Posted by Jason Darwin on February 22, 1998 at 12:12:45:
A simple reader may take The Merchant of Venice as an anti-semetic message aimed at expressing the Christian belief of good versus worldly evil. However, to me this play is about degrees of love. Portia represents a basic christian love for man and God. Why does she make Bino take the courtship test? Is it not out of respect for her father's wishes, i.e. God the father's approvement. Portia beleives in fancy, which claims that a higher power (such as nature in Midsummer and love in Merchant) guides our lives. She wants to be happy, but also to let God control her destiny.
On a different scale is Antonio. He let's go too much. By giving away his posession, and relinquishing his life to Shylock; he has forgotten to love at all. He never saids that he gives all for love, but for honor in Act I,i. The bible, which obviously is Shakespere's influeced for this play, teaches in first Corinthians 13, 3 (the love chapter)"If I give away all that I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned [or maybe a pound of flesh removed], and have not love, I gain nothing. Why do you think Antonio is sad at the beginning of the play, perhaps because he hasn't found love.
Jason Darwin