Shakespeare Uses Similar Comic Elements To Effect

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Term Paper Title	Shakespeare Uses Similar Comic Elements To Effect
# of Words	2293
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	9.17

     Shakespeare uses similar comic elements to effect
similar outcomes in his works.  Many of his plays
utilize trickery and disguise to accomplish similar
endings.
     Trickery plays a major role in The Merchant of
Venice and drives most of the action, while mistaken
identity, specifically Portia's disguise as the
"learned attorney's" representative, plays a major
role in the resolution of the play.  The first
instance of trickery in the play is Bassanio's plan to
present himself as a financially sound suitor, when in
truth, he is not.
     Bassanio believes that he would stand a very good
chance of being the successful suitor if he had the
proper money backing him.  Bassanio then goes to his
friend Antonio to try to secure a loan to provide for
his wooing.
     O my Antonio, had I but the means/To hold a rival
     place with one of them [other suitors]/I have a
     mind presages me such thrift/That I should
     questionless be fortunate!" (Shakespeare,
     Merchant 1.1 173-176)
     However, Antonio has, "neither the money, nor
commodity/to raise a present sum" but urges Bassanio
to go through Venice to try to secure a loan using
Antonio's bond as credit (Shakespeare, Merchant 1.1
178-179).
     One of the resident money-lenders of Venice is an
individual called Shylock, a person of Jewish descent.
The practice of usury was traditionally banned by the
Christian church.  This allowed many Jews, because
their belief system contained no objection to
profitable money-lending, to become the de facto loan
officers.  Bassanio approaches Shylock to ask for a
loan, and Shylock seems as if he is going to agree,
however, he first asks to speak with Antonio.  It is
revealed in an aside that Shylock harbors a secret
hatred of Antonio because of his religion and
Shylock's belief that Antonio's practices drive down
the interest rates that Shylock can charge in Venice.
Here we see the second instance of trickery and
deception within The Merchant of Venice.  Shylock
seems to have great knowledge of the positions of
Antonio's fleet and ominously notes that, "ships are
but boards, sailors but men" (Shakespeare, Merchant
1.3 20).  Earlier in the scene Shylock seems hesitant,
which, "we can construe … as playing for time while he
forms his plan (Barber 211).  Shylock agrees to accept
the loan, using Antonio's bond as credit, but refuses
to charge interest on it.  Instead, he chooses, in
"merry sport," to insert a cl...

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