Rice UniversityPoetry, Law, and the Pursuit of Perfection: Portia's Role in The Merchant of Venice Author(s): Monica J. Hamill Source: Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, Vol. 18, No. 2, Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama (Spring, 1978), pp. 229-243 Published by: Rice University Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/450359 . Accessed: 07/11/2013 13:41 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . Rice University is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 142.132.1.147 on Thu, 7 Nov 2013 13:41:16 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions and the Pursuit of Perfection: Portia's Role in The Merchant of Venice M O NI CA J. ed.Law. law. G.108)2 are realized throughthe course of her own develIn the lottery episodes.An Apologie for Poetrie. The moral norm does not carry with it the vision of a free society. the Renaissance poet. Barberwrites. gettingin the way of life.Northrop Frye. 1966).depend on Portia's submittingherself to her father's will in the lottery.. who endeavored tp move imperfect men to "as high a perfection"as theywere capable of. L. Leonard F. are Portia's uses of poetic language and fictions and thering-play. 7 Nov 2013 13:41:16 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions . upholding Venetian civil law at the trial. and maintaining and the ring-bondin the final scene of the play. p.Elizabethan Critical Essays. collective life that transcendsparticular mistakes."The machinery as such need not be dismissed-Portia is veryemphatic about not restingon the buoyantforceof a doing that. . Portia's efforts tion" (V.147 on Thu. ." English InstituteEssays (1949).132.were praised as the first men." C. 2All quotations fromthe play are fromthe New Ardenedition. 87.ed. clarifying It is necessary to stressthe feelingof Shakespeare'sown timefor the vital connection between poetry and law because modern criticshave too oftenfailed to perceivethisrelationship. This content downloaded from 142. in Shakespeare:Modern Essays in Criticism. The happy fromher upholding and interpreting inextricable endings of all three actions. GregorySmith (London."3Critics who share Frye's assumption have been unable to reconcile Portia's legal maneuvering as Balthazar with her actions as the lady of Belmont. I. 18 (1978) ISSN 0039-3657 Poetry. for instance. Comedy "is of life aftershowing the moral machinery always asking amnesty. postulates an antithesisbetween comedy and moral law: "In comedy the moral norm is not morality but deliverance. ed. 1959). can set the 'Sir Philip Sidney. 1957).' feltthat his labors complementedthoseof the lawmaker. Dean (New York. rpt.SEL.1. Mass. "The Argumentof Comedy. the trial-scene. HA MILL The Renaissance assumed an intimate relationshipbetweenpoetryand law: the ancientpoets. the foundlegislatorsamong ers of civilized society. John Russell Brown (London and Cambridge.In The Merchant to lead charactersto their"true perfecof Venice. 160.i. 3NorthropFrye. But social solidarity. and of the play itself. opment as poet-lawmaker. " he muses. Portia's belief that flawed creaturescan. are good.99-100). 7 Nov 2013 13:41:16 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions . theyshall be perfecter than now theyare.hard. 1970).observesthatso long as "this muddyvesture of decay" closes in the soul. But it is precisely throughsuch contingencies.ed. rpt.63 ff."5 Sidney also maintained that humanity could 4C.1972).that "true perfection" may be realized:"How many thingsby season. he praises the power that terrestrial music has over its listeners:"therefore the poet/ Did feign that Orpheus drew trees. Lorenzo. 5Richard Hooker. speaking to Jessica about the music of the spheres.. "Since naught so stockish. and true perfection"(107-108).Sir Philip Sidney.i.1. the trial. Princteton.whereby perfection: they incline to somethingwhich theymay be.). And because thereis not in the world anythingwhereby another therefore may not some way be made the perfecter. New York. she is moved to meditateon the relativityof earthly perfection: "Nothing is good (I see) withoutrespect. fulfill their yearnings for perfectionwas shared by the pre-eminent theologian of the time.. in some sense.Richard Hooker.all creatures possess an unlimitedcapacityforincreased in all things.230 THE MER CHA N T OF VENICE machinery aside.147 on Thu. stones. Barber. season'd are/ To theirright praise. Hooker might be said to argue a of virtualperfectibility in his Laws of EcclesiasticalPolity. John Keble. On hearing the music made by Portia's musicians. When Portia hears the music. and floods. by R.Men's glimpses of perfection are fortuitous and circumstantial:"The crow doth sing as sweetlyas the lark/ When neither is attended" (102-103).Shakespeare'sFestive Comedy:A Study of Dramatic Form and its Relation to Social Custom (1959.i.music inspirestwo conversations After about imperfection and perfection that should be consideredin an assessmentof all of Portia's actions. and its foremost defender of poetry. W. 7th ed. rpt. rev. 186./But music forthe timedoth change his nature" (79-82). and full of rage. 215. Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity. Paget (1888.132. men cannot hear that immortal harmony (V. Works.. he reasoned. I. theory Although absolute perfectioncannot be realized on earth. This content downloaded from 142. all thingsthat are. p.-/ Methinksit [the music] sounds much sweeter than by day" (V.Portia recognizes."4 But Portia's triumph over Shylock refutes Barber's argument:far fromsuggestingthat society'smoral and legal machinerymight be set aside. L. Portia vindicates Venice's foundationon law by using the law itselfto redeem Antonio. "and when theyare it.thereis "an appetite or desire." he wrote. Church and F.. body of civil laws was created by the firstpoets. I. Thomas Lodge celebrated Orpheus and Amphion as lawmakers who drove "the sauage men from wo[o]ds." George Puttenhamwrote. Orpheus and Amphion. that theybe accordinglynotwithstanding no hindrance unto the common good for which societies are instituted:unless they do this. they are not perfect."and argued that the poet was uniquely empowered to move men to that end by his art of delightful teaching:above all otherearthlymeans. poetry is able "to lead and draw vs to as high a as our degeneratesoules.to beliefin a spiritualrealm. 74.1. to hold and containe the people in order and duety by forceand vertueof good and wholesome lawes.and taughtthemthe law of marriage.132. HA M IL L 231 become "perfecter. 8GeorgePuttenham. This content downloaded from 142. can be capable of.laws are necessary. deuising all expedientmeanes for th'establishment of Common wealth. Works. Elizabethan Critical Essays. made the gods known to them." Shylock. 7 Nov 2013 13:41:16 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions . Because some men are evil and all men are inclined towardssin.Although she certainly fails in the attemptto convert the "savage. 7-8. made forthe preseruation of the publique peace and tranquillitie. he wrotein his Apologie for Poetrie. made worse by theyrclayey perfection lodgings. 240. I.Elizabethan Critical Essays.M O NI CA J./ And made them liue aright". Defence of Poetry. Because the ancient poets "were aged and graue men. Hooker's views of man and societywere shared by the Renaissance apolowho claimed that the first gists forpoetry. and theyare only perfect insofaras they are framed to deal with the worst actions that men are capable of: "unless presuming man to be in regard of his depraved mind little betterthan a wild beast. Hooker reasoned."8 In his translationof Horace's de Arte Poetica. 7Hooker. and the first polititens. I.II.Elizabethan Critical Essays. both the priestand the poet assumed that the inherently flawed natureof men required that civilized society be founded on law. in their creation of the firstcivilized society. 160.she does allay -to the strife that he createsand even forceshim "to live aright" 6Sidney.The Arteof English Poesie."theywere the first lawmakersto the people. and of much experience in th'affaires of the world.147 on Thu. 9Thomas Lodge. they [civil laws] do so to framehis actions.9 Portia follows in the footsteps of the archetypal poetlawmakers."6 In the dialectic between imperfection and perfection.Orpheus and Amphion allayed the strife among men. but nothing more. Say how I lov'd you.147 on Thu. Tell her the process of Antonio's end.1. bid her be the judge WhetherBassanio had not once a love.232 THE MER CHA N T O F VENI CE outwardconformity of behavior. When Antonio rouses himself in I.83).269-273) Antonio's attemptto possess Bassanio proceedsfromboth men's initial misconceptionsabout love. In the friends'ensuing it is Bassanio who articulatesthe imperfect conversation. Antonio becomes increasingly desperateto possess the friendwhom he loves. his question implies the cause of his sadness. that he is sad because Bassanio is about to leave him for his new love. amendable aberrationof temperament. and his ineradicablesobriety leads him to a joyless end.132.i. Shylock is one "that hath no music in himself"(V. 7 Nov 2013 13:41:16 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions . Antonio's sadness suggestsa potentially dangerouslikenessto Shylock. "Commend me to your honourable wife.i. If absolute perfection remainselusive in theend.Antonio resignshimselfto his death because he foreseesthat his sacrificewill forever cast Portia's love forBassanio into the shadow of his own greater love. Portia leads the more civilized charactersto amend theirflaws: to teach the laws of love. II Antonio representsperhaps Portia's greatestchallenge. Although Antonio himself cannot fathom the source of his melancholy. Antonio is spared a miserabledestinybecause his sadness proves to be a temporary. notions of love that will