In the merchant of Venice, Solanio is a friend to Antonio and is a merchant as well. Solanio is a minor character that plays an immense role in the merchant of Venice because he is a close friend to Antonio who is a major character in the play. First, we encounter him at the opening of the play where he has a conversation with his friend Salerio. The appearance at the beginning of the play imply that the audience has a lot to learn from Solanio about the play at large .For instance, during his conversation, the audience learns that Antonio is sad and Solanio suggests to him the reasons as to why he is sad. One of the reasons is the uncertainty that surround the ship investment he has made. The Purpose of Solanio in the play is therefore to provide narration about what will happen later in the play. The reader/audience thus gets a glimpse of what is awaiting a certain character later in the play (Shakespeare, pg 5).
Further Solanio provides humorous relief in the merchant of Venice. The role of being comic is achieved by the fact that Solanio being a minor character is well versed with the storyline but is not involved in the action of the play. For instance, we find Solanio gossiping and satirizing the issue of Jessica stealing money from her father shylock and he makes a drama out of it in Scene two part eight. The act by Solanio helps to relieve the reader/Audience in the merchant of Venice by relieving the anxiety that is created in scene one.
Moreover, Solanio helps to bring out his purpose as an onlooker in the play. His role as an onlooker is evident where despite being an ally to Antonio, he does not attend his trial nor offer to help him pay his debt to shylock. We find that Solanio does not love Antonio and that is why he mocks Bassano for his love to Antonio in act two where he says that ``I think he only loves the world for him.”
In addition, Solanio function in the merchant of Venice is to make the play understandable. We find that Solanio consistent gossip about certain events and fate that awaits certain characters in the play makes it easier for the reader to comprehend the play. For instance, when Solanio gossips about Jessica stealing from her father and eloping with Lorenzo and the loss of ships that Antonio had invested in, makes the reader understand the fate awaiting shylock and Lorenzo.
Finally, Solanio helps to bring out that Shylock is not materialist. In response about Jessica’s elopement, he is sad that Jessica gave away the ring that his late wife had given him. We find that the ring is not expensive but Shylock is very sad that Jessica stole the only memory he had for his wife.
Jessica on the hand, is a daughter to shylock one of the major characters in the ``merchant of Venice and the only ``Jewish” woman in the play.” We find that Jessica abandoned her father to be with Lorenzo thus her escape forms the character of her father. The character of her father as a ``materialist” individual is brought out after she stole his diamond, ducats and the gold ring that her mother had given him. This is evident where Shylock cried out about his money and gold that Jessica had stolen and is not concerned about her welfare as a daughter (Smith, pg 52).
Further, Jessica helps to create a tension in the mind of the reader in regard to the wrongs of shylock and Jessica. We find that Jessica stole the wealth of her father and ran way with Lorenzo. Later she converted to Christianity an act that is against the will of Shylock. On the other hand, we find that Shylock is a cruel money lender who does not treat his daughter Jessica appropriately an aspect that makes her to hate him as her father and would not inhibit regret for abandoning him if she has a chance. As a reader, one may want to get angry at Jessica for stealing from her father and pity Shylock. The empathy for Shylock is attributed to the fact that he lost his money to Antonio and to top it up, Jessica steals his wealth an aspect that explains his reason for agony. As a reader, the fact that Jessica married Lorenzo who is one of Antonio’s friends makes the reader understand why Shylock was furious with Antonio when he could not repay the debt he owed him (Janik, pg 94).
Finally, Jessica helps Shakespeare to bring out the harsh treatment of women during his time. We find that Shylock did not allow Jessica to attend any party and urged her to close the doors so that she cannot hear music from the party. This explains why Jessica had to dress up as a man to disguise herself to facilitate her escape.
Works Cited
Janik, Vicki. The Merchant of Venice: A Guide to the Play.USA: Greenwood Publishing
Group, 2013.Print.
Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice.USA: Saddleback Education
Publisher, 2004.Print.
Smith, Robert, Gibson, Rex, Wienand, Vicki and Andrews, Richard. The Merchant
Of Venice. London: Cambridge University Press, 2013.Print.
