Introduction:
Written between 1596 and 1597, The Merchant of Venice is one of William Shakespeare’s most well-known plays. It blends romantic and greek comedy with darker prejudice, justice, and retribution themes. Its complex character depictions and the sociopolitical setting of the Renaissance weave a rich tapestry that faithfully depicts the ups and downs of European history. The following article provides an analysis of The Merchant of Venice focusing on historical background that ultimately requires an understanding of the historical and cultural context of Venice during the Renaissance, a period that significantly influenced Shakespeare’s writing.
1. Venice: The Jewel of the Renaissance
Venice in The Merchant of Venice is portrayed as a complex and frequently contradictory society created by the intersection of commerce, law, and religion in Renaissance Europe. Trade and commerce are the foundation of the city’s wealth and power, but these economic gains are tempered by social unrest and religious conflicts, especially those involving Christians and Jews. The prosecution scene where Portia utilizes the legislation to save Antonio and defeat Shylock demonstrates how the legal system, despite its seeming fairness and justice, can be manipulated to serve the interests of the powerful.
Shakespeare’s portrayal of Venice reflects the significantly bigger sociopolitical complexities of Renaissance Europe, a time when the emergence of capitalism and city-states like Venice also brought about new opportunities for power and wealth. These developments also gave rise to new sorts of inequality and exploitation. The play’s examination of justice, mercy, and retribution addresses the moral and ethical conundrums that people face in a rapidly changing society in which new social and economic and social implications are challenging established values and social hierarchies.
A.Renaissance Venice: A Hub of Commerce and Culture
Venice, an Italian city on the northeastern coast, was an important hub for commerce between Europe and the East due to its body of water. According to Cohen (1982), “Venice represented a more advanced stage of the commercial development they were experiencing to the English, and particularly to Londoners.” (page 769). The city prospered as a coastal republic and developed into one of the most powerful and affluent city-states in Europe. (Brotton, 2016) Because of its strategic location, which encouraged the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultural influences, Venice developed into a global hub for the gathering of merchants, bankers, craftspeople, and scholars from all over the world.
Venice’s wealth was derived from its hegemony in trade, especially for precious metals, spices, and silks. Cantor (2014) The wealthiest traders and financiers, including Antonio from The Merchant of Venice, called Venice home, and the city’s economy was largely dependent on merchant activity. Shakespeare’s characters live extravagant lives that reflect the wealth and extravagance of the city, with contracts and trade playing major roles in the story. The play revolves around Venice’s reputation as a hub for trade and commerce, which influences the characters’ goals and behaviors. Shakespeare depicts Venice as a hub of commerce by stating:
Bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies; I understand
Moreover, upon the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico,
a fourth for England – (Act I, Scene III, 15-18)
B. Venice as a Symbol of Law and Justice
Venice was renowned not only for its economic might but also for its fair and just legal system, which was regarded as stable and efficient. This feature of the city is essential to the storyline of The Merchant of Venice, as the main action centers on the court case involving Christian merchant Antonio and Jewish moneylender Shylock. Shylock states that
There is no power in Venice/Can alter a decree established.
‘Twill be recorded for a preceded (Act IV. Scene i. 215-217)
Venice’s prosperity as a commercial hub was made possible by the legal framework that permitted a certain amount of religious and cultural tolerance. As a result, the play’s trial scene’s central conflict between justice and mercy represents the legal ideas of Renaissance Venice. The authority of the city, where justice is carried out in compliance with the law, is represented by the Duke of Venice and the Venetian court. It is demonstrated in Shylock’s demand of justice from the Duke
If you deny it, let the danger light
Upon your charter and your city’s freedom!” (Act IV.Scene I.38-39)
But the play also criticizes the inflexibility of the judicial process, as demonstrated by Shylock’s insistence on charging Antonio with a pound of flesh. In one of the play’s most well-known speeches, Portia begs for mercy, highlighting the moral complexity of the law and how it is applied in a situation where “justice is the central peacetime conduit of aristocratic power” (Cohen, p. 776). The play amply illustrates the value of mercy as Portia recounts
The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven (IV. i. 181-182).
Shakespeare’s depiction of Venetian justice thus emphasizes the conflict between the necessity of humanity and compassion and the rigorous adherence to the law.
