Contract Between Bassanio And Shylock example essay topic

Essay Response #2 The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice: The Nature of Contracts in the Play. In Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice there are two major contract's made, a contract is any promise or set of promises made by one party to another for the breach of which the law provides a remedy. The promise or promises may be express (either written or oral) or may be implied from circumstances. The first contract in the play that I discovered is one between Portia and her father.

Neri ssa telling Portia: "Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men at their death have good inspirations: therefore the lottery, that he hath devised in these three chests of gold, silver and lead, whereof who chooses his meaning chooses you, will, no doubt, never be chosen by any rightly but one who shall rightly love. But what warmth is there in your affection towards any of these princely suitors that are already come?" (Act i. scene i. 121-768) The nature of the contract between Portia and her father is as follows, Portia's father state's that all suitors must first select on of three caskets in order to marry her. The caskets are made of gold, silver, and base lead, all containing different messages. Only one of the three caskets contains a picture of Portia. The suitor who picks that casket will be granted to marry her.

As a part of loosing the suit, the suitors are father sworn to never purpose marriage to any other woman, and must return to Morocco immediately. The next contract I discovered is between Shylock and Bassanio. Shylock is speaking to Antonio: "O father Abram, what these Christians are, Whose own hard dealings teaches them suspect The thoughts of others! Pray you, tell me this; If he should break his day, what should I gain By the exaction of the forfeiture? A pound of man's flesh taken from a man Is not so estimable, profitable neither, As flesh of mutton's, beefs, or goats.

I say, To buy his favour, I extend this friendship: If he will take it, so; if not, adieu; And, for my love, I pray you wrong me not". (Act. i, scene ii 786-989) The nature of the contract between Bassanio and Shylock (a Jewish moneylender), is if Shylock loans Bassanio 300 ducats he will waive it as long as Antonio promises him a pound of flesh as collateral. The question now becomes are these two contracts moral? In my opinion no they are not moral.

In the contract between Portia and her father I feel he is making a sport for the suitors out of his daughter. I understand a father may want for the suitor his daughter is going to marry to work hard to be with her but that is unmoral to me. In the contract between Bassanio and Shylock is really unmoral to me. All because Shylock does not like the way Antonio loans out his money interest free shylock wants a pound of his flesh that is real unmoral.