Merchant of Venice Themes

Friendship

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  Antonio acts as a creditor to Bassanio's loan out of friendship. Later in the play he is even willing to give his life for his friend's debt.    When Antonio is facing trial, Bassanio wants to swap places with him so that he dies instead of his friend.   Bassanio's friendship to Antonio pushes him to give his wedding ring to the lawyer when Antonio is set free.

Marriage

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The marriages bring romance to this romantic comedy.   Three couples get married during the play;  Jessica and Lorenzo Bassanio and Portia Gratiano and Nerissa   The marriage of Jessica and Lorenzo pushes Shylock to revenge on Antonio.   The other marriages fuel the plot around the wedding rings in the last scene.​​​​​​​

Wealth

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Bassanio's need for money at the beginning of the play drives the entire plot of The Merchant of Venice.   Some characters (such as Antonio and Bassanio) only rely on money to get them by, whereas other people (such as Shylock) are greedy for money.   The main difference between the Christian characters and Shylock appears to be that the Christian characters value human relationships over business ones, whereas Shylock is only interested in money.

Prejudice

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The Prince of Morocco is clearly used to prejudice as his first words to Portia ask her not to judge him by his skin colour.   Shylock and Jessica are judged harshly throughout the play for being Jewish in a Christian city.   Shakespeare creates Shylock as a caricature of Jewish stereotypes.   The constant prejudice against Shylock motivates his actions in the play.

Hatred

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Hatred against Christians, particularly Antonio, drives Shylock throughout The Merchant of Venice.    Shylock allows his hatred to grow to the point of wanting to kill Antonio by taking a pound of his flesh.    Shylock's hateful nature drives Jessica to elope with Lorenzo.

Mercy

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Shylock is the only character in the play that does not want to show mercy.   Despite this, Portia influences the others to show mercy on Shylock.   When Shylock faces execution for his crimes, Portia persuades the Duke to pardon him.   She then persuades Antonio to exercise mercy by not taking all of Shylock's money from him. 

Idealism

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The Merchant of Venice is structured partly on the contrast between idealistic and realistic opinions about society and relationships.    The play tells us that love is more important than money, mercy is preferable to revenge, and love lasts forever.   However, more cynical voices tell us that money rules the world, mercy alone cannot govern our lives, and love can evaporate after marriage.

Isolation

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The most potent isolation in the play is caused by religious estrangement.   Shylock is isolated because he is Jewish—his religious beliefs and cultural values remain fundamentally at odds with those of his fellow Venetians.    Isolation is a fact of life for the characters, and it proves to be fairly insurmountable.

Choices

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The main example of choice in the play is the three caskets that are laid in front of Portia's suitors.    There are more abstract choices in the play also. Antonio must choose between preserving his personal happiness as Bassanio's closest friend and enabling Bassanio to win a woman who will come between them.   The greatest choices are often about the way people treat each other.