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| Plot Summary of The Merchant of Venice |
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"In one of Shakespeare's more sober and less antic comedies, the Jewish moneylender Shylock agrees to loan money to a hated business rival, the Christian merchant Antonio, if Antonio will agree to surrender a pound of flesh "nearest his heart" in the event of a default on the loan. Antonio blithely agrees to the deal because he is sure nothing will go wrong, but his ships fail to make their deliveries and he does default. Meanwhile, Antonio's good friend Bassanio is going to try his luck at a game of skill or puzzle set up by the deceased father of wealthy Portia to decide who shall marry her. (Several other suitors are shown trying and failing the test.) In addition, Shylock's daughter Jessica is secretly planning to elope with her boyfriend. All these plot lines come together in the climactic trial scene where Shylock seeks to collect on his broken contract, and everyone learns a lesson about justice -- the clash between the spirit of the law and the letter of it -- and generosity."
David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Merchant of Venice |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- upbeat
Romance/Romance Problems
Yes
Kind of romance:
- GENERAL--no other subplots apply
- seduction (yum!)
Kids growing up/acting up?
Yes
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Ethnic/regional/gender life
Yes
Parents/lack of parents problem?
- rebelling against parent's expectations
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- wealthy
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 2 (a little)
Europe
Yes
European country:
- Italy
City?
Yes
Style
Weird Victorian/Shakespearean English?
Yes
Unusual Style:
- No single main character?
Amount of dialog
- mostly dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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