implicate both men in Antonio's near-tragedy. Portia has moved the various charactersto successfulpursuit of that "right praise. (IV. the ring-play. Justas Shylock craves to possess the objects that he values. to ask Bassanio "what lady is the same/ To whom you swore a secretpilgrimage" (119-120).i." he instructs Bassanio.i. Bassanio invitesAntonio to thinkof his "pilgrimage" in terms of "all my plots and purposes/ How to get clear of all the debtsI This content downloaded from 142. she enables herself using her ring-fiction to exorciseher own jealousy and allows Antonio to transform his attemptto possess Bassanio into a gesture that expresseslove's ideal generosity. it is apparent even in I. speak me fair in death: And when the tale is told. and true perfection"realizable by men. His unconscious jealousy of Portia is most painfullyapparent at the trial.In her final action.when his death seems imminent. The vagaries of destiny.) immediatelyfollows Bassanio's idealized descriptionof Belmont and its lady.1. he is insensitiveto Antonio's need to prove his own love. and the inevitability This content downloaded from 142. By then. 7 Nov 2013 13:41:16 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions .132. But he also imagines thathis own worthwill be measuredby his "means.M O NI CA J.56 ff. All-absorbed in his love forPortia. verynearly.133-134).however. Bassanio's initial desperationfor "means" will have led to Antonio's bondage to Shylock. Portia herselfwill fashion the language of money and commerceinto decorous metaphorsthat define the ideals of love.He clearly intends his image of Portia as the golden fleeceand his description of his suit to her as Jason's quest as idealizations of his love." Bassanio proceeds to create an elaborate comparison between his pilgrimage and Jason's quest for the golden fleece.the of human errorare all constraintsof law.])and. III Portia's firstscene (I. when Bassanio finallywins his lady. is the pathetic consequence of the flaws and blindness that are rooted in the very intensitywith which each of the two men pursues his love.iii. and then hints thathe needs Antonio to financehis undertaking.i. (I i 173-176) Later in the play. Belmont is a location that actually heightensour sense of men's situation in an imperfectworld.iii.150]). Antonio's plight.147 on Thu. Bassanio makes Antonio feel compelled to buy his friendship at the cost of his principles ("Shylock. HA M ILL 233 owe" (I." which leads him to define his quest as a mercantileenterprise: 0 my Antonio. However unwittingly. Although the atmosphere of Belmont is surely more rarefiedthan that of Venice. then. Bassanio's ambiguous language suggests that he is unable to reconcile his disparate conceptions of his quest as a pilgrimage and as a commercial venture.at the cost of his life. had I but the means To hold a rival place with one of them ["many Jasons": suitors] I have a mind presages me such thrift That I should questionless be fortunate. When his firstattemptto couch his plea for more money leaves Antonio bewildered by his request for an "arrow. His feebleprotestcomes too late ("You shall not seal such a bond forme" [I. albeit I neitherlend nor borrow [I.ii. forAntonio readilyassentsto Shylock's proposal that he pledge a pound of his flesh as the forfeit for the money Bassanio needs. that I cannot choose one.24). Portia stages his deliberationover the casketsas an heroic action: Now he goes With no less presence.ii.ii. another knocks at the door" (I. Portia is a better poet than Bassanio.147 on Thu. the lotteryis an apparently cruel mechanism that actually constitutes a benevolentbondage: Porto ensure thatshe would be won by tia's father devised the lottery a worthy suitor-one whom "you shall rightly love.ii. Comparing Bassanio to Hercules. Bassanio makes his choice. Vexed at this constraint.i. 19): in this sense it is the despotic imposition of the dead father'swill over "the will of a living daughter" (I.ii.paid by howling Troy To the sea-monster. (II. "many Jasons" who come to woo her.. nor refusewho I dislike . Having mockedhis legend of "many Jasons.Portia dispels her anxietyover the lottery by mockingBassanio's imaginationof the her suitors. the greaterthrow May turn by fortunefromthe weaker hand. She caricatures and speaks of them as a parade of wooden men who pesterher with their quest: "Whiles we shut the gate upon one wooer. .but with much more love Than young Alcides. The lottery operates like destinyitself. Portia obeys her father'swill." Nerissa reassures her (I.234 THE M ER CHA N T OF VENICE illustrated in the principal action that takesplace at Belmont.ii. .22-23.1.the casket-lottery.Its apparent forceis to subject both Portia and her suitorsto chance. Morocco also complains: But alas the while! If Hercules and Lichas play at dice Which is the betterman.127-128). when he did redeem The virgin tribute. This content downloaded from 142. 