Free Essay About The Merchant Of Venice

William Shakespeare is one of the most influential ancient writers. His books and plays have been used in the present time, in different scenarios including education and entertainment amongst several other considerations. However, it is notable that, in his famous The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare borrowed his storyline from several other plays including The Gesta Romanorum and Giovanni Fiorentino’s Il Pecorone. In these plays, several similarities are witnessed including characterization and thematic compositions as well as the storyline. In this paper, I will consider the excerpt from The Gesta Romanorum and compare the storylines, thematic compositions and the characterization in relation to The Merchant of Venice.
The most visible theme in the excerpt from The Gesta Romanorum and The Merchant of Venice is the casket mythology. However, William Shakespeare used the casket in a different form ensuring that he reversed the gender roles and the inscriptions on the caskets. William Shakespeare is keen to ensure that he does not copy the former story to the latter, but keeps the themes in the story through his characterization and the storyline.
William Shakespeare made notable modifications to The Merchant of Venice. From reading this excerpt and comparing it to The Merchant of Venice, the latter changed from the bride’s choice to the groom’s choice. He also changed the inscriptions in the caskets and the fact that, in the former story, the boy’s father is alive, but Portia’s father is dead and unavailable to control the choices made by her daughter. He used these alterations to change the symbolism of allegory in both stories. Additionally, form both stories, the symbolism of social status is compared to that of racism. While the kings in The Gesta Romanorum belonged to the same social statuses in the society, Portia and Antonio also belonged to the same race, and she gave little chance to other people from different races such as the Moroccan prince.
Both stories share the theme of wise choices made by the people choosing the caskets. However, there are several changes made in the casket mythology. The first change made is the change in the gender roles, which will be discussed in the subsequent paragraphs. Secondly, William Shakespeare changed the inscriptions made on the caskets. While maintaining the materials as gold, silver, and lead, the inscriptions differ as follows. In The Merchant of Venice, the inscriptions in the gold casket are changed from “what they deserve” to “what many men desire.” However, the content of the gold casket remained the same in both stories. Earlier in The Merchant of Venice, the Prince of Morocco says that all that glitters is not gold (Act 2, Scene 7, para, 70). In these inscriptions, both stories reveal that most people are always deceived by looks, and that only the wise people would look at the careful meanings of the inscriptions on the caskets. However, the foolish people will look at the materials and in either case; every person desires or deserves gold.
In the silver casket used in The Merchant of Venice, the inscriptions read "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves" (2.9.3) However, in the former play, the inscriptions on the silver casket read that, “They that choose me shall find in me that nature and kind desire.” Apart from the changes in the inscriptions in the silver casket, William Shakespeare also changed the contents of the caskets. While in the former play, the casket was filled with worms and earth, The Merchant of Venice used a picture of an idiot with a smug message sending away the suitor who chose this casket. Many people believe that they deserve the things of the nature and earthly things. Therefore, the inscriptions were used in this case to deceive the foolish suitors to choose the earthly things and ignore the gold casket that carried the inscriptions of “desire” and “deserve” in either story.
The final casket used in both stories is the lead casket. The symbolism used in either story reveals that there are only three caskets used to choose a marriage partner. In both stories, the lead casket is the least of value but is the best rewarding casket. Antonio wisely 'chooses the lead casket, similar to the King of Naples’s daughter in The Gesta Romanorum. This lead casket is used to symbolize the inner beauty and humble nature of the price and Portia in both stories. In The Merchant of Venice, the inscriptions on the lead casket read that, "Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath" (2.7.5). However, in The Gesta Romanorum, the lead caskets have the inscriptions that, “They that choose me shall find in me that God hath disposed.” Additionally, the lead casket that William Shakespeare used had a picture of Portia in it, which was not evident in The Gesta Romanorum. While in The Gesta Romanorum, the lady choosing the caskets is sure that she has to choose whatever God considers the best; Antonio is willing to give up all he hath in order to marry Portia. This is also one of the changes made in the stories.
As earlier mentioned, there is a change in the gender roles in both stories. Possibly, it could be argued that William Shakespeare changed the person choosing the caskets to men because, during his time and society, men married women instead of women choosing the men they pursue. The suitors of Portia are men including the prince of Aragon and Morocco among others, and Antonio, who finally wins her heart. Finally, in The Merchant of Venice, Portia’s father is dead and would wish that his daughter is married to the best person he would have chosen for her if he were alive. On the other hand, both kings are alive in the former story and make the proposals for the marriage of their heirs. Even further, William Shakespeare replaces the theme of social class with that of race. Both kings want their children to marry from their social class. However, Antonio is not of the royal class. Nevertheless, despite the pursuit amidst the prince of Morocco and the prince of Aragon, Portia prefers him to the former suitors because he is of her race. This is evidenced by the prince of Morocco’s sentiments while addressing Portia saying that, “Mislike me not for my complexion” (Act 2, Scene 1). There are other forms of racism used in The Merchant of Venice such as prejudice against shylock because he is a Jew. Nevertheless, William Shakespeare successfully borrows the storyline, characterization, and themes from The Gesta Romanorum in order to recreate his story.