Thematic Study of Balance in The Merchant of Venice

Balance: a situation in which different elements are equal or in the correct

proportions.
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In the Merchant of Venice, there is a balance between the role of men and
women, where Venice is male dominated and Belmont being female dominated.

- Act 1 Scene 1 of the play starts in a street in Venice, all males: Antonio,
Salarino and Solanio enter. As the scene progresses, three more men enter;
Bassanio, Lorenzo and Gratiano.
- Antonio is a merchant of Venice, he holds power within the Christian community
in Venice. Solanio addresses him as “Sir”.
- Bassanio is one of the main men who has the closest relationship with Antonio.
Shown when Lorenzo says “My Lord Bassanio, since you have found Antonio,
We two will leave you; but at dinner-time I pray you have in mind where we must
meet.” Bassanio says “I will not fail you”.
- Bassanio needs to borrow money from Antonio from his possible bride. “In
Belmont is a lady richly left” - introducing the character Portia whom we do not
know yet.
- Act 1 Scene 2, Portia is introduced discussing her suitors with her lady-in-
waiting and best friend Nerissa. In Belmont, Portia holds the power which brings
the theme of balance.

There is an imbalance between Jews and Christians

- Shylock, the main Jew character was hated by all the Christians and was
treated terribly. The Christians outnumbered the Jews, therefore there was an
imbalance between religion, their religious views and the way they were treated.

Balance between Greed and Generosity

There is a huge balance between the themes of greed and generosity with
Shylock being the greedy and money obsessed Jew and Antonio being the
generous, kind and loaning Christian.
- When Bassanio asks to borrow money from Antonio, he says yes, even though
his ships are at sea and he does not have any of his own money. “I pray you
good Bassanio, let me know it, and if it stands, as you yourself do, within the eye
of honour, be assured, my purse, my person, my extremest means, lie unlocked
to your occasions”, “you know me well, and herein spend but time to wind about
my love with circumstance, and out of doubt you do me now more wrong in
making question of my uttermost than if you had made waste of all I had”, “Thou
know’st that all my fortunes are at sea, neither have I money nor commodity to
raise a present sum…”
- Another example of Antonio being generous is in Act 4 Scene 1 where instead
of keeping his half of Shylock’s money, he makes Shylock write in his will that the
money goes to Jessica and Lorenzo. “...here in the court, of all he dies
possessed, unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter.”
- Even though Bassanio is and has been taking advantage of Antonio, Antonio
does not see it through his love for Bassanio and will do anything for him.
- Antonio and Bassanio go to Shylock to ask for 3,000 ducats for three months.
Shylock’s greed and hate for Christians is shown when he tells Antonio that if he
doesn’t return his money he will take a pound of his flesh. “If you repay me not on
such a day, in such a place, such sum or sums as are expressed in the condition,
let the forfeit be nominated for an equal pound of your fair flesh, to be cut off and
taken in what part of your body pleaseth me”
- Another example of greed is shown when Shylock says he values his money
and wealth more than his daughter. Tubal says “your daughter spent in Genoa,
as I heard, in one night fourscore ducats” Shylock says “Thou stickest a dagger
in me. I shall never see my gold again. Fourscore ducats at a sitting! Fourscore
ducats! - this shows he cares more about his money being lost rather than his
daughter leaving.

Balance between Mercy and Revenge

- Antonio shows mercy upon Shylock in Act 4 Scene 1. Instead of Shylock’s

belongings all being given to the state and leaving him with nothing (which
Shylock says is worse than death) he creates a deed which states that he should
convert to Christianity and in his will he must write half his money goes to the
state and the other half goes to Jessica and Lorenzo. “To quit the fine for one
half of his goods; I am content, so he will let me have the other half in use, to
render it upon his death to the gentleman that lately stole his daughter. Two
things provided more: that, for this favour, he presently become a Christian…”
- An example of Shylock taking revenge against Antonio is in Act 3 Scene 1
when Tubal informs him of Antonio’s shipwrecks found in Tripolis. Shylock says “I
am very glad of it. I’ll plague him. I’ll torture him. I am very glad of it”

Balance between Love and Hate

- Love is shown between Antonio and Bassanio. As a 21st century reader, we
might infer that Antonio is in love with Bassanio, therefore he is willing to do
anything and everything for Bassanio. After Bassanio asks for money he says
“Then do but say to me what I should do that in your knowledge may by me be
done, and I am pressed unto it. Therefore speak”
- Love shown from Bassanio towards Antonio is shown in Act 4 Scene 1 where
Shylock is threatening to take a pound of flesh from Antonio. Bassanio says “The
Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones and all ere thou shalt lose for me one drop
of blood” and “Antonio, I am married to a wife which is as dear to me as life itself,
but life itself, my wife, and all the world are not esteemed with me above thy life” -
this shows his deep love for Antonio.
- Hatred is shown between Antonio and Shylock. Antonio refers to Shylock as the
devil in Act 1 Scene 3 “The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.” Shylock
refers to Christians (in this case Antonio) as untrustworthy “O father Abram, what
these Christians are, whose own hard dealing teaches them to suspect the
thoughts of others!”

Shylock - Victim or Villain?

- Shylock is portrayed throughout the play as the villain and the victim.
- In Act 3 Scene 1 he is portrayed as the victim where he says he is no different
just because he is a Jew. “I am a Jew, Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew
hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? - this shows how he
would like to be treated the same as a ‘great’ Christian
- He is also portrayed as a villain when Tubal informs him that Jessica sold his
ring “Thou torturest me, Tubal; it was my turquoise: I had it of Leah when I was a
bachelor: I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys.”
- Shylock is portrayed as a villain in Act 1 Scene 3. When telling Antonio he will
take his flesh he says “A pound of man’s flesh, taken from a man, is not so
estimable, profitable neither, as a flesh of muttons, beefs or goats.” - with this
statement he is demeaning Antonio so much, he is reducing Antonio to have a
lesser worth than an animal’s flesh.
- He is portrayed also as a villain in Act 3 Scene 1 when he says “If a Christian
wrong 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” - He is determined to get revenge on Antonio no matter the
circumstance.