| Antonio | – lets Bassanio borrow money from Shylock using his credit- quite, dignified, selfless |
| Bassanio | – friend of Antonia who borrows money to woo and marry Portia- Generous, determined |
| Portia | – A wealthy heiress- marries Bassanio-Witty, Intelligent, generous |
| Shylock | – Jewish moneylender; tries to take a pound of flesh from Antonio- Cruel, selfish, greedy, obsessed with money |
| Gratiano | – friend of Antonio and Bassanio; marries Nerissa- Talkative, cheerful |
| Nerissa | – Portia’s lady-in-waiting; marries Gratiano-Witty, Loyal |
| Jessica | – Shylock’s daughter; a Jewish woman who marries Lorenzo, a Christian- Frivolous with money |
| Lorenzo | – friend of Antonio who marries Shylock’s daughter- Sensitive to beauty, gentlemanly, trustworthy |
| Caskets | Gold: “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.”-A skull. Chosen by Moroco.Silver: “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.”-A jack in the box. Chosen by Prince of Aragon.Lead: “Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.”-Portia’s portrait. Chosen by Basanio |
| venice | title cityruled by menbusiness is all-important |
| the ring | plot line involving promise ring Portia gives to Bassanio, then tricks into giving it to the lawyer (Portia) as a token of appreciation |
| pound of flesh | plot line involving Antonio’s penalty for not paying Shylock back in time |
| the elopement | plot line involving Jessica and Lorenzo running off to get married; infuriates Shylock because she takes money and Lorenzo is a friend of Antonio |
| “All that glitters is not gold” | words written on the scroll found inside the gold casket; read by Morocco |
| “But love is blind, and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that they themselves commit.” | words spoken by Jessica when she is dressed as a boy to run away from Lorenzo |
| “If it will feed nothing else, it will feed by revenge.” | words spoken by Shylock to justify his right to take a pound of Antonio’s flesh |
| “The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven…” | words spoken by Portia to Shylock suggesting he show mercy to Antonio |
| main theme 1 – mercy | – Devine quality- The conflict between Shylock and the Christian: Shylock is right by law, but is expected to show mercy. He refuses.- Portia’s speech: mercy is an attribute of God himself and therefore is the most important quality. |
| main theme 2 – prejudist | Antonio is prejudice against JewsShakespeare presents Jews with stereotypical anti semitic characteristics: care about money more than about relationships |
8th Grade- The Merchant of Venice Finals
July 15, 2019