The Merchant of Venice as a Tragi-comedy

Q8. The Merchant of Venice as a Tragi-comedy

Ans.  ‘The Merchant of Venice’ cannot be called purely a tragedy or a comedy. The great dramatist mixed both the comic and the tragic elements together in this play. That is why ‘The Merchant of Venice’ is a unique play.

The bond story is the main plot that creates tragic atmosphere in the whole play. There are three other subsidiary plots that are very deftly (skillfully) interwoven by the playwright (dramatist). Whenever tension mounts (rises) in the play, some relaxing scene from any of these subplots takes place (occurs). The comic scenes provide both entertainment and relief to the audience/reader. In this way, the play has a well-knitted plot. Let’s have some examples from the play to discuss the play as a tragi-comedy.

Antonio’s woes make the general atmosphere in the play gloomy and sad. He is not a cheerful person. He remains sad even though he does not know the reason for his sadness. Then he signs a deadly bond to enable his close friend, Bassanio, get a loan of three thousand ducats from the greedy and cruel money lender Shylock. At that time, he hoped that his ships would return with great profit and he would easily repay Shylock’s loan on time.

But it does not happen. He easily falls into the death-trap created by Shylock to take his life. Antonio is unable to pay the loan on time because he gets reports that his ships are destroyed. The tragic atmosphere is built up in the play by this unfortunate incident. Antonio surrenders (feels defeated) in front of his destiny. He becomes hopeless in the Duke’s court because Shylock was adamant to take his life. The tension reaches the climax when Portia allows Shylock to cut one pound of flesh from Antonio’s body. But at another moment, there is some relief as Portia starts pushing the Jew to the back-foot by her intelligence and wisdom. At last, the Jew, Shylock, is punished by the law of Venice. This is the main plot that culminates with punishment to the wrong doer and relaxation to the sufferer and his companions. It also brings relief to the audience/reader too.

But still, there are some incidents and some characters’ dialogues that create much of tragic effect in the play. First, Antonio’s sad mood sets the keynote of the play. Then Portia talks about her father’s will which limits her desire to choose a husband of her own choice. After that, the conversation between Shylock and Antonio is full of bitterness. This is the time when Bassanio and Antoino were present in Shylock’s house and asked him to get a loan of three thousand ducats. Then Antonio’s ships are reported to be wrecked in the sea. Shylock lodges a complaint against Antonio in the Duke’s court. Bassanio also reaches Venice after hearing the sad news. Further, the atmosphere in the trial scene remains tensed.

On the other hand, Shakespeare has also created comic effects in the play. These scenes serve both the purposes. They not only entertain the audience/reader, but also relax the tension that mounts in the play from time to time. Portia’s description of her suitors is entertaining to the reader. Launcelot’s playing pranks with his own father Old Gobo, who is almost blind, is quite entertaining. Then their conversation with Bassanio is quite funny. Again Launcelot’s conversation with Jessica is entertaining. The ring episode also serves the same purpose. The happy ending of the play is also a welcome to the audience.

Thus the play ‘The Merchant of Venice’ is neither a pure tragedy nor is it a pure comedy.

But the tragic elements overshadow the comic elements in the play. The reader does not forget about Shylock’s punishment of forcing him to convert himself from a Jew to a Christian.