7 Nov 2013 13:41:16 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions .32). overriding Portia's presumable ability to choose her own husband and her suitors' ability to deservelove throughacts of heroism: "O me the word 'choose'! I may neither choose who I would. is it not hard Nerissa. 25-26).3 1-34) By consenting to participate in the lottery. But the device is also an arbitrary stayagainst "madness the youth" (I. Like the Venetian law that will appear to allow Shylock the pound of flesh.132. nor refusenone?" (I." she shows her own more discriminating use of where heroic metaphorin the climacticepisode of the casket-plot.. . ii.perhaps many membersof Shakespeare'saudience would have been inevitablyremindedof it. 506) and that Arragon's flaw. "Smith. is hubris (p. Elizabethan Poetry: A Study in Conventions. is a "materialistic creature" who is taken with false values (p. who argues that Morocco. pp. for instance. love's heroism is a metaphor that expresses the lover's willingness to "give and hazard all he hath" (II.AlthoughPortia does not refer things. 295. and they do not suitors. points out that the Renaissance's favoritelegend about Hercules was the storyof Hercules' Choice. (III.21)."'0Portia's imagination of Bassanio's choice as an Herculean feat" emphasizes that the heroic lover need not undertakeliterallydangerous exploits. HA MILL 235 . 1952).go Hercules! Live thou. Morocco's and Arragon's reflectionson the gold and silver caskets' inscriptionsare similar to Bassanio's.'2They suggestthat the two men are essentiallyunworthy choose wronglybecause.ix. Hallett Smith points out that all of the legends were thought to illustratemoral heroism. 7 Nov 2013 13:41:16 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions . . according to the mythographer Natalis Comes. 60-62) In his discussion of Renaissance interpretations of the mythsof Hercules.106-107).and Hercules himselfrepresents nothingother than that virtueand strength of mind which casts out all vices and conquers all voluptuous desires.. The lottery but to testdispositions. "the storiesabout Hercules serveto encourage the strenuouslife. Mass.105).He wins the lottery not because he is a better moralistthan the othersuitors.M O NI CA J. p. 510)." PMLA. 293).by accepting the risks and the challenge demanded by the lead casket. Bassanio shows his disposition to true heroism. "a legend in which the hero is shown deliberately choosing the kind of life he will lead" (p. like Shylock.132. "Mode and Structurein The Merchant of Venice. 81 (1966). like Bassanio. I2See Thomas Fujimura.his conquest of the temptations to this legend. Its inscription. theyfail to recognizethe '0Hallett Smith. as the inscription on the lead casket implies./ And here choose I" (III. Hercules' decision to follow the path of Virtue ratherthan that of Pleasure signified. This content downloaded from 142. .147 on Thu. and Expression (Cambridge. I live-with much much more dismay.Meanings.ii. I view the fight.among other of the flesh. aught" (III.Bassanio moralizes the inscription on the gold and silvercaskets. like Antonio's. 293-299.ii. "rather threaten'stthan dost promise is designed not to elicit precepts.than thou that mak'st the fray.but because he does not try to rationalize the choice of lead: "Thy paleness moves me more than eloquence.1.53-57. he realizes. Like Morocco and Arragon. The momentswhen the ideal becomesreal are necessarily and are the more precious for that reason.40 ff. he carrieswith him Portia's promise to provide however much gold Shylock might demand for Antonio's ransom: "Double six thousand [ducats].299-301). as ideal truths-in Sidney's words"eitherbetter than Nature bringeth forth.vii. the wickednessand suffering fleeting. I.expresses:the factof mortality. 13Sidney.even Portia.1.vii. love. Morocco is not wrong to describePortia as a "mortal breathing saint" whose worth is symbolizedby gold (II.236 THE ME R CHANT OF VEN ICE paradoxical character of these inscriptions.51). This content downloaded from 142. But the portraitof the blinking idiot warns that men must also recognize theirlimitations: "Seven timestriedthatjudgmentis.ix. we have won the fleece.ix. "Engag'd my friendto his mere enemy/To feed my means" (III. quite a newe.132. and women. or. the Death's-head. Nor does Arragon fail because he dares to "assume desert" (II.240).ii. "Before a friendof this description/ Shall lose a hair throughBassanio's fault" (III./ That neverdid choose amiss" (II. formes such as neuerwere in Nature.will lie in "the obscuregrave" (II. Morocco and Arragon are "deliberate fools! when they do choose./They have the wisdom by theirwit to lose" (II.presupposes this.When he learns of his friend'simminentdeath. But his idealistic rationalization denies what the substitutefor Portia's All men portrait.ix. Portia can meet this challenge because she has used heroic myths poetically." she tells Bassanio."'3The happy instanceswhen men's fantasiesof love and happiness do come true cannot annihilate that inevitablyshadow human joy." Gratiano declares jubilantly (III.ii.64-65). itself.80-81). IV Antonio's plight moves both Bassanio and Portia to show their mettle. Bassanio is the consequence of his immediately recognizesthat this tragedy own actions." Salerio replies (241): realitypainfullyimpinges on the lovely fictionof the heroes' completion of theirquest. and then treblethat.).ii.147 on Thu.260-262). "I would you had won the fleece that he [Antonio] hath lost. When Bassanio sets offforVenice. As Portia realizes."he confessesto Portia. 