Playlist Merchant of Venice | Sitemap Scenes | Playhouse Page
SAYS WIKI: The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare’s other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and is best known for Shylock and the famous ‘Hath not a Jew eyes’ speech. Also notable is Portia’s speech about the ‘quality of mercy’.
The title character is the merchant Antonio, not the Jewish moneylender Shylock, who is the play’s most prominent and most famous character. This is made explicit by the title page of the first quarto: The most excellent Historie of the Merchant of Venice. VVith the extreme crueltie of Shylocke the Iewe towards the sayd Merchant, in cutting a iust pound of his flesh: and the obtaining of Portia by the choice of three chests.
The DUKE OF VENICE
The PRINCE OF MOROCCO suitor to Portia.
The PRINCE OF ARRAGON suitor to Portia.
ANTONIO merchant of Venice.
BASSANIO his friend, suitor likewise to Portia.
SALANIO friends to Antonio and Bassanio
SALARINO friends to Antonio and Bassanio
GRATIANO friends to Antonio and Bassanio.
|SALERIO friends to Antonio and Bassanio
LORENZO in love with Jessica.
SHYLOCK a rich Jew.
TUBAL a Jew, his friend.
LAUNCELOT GOBBO the clown, servant to SHYLOCK
OLD GOBBO father to Launcelot
LEONARDO servant to BASSANIO.
BALTHASAR servant to Portia
STEPHANO servant to Portia
PORTIA a rich heiress.
NERISSA her waiting-maid.
JESSICA daughter to SHYLOCK.
Magnificoes of Venice, Officers of the Court of Justice,
Gaoler, Servants to Portia, and other Attendants.
SCENE Partly at Venice, and partly at Belmont,
the seat of PORTIA, on the Continent.
Playlist Merchant of Venice | Sitemap Scenes | Playhouse Page