Shakespeares The Merchant Of Venice Prepared by Aiman

Shakespeare's “The Merchant Of Venice” Prepared by: Aiman Shirwan Kamal Supervised by: Mr. Rafid Anwar mardan

Index Introduction Shakespeare's biography Setting: 1 -characters 2 - place 3 -time Summary Questions Resources

Introduction The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare in which a merchant in 16 th-century Venice named Antonio owe 3 thousand decants from a bad Jewish moneylender named shylock for his friend Bassanio to marry Portia, but if Antonio couldn’t get that money back in the selected time Shylock will be entitled to a pound of Antonio’s own flesh. And Antonio agrees, Bassanio gets the money and travel to Belmont for Portia, after he gets Portia's heart bad news come from Venice , Antonio’s ships are lost in the sea, that means he wont be able to get the three thousand decants back, Bassanio and Graziano(friend of Antonio) immediately travel to Venice to try and save Antonio’s life. After they leave, Portia tells Nerissa that they will go to Venice disguised as men, Shylock ignores the many pleas to spare Antonio’s life, Bassanio offers Shylock twice the money due him, but Shylock insists on collecting the bond as it is written. Portia reminds him that he must do so without causing Antonio to bleed, as the contract does not entitle him to any blood. Trapped by this logic, Shylock hastily agrees to take Bassanio’s money instead, but Portia insists that Shylock take his bond as written, or nothing at all.

Shakespeare’s Biography Born: Stratford upon Avon, England 26/April/1564 Died: : Stratford upon Avon, England 23/April/1616 Occupation: playwright , poem, actor Children: 1. Susanna 2. hamnet 3. Judith Called: England’s national poet, and “bard of Avon” Wrote 38 plays and 153 sonnets

Characters Antonio – the merchant of Venice and one of main characters Bassanio – Antonio's friend; suitor to Portia; after the husband of Portia Gratiano – friend of Antonio and Bassanio; in love with Nerissa; later the husband of Nerissa Lorenzo – friend of Antonio and Bassanio; in love with Jessica; later the husband of Jessica Salerio and Salanio – friends of Antonio and Bassanio Portia – a rich heiress; later the wife of Bassanio Nerissa – Portia's waiting maid – in love with Gratiano; later the wife of Gratiano; Balthazar – Portia's servant, who Portia later disguises herself as Shylock – a miserly Jew; moneylender; father of Jessica

Characters Continued… Jessica – daughter of Shylock, later the wife of Lorenzo Tubal – a Jew; friend of Shylock Launcelot Gobbo – servant of Shylock; later a servant of Bassanio; son of Old Gobbo – blind father of Launcelot Leonardo – slave to Bassanio Duke of Venice – authority who presides over the case of Shylock's bond Prince of Morocco – suitor to Portia Prince of Aragon – suitor to Portia

Place And Time Place: This story takes place in two cities (Venice and Belmont)and in a court most of story is in Venice, in Venice it takes place in (shylocks house, court, streets). But in Belmont it takes place in Portia's house. Time: Most scientist believe that the date in which this play was written between 1596 and 1598, the evidence of this is the mentioning of Francis meres In 1598 so it must be similar to that date.

Summary Bassanio wants to marry the beautiful wealthy heiress Portia of Belmont, he wants 3000 ducats to be a suitor for Portia, Bassanio turn to Antonio, a wealthy merchant of Venice and Bassanio’s best friend, and Antonio agrees, but his ships and merchandise are busy at the sea, he promises to cover a bond if Bassanio can find a lender, so Bassanio turns to the Jewish moneylender Shylock, they both go to shylock to ask him for 3000 ducats, after some discussion shylock accepts , but he says that if Bassanio is unable to repay it at the specified date, shylock can take a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Bassanio warns Antonio to not accept the contract, but Antonia signs the contract. Bassanio leaves Venice toward Belmont with money and his friend Gratiano, who asked to go along with him.