156.51). by Shylock is announced at exactlythe Antonio's ensnarement moment when heroic metaphor appears to have come literally true: "We are the Jasons. "I have engag'd myselfto a dear friend. 7 Nov 2013 13:41:16 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions . Elizabethan Critical Essays. This content downloaded from 142. debate between Justiceand Mercy over the issue of man's salvaof "the conflict '4See C. 166-167. and to receive" [III. (III. Antonio.1. pp. Barber'silluminatingdiscussion of the play in terms social use of it. ten thousand times more rich. Since Bassanio is her soul."Portia concludes. by her strictinterpretation Portia not only redeemsAntonio fromhis bondage to Shylockbut also vindicatesVenice's bondage to law. I might in virtues." Shakebetween the mechanisms of wealth and the masterful.ii. Portia his fiscal imagery into language that expresses the transforms lover's desire to perfectherselfinto a gift that transcendsthe powers of reckoning:'4"foryou. friends: "In purchasing the semblance of my soul/ From out the stateof hellish cruelty!" (19-21).when Bassanio playfullyclaims her as his lottery-prize ("I come by note to give.beauties. "merelyjustice" (IV. 152-157) AfterBassanio has lefther to go to Antonio. Portia uses similar language to show that her love for Bassanio embraces Antonio too. is the semblance of her soul (III.ii.140]).M O NI CA J." A thousand times more fair.i. she reasons.iv. of the symbolicdimensionsof the conflict Our understanding betweenPortia and Shylockis indebtedto those who have examthe ined the medieval paradigm that lies behind the trial-scene. v The ideal of love's inclusivenessthat lies behind Portia's offer to ransom Antonio will inform her ring-play. "I would be trebledtwentytimes myself. his bosom lover. speare's Festive Comedy. Her offerto ransom Antonio is the seal that ratifiesthis union of lovers and "How littleis the cost I have bestowed.335)." she tells Bassanio. Exceed account. That only to stand high in your account.Portia's pledge justifiesher use of monetarymetaphors to define the nature of love.).132. L.147 on Thu. livings." Portia denies Shylock's claim to the pound of flesh by answering the villain's own demands for of the law. HA MILL 237 More than simplya generousgesture. But neitherlove nor gold can save Antonio fromShylock's "hellish cruelty.where she will enable Antonio to save himselffromhis notion of love's possessiveness. 7 Nov 2013 13:41:16 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions . For instance. 16 ff. friends. i. 1947) traced its iconographic history.8 (1929). himself to pay Bassanio's debt. Justice and Mercy are divine beings who personifyGod's own One kind of comic exploitationof the paradigm "characteristics. In a more recentessay.g.1. The Four Daughters of God (Philadelphia. 270). is a measure of his own flawed '5Hope Traver. "Biblical Allusion the characters and Allegory in The Merchant of Venice. E. for the Duke cannot deny the course of justice.132.As E. too. E.thedebate between Justiceand Mercywas resolvedby Christ's Atonement:the Godand so of himselfdischargedman's debt to Justice. Rea. men can expect only in a world far too complex for naive allegory to be given full relativeperfection credit" (p. fie upon your law!" Shylockgloats. 319." Philological Quarterly. '6The most extensivestudyof the Processus Belial is Hope Traver's "The Four Daughters of God: A Mirrorof Changing Doctrine. 14 (1974). 40 (1925). Samuel Chew. by theirrecognibetweenthe symbolicand the human that finallymakes tion of the rich interplay irreducibleto "figures. 