THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

The Merchant of Venice By William ShakespearePenned by the greatest playwright of all time, ?Merchant of Venice? is a quirky tale about a group of merry friends and the trouble they find themselves in , because of a wily Jewish moneylender . Throughout the play , one can find a hidden thread of humour , even in the most serious situations . Written in true Shakespearean style , this play has several puns and hidden meanings . It depicts the social scenario of that day with exceptional vividness . The curtains rise with a merchant , Antonio , wondering about the fate of his cargo laden ships in the rough seas . Antonio is a melancholic man , forever sunk in sadness and soberness . As he ponders thus , his friend Bassanio approaches him . Bassanio is Antonio?s bosom friend . But the two are poles apart . While Antonio is perpetually glum , Bassanio is adventurous and full of life . Bassanio is a lover of the arts and loves to spend his days in joy and merriment . However , at this moment , Bassanio is thoughtful . For he is the desperate need of money . With this purpose , he approaches Antonio , hoping to borrow some ducats from his childhood friend . When Antonio hears of Bassanio?s trouble , he declares that since he has no money at hand , he will vouch for Bassanio in front of Shylock ,the shrewd Jewish moneylender . The moneylender is an enemy of Antonio and it is the deep friendship for Bassanio that drives Antonio into a bargain with Shylock . The deal is struck . The condition is laid that if Bassanio fails to pay the amount within the stipulated time , Antonio will have to pay with a pound of his flesh . A very devious scheme , indeed . For Shylock wanted Antonio out of his life once and for all . Bassanio sets off with the money to woo a maiden named Portia , who was well known for her wisdom and presence of mind . Here, at Portia?s household , Bassanio faces a test . He has to choose a box out of gold , silver and bronze . And where others had failed , pure hearted Bassanio wins . He picks the bronze box, which contains Portia?s picture , declaring him the winner of Portia?s hand . Bassanio is overjoyed , for Portia is not just a pretty face . Her wit and charm was known to be matchless . Meanwhile , Antonio the merchant gets news that his ships are lost at sea , rendering him bankrupt . With no money to repay Shylock , Antonio is prepared to go to the court to defend himself against this dreadful repayment . Unknown to everyone else , Portia appears at the court to act as Antonio?s lawyer , dressed up as a man. Being extremely wise , she realizes that Shylock can be trapped with his own plan . She permits Shylock to proceed with his scheming plot of taking a pound of flesh with a knife . But she traps him in a delightful loophole . HE MUST DRAW EXACTLY A POUND OF FLESH Now , Portia , in the guise of a male lawyer , claims that , should Shylock draw even a bit more than a pound, he must be punished . This puts him ina fix . Also , she informs him that no a drop of Antonio?s blood must be spilled , as there is no mention in the deed about Antonio suffering from loss of blood because of Shylock . This dumbfounds Shylock , who withdraws the case and accepts defeat . After all the celebrations that ensue , Antonio receives news that his ships are found and have returned to Venice safely . Thus , the entire story ends on a happy note , with Bassanio and Antonio being pleasantly shocked with the news that Portia was their benefactress . This delightful comedy has other sub plots woven in , to make it more comical . Shylock?s daughter Jessica?s elopement with Bassanio?s friend Lorenzo is one such theme . And the jester of the story , Gobbo the Clown , adds a bit of humour because of his antics . Thus , the remarkable Shakespeare brings to life this wonderfuul play with mirth at every turn .

ELAINE BOOS