C. The Jewish Community in Renaissance Venice
The way that The Merchant of Venice portrays Jewish moneylender Shylock and the prejudices he encounters in Venetian society is among its most striking features. Like most of Europe, Venice’s Jewish population experienced marginalization and discrimination during the Renaissance. (Ravid, 2001) While Venice was comparatively more accepting of Jews than other European cities, Jews were nevertheless limited in the types of occupations they could take up; money-lending was one of the few profitable fields in which they could work. As critic Cohen (1982) states that “ Not only did the government bar Jewish usurers from the city, it also forced the Jewish community to staff and finance low-interest, nonprofit lending institutions that served the Christian poor”. (p.770)
The complex aspects of Jewish life in Renaissance Venice are personified in the persona of Shylock. He is both a byproduct of and a reaction against the discrimination and marginalization he encounters. Shylock is showcased as a victim and a villain throughout the play. His years of abuse and humiliation at the hands of Christians have fueled his desire for vengeance against Antonio. Antonio in particular has defamed Shylock in public and damaged his company by making interest-free loans. The rivalry between Antonio and Shylock, which reflects the prevailing social and spiritual confrontations of the era, represents the larger struggle between Christians and Jews in Venice.
I hate him for he is a Christian;
But more for that in low simplicity…
He hates our sacred nation, and he rails, (Act I, Scene III, 37-43)
Shakespeare’s portrayal of Shylock has generated a great deal of discussion over the ages. While some see him as a tragic figure, others see him as the stereotypical Jewish villain. (Bloom,2010) Shakespeare captures, in this way, the complex and sometimes tense relationship that existed in Renaissance Venice between the Jewish population and the Christian majority. Through the character of Portia, who successfully breaks the bond of the evil Shylock, who sought to take Christian blood, the play highlights the lack of acceptance towards the Jewish community.
The words expressly are ‘a pound of flesh’.
Take then thy bond.
Take thou thy pound of flesh.
But in the cutting it,
if thou dost shed One drop of Christian blood,
thy lands and goods Are by the laws of Venice confiscate
Unto the state of Venice. (Act IV.Scene I. 303-309)
The injustice done to Shylock, who ultimately gave his boatload of money to Lorenzo and Jessica (Shylock’s daughter), and who was forced to become a Christian by force, is echoed in Portia’s cry for pity. As Oldrieve (1993) states “ Portia has her plan worked out before she enters the courtroom. She hopes, like the Duke, that she can talk Shylock into relenting and conforming to the expectations of the establishment, but she is prepared to “throw the book at him” if he should not.” (p. 94). As a result, Portia can take advantage of Shylock by applying the law that favors her interests and upholds the superiority of Christian blood.
D. Christianity and Judaism in the Renaissance
The Merchant of Venice examines the conflict between Christianity and Judaism. During the Renaissance, religion had a tremendous influence on societal attitudes. The drama is set against a background of religious strife, with Christian characters like Antonio and Portia representing the virtues of charity and mercy and Shylock, a Jew, representing strict enforcement of the law and the desire for retribution. (Greenblatt, 2004) This contradiction reflects the broader Renaissance Christian understanding of Judaism, which frequently depicted Jews as being exclusively focused on material possessions and traditionalism.
Shakespeare, however, adds nuance and humanity to Shylock’s portrayal of emotion, complicating this straightforward opposition. His well-known speech, “Hath not a Jew eyes?” challenges the audience to see him as more than a parody of greed and selfishness, and hate. It is a potent plea to human decency. Shakespeare challenges the Christian characters perceived moral superiority through Shylock because, despite their apparent piety, they frequently act cruelly and hypocritically toward the Jewish moneylender. A major theme of the play is the conflict between the harsh reality of prejudice and intolerance and Christian ideals of mercy and forgiveness.
‘Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last,
You spurn’d me such a day; another time
You call’d me dog; and for these courtesies
I’ll lend you thus much moneys’? (Act I, Scene III, 121-124)
The play’s final scene, in which Shylock is made to convert to Christianity as a form of punishment, represents the Renaissance’s conviction that Christianity is superior to Judaism. For many Jews, conversion represented their only chance to break free from the restrictions placed on them by society and the law. Shylock’s forced conversion can be seen as the pinnacle of humiliation, robbing him of his cultural and religious identity. Given that Shylock’s fate appears to be more about retaliation than genuine compassion or forgiveness, it also calls into question the nature of justice and mercy in Venetian society.