The Test When he arrives , Portia’s father had set up a test for Portia’s suitors, Three boxes: gold, silver, and lead choose one of them, whose choice is right he will get Portia. The prince of morocco chooses gold box, interpreting its slogan” Who chooses me will get what he desires” , and the prince of argon chooses silver box, interpreting its slogan “Who chooses me shall gain what many men desire. ”, and Bassanio chooses lead box, interpreting its slogan” Who chooses me will be ready to lose all that he has”. But Bassanio chooses lead because he knows that appearance hides what a thing truly is

Saving Antonio In Venice Antonio’s ships are lost in the sea, and shylock has become more determined to exact revenge from Christians because his daughter Jessica eloped with the Christian Lorenzo, and she takes a big amount of her dad’s money and a ring, In Belmont, Bassanio receives a massage that tells him Antonio is unable to give the money back to shylock, after that Portia and Bassanio marry, also Gratiano and Portia's maid Nerissa. Bassanio and Gratiano go to Venice, with money from Portia, for saving Antonio's life by offering the money to Shylock. And portia tells her servant Balthazar to be Antonio's lawyer, but he wont go to the court because portia and Nerissa disguise their selves, Portia as a judge and Nerissa as Portia’s clerk and go to the court. The climax of the play takes place in the court of the Duke of Venice. Portia(as a judge) asks Shylock to show mercy, but he remains inflexible and insists the pound of flesh is rightfully his, Shylock refuses Bassanio's offer of double ducats.

Only The Flesh! As the court bestows Shylock his bond shylock sharpens his knife, but portia stops him, She says that the contract allows Shylock only to remove the flesh, not the "blood", of Antonio, then shylock turns to Bassanio's offer, but Portia insists that Shylock take his bond as written, or nothing at all. ” Portia informs Shylock that he is guilty of conspiring against the life of a Venetian citizen, which means he must turn over half of his property to the state and the other half to Antonio. The duke spares Shylock’s life and takes a fine instead of Shylock’s property. Antonio also forgoes his half of Shylock’s wealth on two conditions: first, Shylock must convert to Christianity, and second, he must will the entirety of his estate to Lorenzo and Jessica upon his death. Shylock agrees and takes his leave” Bassanio does not recognize his disguised wife, but offers to give a present to the supposed lawyer. First she declines, but after he insists, Portia requests his ring and Antonio's gloves. Antonio parts with his gloves without a second thought, but Bassanio gives the ring only after much persuasion from Antonio, as earlier in the play he promised his wife never to lose, sell or give it. Nerissa, as the lawyer's clerk, succeeds in likewise retrieving her ring from Gratiano, who does not see through her disguise.

Happy End When Bassanio and Gratiano go back to Belmont to see their wives, Portia and Nerissa ask them for their rings, they tell them that they have given it to the judge and clerk, before the discussion goes too far Portia and Nerissa tell them about their disgustion. And the three of Antoni’s ships are found. THE END

The Most Famous Speech In most of his plays there was a famous speech or quote, so in this play there are two famous speech one belongs to shylock and the other one to Portia. “I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? ”-shylock Here Shakespeare aim was mentioning the difference between Jews and Christians in Venice that time, because that time in Venice they differentiate between Jews and Christians as now between black and white people

Portia’s Speech “The quality of mercy is not strain'd, it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. ” Here Shakespeare aim was that mercy can not be given by force, it’s just inside you when you born. -Portia

Thank you By me

Questions I. Who is your favorite character? II. What is friendship? III. What did you get from this story? IV. Do people who don’t show mercy deserve it? V. How would you judge a shylock?

Resources 1) Wikipedia 2) Shamoop 3) ﻣﻮﺳﻮﻋە ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻮﻡ 4) The merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare- simple words 5) http: //cms. gcg 11. ac. in/attachments/article/97/merchant%20 of%20 venice. ppt 6) https: //aliceinhchs. files. wordpress. com/2011/10/the-merchant-of-venice. ppt 7) http: //www. biography. com/people/william-shakespeare-9480323