confirmed at the very end of the play, when Gratiano reveals that he would rather make love than talk, and ends the play with yet another sexual joke."
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"The third couple in the play, Lorenzo and Jessica, reveal a romantic and poetic kind of love, perhaps quite similar to that of Bassanio and Portia but not as noble or on as high a plane."
