Common Module – The Merchant of Venice Introduction Starters

Resource Description

 HSC Common Module: The Merchant of Venice Introduction

The Merchant of Venice contains two main narratives, one taking place in Venice and the other in nearby Belmont. In Venice, wealthy merchant Antonio enters into a contract with moneylender Shylock to provide funds for his friend Bassanio — in what is meant as a show of kindness, Shylock lends money for no interest, but, if Antonio fails in repaying a loan, he must give up a pound of his own flesh. In Belmont, Bassanio attempts to win the heart of wealthy debutante Portia via a challenge set by her deceased father.

Like many of Shakespeare’s works, fate intervenes in what would be an otherwise straightforward task. Midway through the play, Antonio finds that all of his investments have been lost at sea and subsequently defaults on his loan. Shylock, who has just had his daughter leave him for one of Antonio’s friends, pursues revenge to its greatest degree, turning the initially metaphorical pound of Antonio’s flesh into a literal demand, one which will kill Antonio in the process.

This is a small sample of the full course resources which all students receive at Delta. These text- specific resources have been tailored for the new English (Adv.) syllabus, and are designed to give you a massive advantage as you directly gain access to hundreds of pages of state ranking analysis for every single one of your texts.

HSC Common Module: The Merchant of Venice

Meanwhile, in Belmont, Bassanio defeats a range of suitors by correctly interpreting Portia’s father’s test, winning her hand in marriage. On hearing that Antonio has been imprisoned, awaiting his execution at the hands of Shylock, Bassanio rushes home to be at his friend’s side. At the same time, unbeknownst to Bassanio, Portia secretly travels to Venice, disguised as a young male judge so that she may mediate Antonio and Shylock’s dispute.

Using Shylock’s own literality against him, Portia interprets his contract in a way that cannot be enforceable, punishing him for his attempted murder by taking his worldly possessions and forcing him to convert to Christianity. Back in Belmont, Portia reveals her deception to Bassanio and they celebrate their impending marriage.