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.

Most Important Extracts from The Merchant of Venice

Important Extracts
1. Let me not play the fool ....jaundice
2. My ventures are not in one bottom trusted ......makes me not sad.
3. There are a sort of men whose visages............. let no dog bark!
4. In my school days... I often found both.
5.In Belmont is a lady..... Brutus' Portia
6. Mark you this Bassanio.... falsehood hath.
7. All that glitters.... in judgement
8.To bait fish Withal..... his reason.
9. Mistake me not for my complexion..... his or mine.
10. Alack! What heinous sin...... his manners.
11. But love is blind..... to a boy.
12. Hath not a Jew eyes?..... resemble you in that.
13.If a Jew wrong a Christian.... the instructions.
14. How many cowards.... redoubted.
15. First go with me to Church..... unquiet soul.
16. But you simple lead box...... choice is joyous.
17. Some men there are love not a gaping pig...... for your answer. (Act IV scene I)
18. I'm a tainted.... mine epitaph (act iv scene I)
19. 'The quality of mercy........gives and him that takes.' (Act IV, Scene i)
20. It droppeth as the gentle rains......wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings.
21. But mercy is above this sceptred sway......when mercy seasons justice.
22. Grieve not that I am fail'n to this ........An age of poverty. (Act IV, Sc. i)
23. The man that hath no music.....Mark the music. (Act V, scene i)
24. The crew doth sing as sweetly.......true perfection.

Important Extracts from: The Merchant of Venice: Reference to the Context

Extract 7.

O, my Antonio, I do know of these,
That therefore only are reputed wise,(100)
For saying nothing; who, I am very sure,
If they should speak, would almost damn those ears
Which, hearing them, would call their brothers, fools.
Reference to the Context: These lines occur in William Shakespeare’s famous play ‘The Merchant of Venice’, Act I Scene (i). Gratiano, the common friend of Antonio and Bassanio, is the speaker of the above lines. He is inspired to speak these lines to convince Antonio that he is sad. But Antonio says that he looks sad because he has been made as such by God to play his sad role given to him.

Explanation:

Gratiano is trying to convince Antonio that he is sad due to certain reasons, not because of his nature. While giving examples to prove his point, he says that he knows another type of persons who seem to be wise till they do not open their mouths. Since they always prefer to keep silent, people think them to be wise. The moment they speak, their true value is exposed. Their listeners curse their ears in their privacy as to why they were listening to such nonsense.

Extract 8.

In Belmont is a lady richly left,
And she is fair, and, fairer than that word,
Of wondrous virtues. Sometimes from her eyes
I did receive fair speechless messages:
Her name is Portia; nothing undervalued(170)

To Cato's daughter, Brutus'  Portia.
Reference to the Context: These lines occur/have been taken from ‘The Merchant of Venice’, Act I, Scene(i) written by William Shakespeare. Bassanio is speaking to Antonio, his friend. We already know that both are very good friends. Bassanio needs money, so he is making background to borrow it from Antonio. He wants to go to Bolmont to impress Portia to make his life-partner. Antonio had also asked Bassanio to tell about the lady he was so much interested in.

Explanation: In the above lines, Bassanio is trying to explain the qualities that Portia possessed. First, he tells him about a ‘huge amount’ she had inherited from his father. Second, Bassanio appreciates her beauty by calling her ‘fairer’ than the word ‘fair’. Third, she is a virtuous lady. After that, Bassanio tries to prove his point that it was not his one-sided infatuation. He had received ‘speechless messages’ from her. It means that her facial expression also show that she also likes Bassanio. Lastly, he tells Antonio her name. He says that she is Portia. He also adds that one cannot undervalue her to Cato’s daughter and Brutus’ wife Portia of antique, who was the Roman heroine. By referring to the Roman Portia, he brings about the point that Portia of Belmont is no less rich and virtuous than Portia of the antique world.