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威尼斯商人英文简介
Venice,
1596. Melancholy Antonio loves the youthful
Bassanio, so when Bassanio asks for
3000 ducats, Antonio says
yes before
knowing it's to sue for the hand of Portia. His
capital tied up in merchant ships at
sea, Antonio must go to
Shylock, a
Jewish moneylender he reviles. Shylock wraps his
grudge
in
kindness,
offering
a
three-month
loan
at
no
interest,
but
if
not
repaid,
Antonio
will
owe
a
pound
of
flesh.
The
Jew's
daughter elopes with a Christian,
whetting Shylock's hatred.
While
Bassanio's
away wooing
Portia, Antonio's
ships
founder,
and Shylock demands
his pound of flesh. With court assembled
and
a
judgment
due,
Portia
swings
into
action
to
save
Bassanio's
friend.
Although
critics
tend
to
agree
that
Shylock
is
The
Merchant
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of Venice
’
s most
noteworthy figure, no consensus has been
reached on whether to read him as a
bloodthirsty bogeyman, a
clownish
Jewish stereotype, or a tragic figure whose sense
of
decency has been fractured by the
persecution he endures.
Certainly,
Shylock
is
the
play
’
s
antagonist,
and
he
is
menacing
enough to seriously imperil the
-happiness of Venice
’
s
businessmen and young lovers alike.
Shylock is also, however,
a creation of
circumstance; even in his single-minded pursuit
of a pound of flesh, his frequent
mentions of the cruelty he
has
endured
at
Christian
hands
make
it
hard
for
us
to
label
him
a
naturalborn monster. In one of
Shakespeare
’
s most famous
monologues, for example, Shylock argues
that Jews are humans
and
calls
his
quest
for
vengeance
the
product
of
lessons
taught
to
him
by
the
cruelty of
Venetian
citizens.
On the
other
hand,
Shylock
’
s
coldly
calculated
attempt
to
revenge
the
wrongs
done
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to him by
murdering his
persecutor, Antonio, prevents us from
viewing him in a primarily positive
light. Shakespeare gives
us
unmistakably human moments, but he often steers us
against
Shylock
as
well,
painting
him
as
a
miserly,
cruel,
and
prosaic
figure.
Portia Quick-
witted, wealthy, and beautiful, Portia
embodies
the
virtues
that
are
typical
of
Shakespeare
’
s
heroines
—
it
is
no
surprise
that
she
emerges
as
the
antidote
to
Shylock
’
s malice.
At the beginning of the play, however, we do not
see
Portia
’
s
potential
for
initiative
and
resourcefulness,
as
she
is
a
near
prisoner,
feeling
herself
absolutely
bound
to
follow
her
father
’
s
dying
wishes.
This opening
appearance,
however,
proves to be a revealing introduction
to Portia, who emerges
as that rarest
of combinations
—
a free
spirit who abides
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rigidly
by
rules.
Rather
than
ignoring
the
stipulations
of
her
father
’
s will,
she watches a stream of suitors pass
her by, happy to see these particular suitors go,
but sad
that she has no choice in the
matter. When Bassanio arrives,
however,
Portia proves herself to be highly resourceful,
begging
the
man
she
loves
to
stay
a
while
before
picking
a
chest,
and finding loopholes
in the will
’
s provision that
we never
thought possible. Also, in her
defeat of Shylock Portia
prevails
by
applying
a
more
rigid
standard
than
Shylock
himself,
agreeing
that
his
contract
very
much
entitles
him
to
his
pound
of
flesh,
but
adding
that
it
does
not
allow
for
any
loss
of
blood.
Anybody
can
break
the
rules,
but
Portia
’
s
effectiveness
comes
from her ability to make the law work
for her. Portia rejects
the
stuffiness
that
rigid
adherence
to
the
law
might
otherwise
suggest. In her courtroom appearance,
she vigorously applies
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