7 Nov 2013 13:41:16 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions ." Shakespeare Quarterly. Shakespeare Studies (New York. is a devil-figure His demand thatAntonio pay the forfeit who travesties Justice.147 on Thu.and even the play in its entirety. Stoll.17 of his bond createsa tragicimpasse: if the law allows Shylock to take the pound of flesh. This content downloaded from 142. "If you deny me. despite the truthcontained in its naive allegory of love." SEL.whose inherentlack of righteousness precludeshis rightto salvation. The Virtues Reconciled: An Iconographic Study (Toronto. The eshis willingness to sacrifice sence of Antonio's Christ-likeness." PMLA. 328). Barbara Lewalski. "Launcelot and the Uses of Allegory in The Merchant of Venice. A knowledgeof the Heavenly Parliamentenhances our understanding of Antonio's role. 1927).Love and Law. "There is no forcein the decreesof Venice:/ I stand for judgment" (IV. Shylock. it is perhaps sufficient sensitiveallegorists have temperedtheir readings of the symbolic antithesesbetween Christianand Jewish.16where Satan and the Virgin supplied the roles of Justiceand Mercy. in the way in which allegorical emphasizesthat Shakespeare "is fullyas interested dimensionsenrichthe particularinstanceas in the use of the particularto point to higher levels of meaning" (p.. Traditionally. discussed the literaryhistory of the paradigm. have used thesestudiesto interpret allegorically.Mercyand Justice.Later critics the trialscene. p. Stoll pointed out many yearsago.238 THE MER CHA N T O F VENI CE tion. 44-92. Rene' Fortin one allegorical scheme with another suggeststhat Shakespearehas counterpointed to show the coexistenceof Love and Law: "The Merchantof Venicesuggeststhat. "7E."E.101-103)." was the variation known as the Processus Belial.the court must award it. man's sacrifice brought about the reconciliation of Justiceand Mercy. 311-313.13 (1962).Although a critical discussion of the various allegorical schemes is to note that the most beyond the scope of this article. 1907). Its applicability to The Merchant of Venice was firstsuggested by John D. "Shylock and the Processus Belial. It is Antonio who plays the part of humanum genus: mankind.5 In most medieval versions of the Heavenly Parliament. 333. the inherenthuman inadequacy that limits Antonio just as it would limit any man.It is as an imperfect human being. and makes more poignant. by having Antonio's longing to make a Christlike sacrifice of himselfexpresshis yearningforhuman love. 339). Lewalski. She includes herself among the flawed men and women whose own need for God's mercyinspires their charitytowardsone another: "we do pray formercy.147 on Thu.i.i. I feel that this reading reverses Shakespeare'semphases.'8 His situationis the more pitiable because he.When Shylock maintains his own righteousness-"My deeds upon my head! I crave the law" (IV. recognizeshis inabilityto supply the partof Christ. But Antonio is not saved throughthe pleading of Mercy.1.114-115). but Shylock's savage desire to feedupon the Christian. 7 Nov 2013 13:41:16 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions .In her speech on "The her own role as quality of mercy" (IV.a doctorof laws. But Portia comes to the courtroomarmed with the legal acumen needed to vindicate the law should Shylockpersistin his travesty of Justice."she points The deeds out./Meetestfordeath" (IV.Portia perfects the Justice and affordsShylock one last chance to transform courtroom'stravesty of the debate betweenJusticeand Mercyinto a positive imitation of the Heavenly Parliament.Antonio fails to carryChrist's role because it is a humanly impossible burden. Shakespeareexploits. But it is Shylock who provides the most pathetic definitionof Antonio's role. Bassanio's fear lest malice bear down truth (IV.that Portia speaks of salvation.202)-Portia redeems Antonio by awarding Shylock the strictjustice he has demanded: should he '8Allegorists tend to interpret Antonioas a Christ-figure who is only incidentally flawed (see. Mercy is "an to God himself.M O NI CA J.). himself. she has preparedfor her role by seeking the advice of Bellario.180 ff. but as Balthazar. This content downloaded from 142. ratherthan as divine Mercy. "And thatsame prayerdoth teachus all to render/ of mercy" (196-198). e.132.the Sacrificial of his "tainted" condition is a cryof Lamb. His prostitutionof Justice makes of Christ'ssaving act: the a perverse Antonio's martyrdom travesty flawed Antonio's sacrificeof himselfsatisfiesnot the demands of divine Justice.She disguises herself not as a figureof Mercy. a real jurist. "And earthlypower doth attribute then show likestGod's/ When mercyseasons justice" (191-193). pp.g. HA MILL 239 humanity."she explains.i. His acknowledgment despair: "I am a taintedwetherof the flock.i.210) is an anguished protestagainst the curse that Venice's bondage to law appears to have laid on its citizens. Essentally.. Portia's demands for mercy are a deviationpresumably-from Bellario's directives. 