The Merchant of Venice (TMOV) Money & Deals _______________________________ Aldric Bek (01) Lee Choon Kiat (05) Loh Zheng Yi (09) Keloysius Mak (11) Ryan Oon (15)

Table of Contents Definitions Themes & motifs involved in TMOV that concerns money and deals Money Value & worth Deals Worth of a man Values of some characters to other characters

Definitions Value: the importance or usefulness of something Worth: the value of someone or something Deal: A formal agreement or pact

Themes & motifs Money Value & worth Deals

Money Greed corrupts people  “Oh my ducats!” (exclaimed by Shylock when he finds out that Jessica had run away with his money)  Presents mercenary side of Shylock Preoccupation with money  “He lends out money gratis and brings down/ the rate of usance here with us in Venice.” (Shylock reveals that he practised usury)  Shylock's practice of usury shows how much he is obsessed with making money  Was Bassanio’s “love” bought with money?  We can see that Bassanio valued Portia for her money,  As seen when he chooses to mention “richly left” in front of all other of Portia’s values  Or when he chooses Antonio over Portia in the ring test

Money Prince of Arragon  “For who shall go about/ to cozen Fortune, and be honourable/ without the stamp of merit?”  Play on the word on “Fortune”, which could mean fate or wealth, ie. Portia's inheritance Leads to either generosity or money-grubbing  “Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond./ Double six thousand, and then treble that,/ before a friend of this description/ shall lose a hair through Bassanio's fault.”  Portia displays generosity by offering to pay for Antonio's bond.  “Three months from twelve- then let me see the rate.”  Shows that Shylock did not want to lend out money for free

Value & worth In Act II Scene I, the Prince of Morocco took his choice of the casket test, and in this, he showed just how much he valued Portia  “Being ten times undervalued to tried gold?”  Morocco values Portia to be more than gold's value  Morocco is conscious about his own social standing and does not bother with lesser items, showing that he often took things by their face value Act III Scence I: Shylock reveals just how much he valued his daughter  “I would my daughter were/ dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear!”  Shows how much Shylock valued his daughter, compared to how much he valued his money and jewels Act III Scene II: “I have engaged myself to a dear friend,/ engaged my friend to his mere enemy/ to feed my means.” - Bassanio  There is a motif of feeding Bassanio's friend, Antonio, to sustain his own flamboyant lifestyle  Could it mean that Bassanio considers his friend's life worthy to put on the line to continue living a flamboyant lifestyle, even if Antonio had only a slight risk of losing his life?

Deals Contracts, formal agreements In TMOV, romantic love is often brought up by Bassanio and Portia in a way that they suggest that it was contractual and had terms.  “I will ne'er come in your bed/ until I see the ring”  The ring is a motif of a deal, such that the ring is the contract of marriage and love between Bassanio and Portia For the casket tests, Portia declared to the candidates their deals and the terms of the deals.  “If you choose wrong/ never to speak to lady afterward/ in way of marriage.”

Worth of a man Is the worth of a man the Wealth of a man? Antonio – rich with much cargo Social Status of a man? Antonio – Merchant – has Shylock – Usurer Religion of a man? Antonio/Bassanio – Christian Shylock –Jew – a minority at that time. Character of a man? Antonio – Kind / Generous Shylock – Evil and Cunning and Vengeful Beliefs of a man? Antonio – Usury should be frowned upon and Jews should be discriminated Shylock – Usury is a profession and Christians bring down the rate of usury in Venice

Value of characters to other characters Bassanio to Antonio Bassanio to Portia Antonio to Shylock

Bassanio to Antonio Greatly valued as a friend to Antonio  “My purse, my person, my extremest means/ lie all unlocked to your occassions”  Shows that Antonio valued Bassanio so much that he would give him all the monetary aid that he needed to court Portia  “Then say to me what I should do/ that in your knowledge may by me be done,/ and I am prest unto it, therefore speak.”

Bassanio to Portia Portia gives herself to Bassanio, when they first appear in Belmont  “One half of me is yours, the other half yours- / 'mine own' I would say: but if mine then yours.” Portia is willing to travel to Venice to sacve Bassanio's friend Antonio, showing how much she valued Bassanio

Antonio to Shylock Sees Antonio as a 'good man' judging by what he owns To Shylock, Antonio was only worth three thousand ducats  “If you repay me not on such a day...let the forfeit/ be nominated for an equal pound/ of your fair flesh.”  “I crave the law,/ the penalty and forfeit of my bond.” With just three thousand ducats, Shylock was almost able to take Antonio's life

The End Thank You