E. Gender and Power in Renaissance Venice
The role of gender and power dynamics is another significant element of Renaissance Venice that is mirrored in The Merchant of Venice. The figure of Portia subverts gender norms and expectations when she poses as a male lawyer in order to save Antonio. Like most of Europe, women in Renaissance Venice were mostly restricted to household responsibilities and had little influence over the law and the economy. However, Portia is able to overcome these constraints—at least momentarily—thanks to her brilliance, wit, and resourcefulness.
One of the most essential parts of the play is Portia’s courtroom scene, in which she outwits the male characters and uses her legal expertise to defeat Shylock and save Antonio. The play’s recurring theme of disguise and deception is highlighted by her skill at navigating the legal system and influencing the verdict of the trial. In addition, Portia’s actions prompt reflection on the nature of authority and power, particularly as it relates to gender. Although she can influence people in public, the expectations society has of her as a woman limit her ultimate power.
2. The influence of two great Empires on the mercantile fabric of Venice
The presence of powerful domains, like the Ottoman Realm and Spain, alongside the district’s rich history and folklore, gave Shakespeare abundant motivation. By underscoring the significance of commerce and the contentions encompassing it, Shakespeare interweaves the account with the battles of Britain against rising powers like Spain and the Ottomans for command over the Mediterranean Ocean.
Hath all his ventures fail’d? What, not one hit?
From Tripolis, from Mexico, and England,
From Lisbon, Barbary, and India, (Act III, Scene II, 265-268)
A.Ottoman Empire:
Venice and the Ottoman Empire, one of the most powerful empires in history in the sixteenth century, interacted extensively, particularly in terms of trade and armed conflicts. “Queen Elizabeth fostered commercial relations with the Islamic world, leading to the establishment of trade companies for Morocco, the Ottoman Empire, and India,” Feriel and Thiziri (2023) quote. (page 18). The play subtly acknowledges the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over a large portion of the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly through allusions to trade routes and commercial endeavors. The play’s setting implicitly reflects the geopolitical realities of the era by highlighting the rivalry and trade relations between Venice and the Ottoman Empire.
B. Spanish Monarchy:
The Spanish Monarchy, through its control of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain, was one of Venice’s most significant rivals. The Spanish Empire’s dominance in Central Europe and their influence in Italy meant that Venice had to constantly negotiate its independence and maintain its economic position.
The Spanish Empire’s political and military power often intersected with Venice’s commercial interests. For example, conflicts between the Spanish and the Ottoman Empire could disrupt trade routes that Venice relied upon. Additionally, the Spanish Empire’s control over parts of Italy affected Venetian access to key markets and resources. Feriel and Thiziri (2023) states that “Spain aimed to exclude other European powers from its New World possessions, reaching the height of its power and subsequent decline during the Habsburg reign in the 16th and 17th centuries.” (p.52) Thus, the Spanish dominance in Europe, their rivalry with the Ottoman Empire, and their control over vast trade networks contributed to the economic and political environment that Shakespeare’s Venetian characters navigate. (Cantor, 2014)
C. Silk Route and its Influence on Venice’s Relationships
Venice as a Central Node: The Silk Route was crucial to Venice’s wealth and power, as it connected the city with the lucrative markets of Asia. Venice’s ability to import and then export luxury goods like silk, spices, and other commodities made it a central node in the global trade network. (Cantor, 2014)
Geopolitical Tensions: Control over these trade routes was a source of tension and competition between Venice and the other empires. The Ottoman Empire’s expansion into the Eastern Mediterranean and the Habsburgs’ influence in Italy affected Venice’s position as a dominant trading power.
References:
Bloom, H. (2010). Shylock: A Character Analysis. Chelsea House.
Brotton, J. (2016). The Renaissance Bazaar: From the Silk Road to Michelangelo. Oxford University Press.
Cohen, W. (1982). The Merchant of Venice and the possibilities of historical criticism. ELH, 49(4), 765-789.
Cantor.P. (August 19, 2014).The Merchant of Venice (2 of 3) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip9-NFahqaI
Feriel, B. O. U. S. A. I. D., & Thiziri, B. O. U. Z. I. A. N. E. (2023). The Representation of the British Empire in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and the Tempest: postcolonial standpoint (Doctoral dissertation, Université Mouloud Mammeri).
Greenblatt, S. (2004). Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare. W.W. Norton & Company.
Ravid, B. C. I. (2001). Venice and Its Jews: 500 Years Since the Founding of the Ghetto. In R. Calimani (Ed.), The Ghetto of Venice (pp. 59-90). Yale University Press.
Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Collins Classics.
Taha, A. (2014). Justice and mercy in The Merchant of Venice (Master’s thesis).