331. ] Down therefore.1. Beg that thou may'st have leave to hang thyself. for revenge. This content downloaded from 142. the Duke shows Venice's liberation from the apparent curse of its bondage to law by using his obligation to enforcethe statuteas a chance to show mercyto the The mercyAntonio renders signifies that his release offender.Portia had suggestedlaw's spiritual functionof showing to all men their inherentlack of for"in the course of justice. What mercycan you renderhim Antonio? Gra.240 THE ME R CHA N T OF VENICE shed one drop of Antonio's blood or cut more or less than exactly his life and one pound of flesh.he shows that he is capable of genuinelydisinterested generosity. Venetian law directsthat half his goods be awarded to the injured partyand that his life lies at the mercyof the Duke."The Letterof the Law in The Merchant of Venice. freeshim to discovermore tenable kinds fromthe role of martyr that his half of Shylock's goods be of self-sacrifice.374-375) Allowing Shylock his life.Gratiano.195-196). salvation" (IV. The Duke with a choice: Portia prompts for and Antonio are confronted mercy. he must forfeit goods. and beg mercyof the Por. she explains.147 on Thu. duke. she shows that law is also necessary to constrainthose evil-doerswho will not acknowledgethe spiritual realm.i. 113." Shakespeare Survey. "Antonio and the Allegoryof Salvation. Should an alien seek the life of a Venetian citizen. directing by held in trustforLorenzo and Jessica. Gra. (IV. 4 (1969).'9 In her argumentsfor mercy. J. [To Shy.she explains. Assessmentsrange from Allan Holaday's denunciation of Antonio's "stupidity"in "forcJew an emptylabel"20to John Cooper's ing upon the embittered apology thatShylock'sbaptismwould have seemedan "altogether '9See E.none of us/ Should see righteousness. 7 Nov 2013 13:41:16 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions . 20AllanHoladay. A halter gratis. Critical debate about the quality of the Christians' mercyhas focused on Shylock's forced baptism.Portia unearths a statute that allows her to renew her appeal for Mercy. Tucker's excellent discussion of Portia's application of the law in light of ElizabethanCommon Law principlesof equity." ShakespeareStudies.359-360) Por.i. 93-101.29 (1976).i.132. by preventingShylock from claiming the pound of flesh. Having had Justice itselfdictate Shylock's defeat.nothing else for Godsakel (IV. and then to exorcise. "Shylock's Humanity.132. within the constraintsimposed by law." SEL. it is evidentin his plea that Bassanio surrender ring to Balthazar." Shakespeare Quarterly. Horwich. suggestthe fortuitous Portia designs her own charts for each man. act out theiraspirationsto love within a plot thatembodies these of law. destiny.22 Portia's role is a calculated posture of jealousy and hardmen's inevher assumptionof thesequalities reflects heartedness. He is not in saving his soul. The intricacies The ring-bonditselfrepresents constraints. Throughout poet-lawmaker. nor transform forcedto submit to the externalrite of baptism.2' Shylock. the reprobate is abandoned to his own misery.Horwich's failure to consider casket-lottery. Most importantly. togetherwith "Be valued 'gainst your wife's commandeBalthazar's deservings. three of Antonio's that the announcement the plot. but submitsto baptismonly in order interested to save his wealth. role to actualize. VI Portia completesher labors as In her final action." This content downloaded from 142. but cannot be compelled to his own salvation. when he urges that his love. 17 22Richard be seen as Portia's symbolicrestoration (1977). "the means wherebyI live" (IV.1. Antonio's possessiveness Portia's the trial. true perfection Her ring-playforcesits participantsto and human imperfections. At the end of Act IV. the ring-play.MO NI CA J. "Riddle and Dilemma in The Merchantof Venice. 191-200.himself. HA MI L L 241 kindlyconversion" to Shakespeare's audience because it liberates him from the dilemma of the Old Law. the ring-dramaas a complex action investedwith multiple symbolicdimensions reduces Portia's rich device to merelya cruel game wherein she prolongs her and rejectionof Bassanio simplyin order to asserther own "power of bafflement choice. capped by course thatdestiny ships have safelylanded. but the quality of their mercyis conditioned by the nature of its recipient. 7 Nov 2013 13:41:16 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions .a Shylockeanconceptionof love.373).21 (1970). 2"JohnCooper.implies that his "Christianity"will be an empty label.Mercycannot annihilate the existenceof of obduratemen: Shylockcan be the characters evil.i.and our attention now focuses on Portia's effortto save the Christian communityof friendsand lovers from their own Shylockean tendencies. 121. in and excluterms of possession love itable tendencyto define even after towardsBassanio persists sion. The of Shylock shows theiressential Duke's and Antonio's treatment goodness.147 on Thu. the she has practicedher artsof play.proposes thatthe ring-play denied her by the of thecontroloverher destinythathad been seemingly to herself Although this reading is convincing. 