Theme Analysis: The Merchant of Venice
Theme: Love
Thesis Statement: Antonio and Shylock both “love something” deeply and they are willing to sacrifice for them.
In the play of The Merchant of Venice, Antonio is considered to be the “just side” while Shylock is the symbol of greed and spite. However, they both have something that they love deeply and they would sacrifice for it if necessary. Antonio’s “love” is friendship, but Shylock’s “love” is money.
At the beginning of the play, the thesis “Antonio and Shylock both love something” is introduced. In Act 1 Scene 1, Bassanio is asking for money from Antonio because he wants to win the love of a beautiful wealthy girl named Portia. At that time, Antonio doesn’t have enough money because all his money is tied up in the cargo that is still at sea, but he said, “But go ahead and charge things to me on credit, as much credit as I can get in Venice. I’ll use all my lines of credit to help you get to Belmont, to Portia.” (Ⅰ, i) Although he doesn’t have cash for Bassanio, he still tried his best to get money for his friend. Even when Shylock proposes to cut Antonio’s flesh if Antonio doesn’t return the money, Antonio agrees immediately just for helping his friend, this is considered to be a sacrifice because Antonio is risking his life. Also, Antonio values the friendship between he and Bassanio very much, because when a person can’t get money directly, he/she will refuse to lend money to others, even his/her closest friend, let alone borrow money from others to lend money to his/her friend. But Antonio does it. So it shows that Antonio’s “love” is friendship, and he can sacrifice for it. This is the first appearance of the thesis “Antonio and Shylock both love something deeply”.
As the story continues, the other part of the thesis is revealed, that is the “love” of Shylock. Shylock is a mean and greedy man, in Act 3 Scene 1, when Tubal tells Shylock that he can't find Shylock’s daughter who runs away with her love Lorenzo, Shylock’s first reaction is not the safety of his daughter but his money, “Oh, oh, oh! One of the stolen diamonds cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfurt! …Two thousand ducats in that diamond, and other precious, precious jewels! I wish my daughter were dead at my feet wearing those jewels! I wish she were in her coffin here, with the ducats in her coffin!” (Ⅲ, i) Additionally, when Tubal says that her daughter spends ducats a night in Genoa, he is even more grieved, “Oh, you’re sticking a dagger in me! I’ll never see my gold again. Eighty ducats in one shot! Eighty ducats!” (Ⅲ, i) From here, we can see that Shylock thinks money is more important than his daughter, and he even wants to sacrifice her daughter’s life fro money and jewels. So it is clear that Shylock’s “love” is money, and the theme “Antonio and Shylock both love something deeply and they are willing to sacrifice for them” is shown here. The thing that revealed in this scene is also a step stone to Shylock’s action in the court.
In Act 4 Scene 1, Antonio accepts the judge made by Portia, “Let me have judgment and the Jew his will.” (Ⅳ, i) When Bassanio is unsolvable as his friend Antonio is judged to be cut, Antonio faces the death unflinchingly, he told Bassanio, “Don’t be sad that this happened because of you…Be sad only at the fact that you’ll lose your friend—your friend doesn’t regret that he paid your debt.” (Ⅳ, i) Even when he is facing the death, he still thinks about his friend. Antonio never gets benefits from his help to Bassanio, but he values his friendship and is willing to sacrifice his life for his closest friend. At this time, the theme “Antonio and Shylock both “love something” deeply and they are willing to sacrifice for them” is developed by the development of the story, the sacrifice of their “love” becomes more and more profound and serious.
Finally, Shylock shows his ardently love to money. He would like others kill him in order to keep his money. When the final result of the case comes up, Shylock is judged to take away all his property. When Shylock hears this, he said, “No, go ahead and take my life. Don’t pardon that. You take my house away when you take the money I need for upkeep. You take my life when you take away my means of making a living.” (Ⅳ, i) Shylock was full of vindictiveness a few minutes ago, but when his money comes to the equation, Shylock immediately says that he would rather die without his property. He is willing to sacrifice his life for money. Therefore the theme “Antonio and Shylock both love something deeply and rather sacrifice their life for it” is revealed in this scene.
In conclusion, through the “loves” of the two characters are completely two different things, they love them in same way – willing to sacrifice their life.
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