441.only John Hurrell has understoodthat Portia is essentially"no rival but a sharerin Bassanio's love. Other criticswho discuss the conflictinterpret the ring-playas Portia's final triumphover Antonio: see Robert Hapgood. Balthazar demanded the ring as paymentfor redeemingAntonio. Bassanio's surrender of the ring precipitates the quarrel that is played out in the ring-drama.147 on Thu. (V. It is Portia's own pretenseof rivalrywith Balthazar that affordsAntonio the chance to exorcise the possessiveness of his love forBassanio and his feelingsof rivalrywith Portia: seizing the opportunity.28 (1967). Portia herself createdthe dilemma thatprompts Antonio's plea: arguing that "if your wifebe not a mad-woman. Recalling his pledge of his body to Shylock." she "would not hold out enemy for ever/ For giving it to me" (IV. out in her fiction.iv.I dare be bound again.i. "Portia and The Merchant of Venice: The Gentle Bond. she stages her conversion from "mad-woman" to conciliated wife as the resolution of the latent conflict between Antonio and herself. 112-115.249-253) 23JohnHurrell. 340. pp. 4 (1961).Antonio offers his soul as suretyfor Bassanio's marital fidelity: I once did lend my body for his wealth." Texas Studies in Literatureand Language.242 THE MER CHA N T OF VENICE ment" (IV. "The Rival Lovers in The Merchant of Venice. Antonio makes his pledge. Will never more break faith advisedly.132.i. Among the critics who have discussed this conflict. Lawrence Hyman. that your lord My soul upon the forfeit. 443-444). Which but for him that had your husband's ring Had quite miscarried.1. "Love and Friendship in The Merchant of Venice. Reconciling herself with Bassanio at Antonio's pledge of himselfas surety forhis friend.i." Shakespeare Quarterly.24Portia does not reveal her disguise until after Antonio has made his pledge.iii.447). 339-340.21 (1970). 7 Nov 2013 13:41:16 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions .allowing herself to channel she exorcises them by acting them these impulses constructively. Portia designs her role to vindicate the ideals of love she had articulatedin III. 28-29. This content downloaded from 142.By playing the role of "mad-woman. one whose claims are of such a different sort that he [Antonio] has nothing to fear from her. and III." Modern Language Quarterly. 24Hurrell."23 But Hurrell's statement that the revelationof Portia's part in the trial is responsible for Antonio's final acceptance of his friend'smarriage is based on a misreading of the play." Portia admits her own inclinations towards jealousy and possessiveness. ).132.removesthe last vestigeof Antonio's role as martyr.263-265)." (269 ff. Having experiencedlove as the by Portia's confession realizationof his ideals. he is too and "amaz'd" to speak (266). Portia acquits herself paradoxes of Nerissa and resolvesall of the seeminglyinextricable her ring-plotby confessingher part at the trial: "Portia was the doctor . her assumed character:"you shall be his surety./And bid him keep it betterthan the other" (254-255). The fortuitous Portia announces as if it were a recompenseforhis willingnessto sacrificethem.Gratiano implies that vows of fidelityare the merely idealistic promises of young lovers. Bassiano's verysilence suggestshis own more loftyidealism. his willingness to sacrificehimselffor his friend that transforms froman attemptto possess Bassanio into a gesturethat realizes of In response. . first It symbolizes. are we cuckolds ere we have deserv'dit?" (V."she tells Antonio. In the same speech. it retains its a of all. .Portia stagesthe turn-about love's ideal generosity. HA M IL L 243 one Antonio's pledge of his soul is an obviouslysymbolicgesture. he respondsto Portia's news.i. the marriage-bond. as Portia implies. Antonio can resume his pursuits as a merchantof Venice-but as one who is far happier and wiser in the ways of love. CharlestonHigher Education Consortium Charleston."I am dumb!" (279).147 on Thu. If the ring acquires a new symbolic dimension. At this point. "What. Portia tells Antonio that threeof his ships returnof his riches. "give him this [ring]. 7 Nov 2013 13:41:16 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions . initial significance. "Why this is like the mendingof highways/In summer where the ways are fair enough!" Gratiano rails. Nerissa's repetition husband.South Carolina This content downloaded from 142. contract that stipulates the possessivenessof love.1.By having Antonio presentthe ring to Bassanio. the ideal of love's inclusiveness. Portia creates the last knot in her series of tangled paradoxes to displaces its show the obvious point at which love's possessiveness generosity:at Bassanio's exclamation that this new ring is the same he gave Balthazar.Disgusted thatthe into a common patternof love's women have fallen prematurely betrayal. he is overwhelmed that she has betrayedtheir vows. His life and living returnedto him.which have come to harbor.M O NI CA J. Accordingly. transmitted Portia widens the significanceof the ring-metaphor: the ring becomes a giftthat ratifies to the husband by the friend. his earlier sadness displaced by an astonishmentthat declares a verysurfeit of happiness. Portia swears that the doctor lay with of the jest draws a gross rebukefromher her.
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