Key quote: "I hate him for he is a Christian"
Shylock, Act 1, Scene 3
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Key quote: "I hate him for he is a Christian"
Shylock, Act 1, Scene 3
Analysis
Shylock expresses his own prejudice against Christians, demonstrating that intolerance exists on both sides of the religious divide.
Key quote: "If you prick us do we not bleed? … And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"
Shylock, Act 3, Scene 1
Analysis
Shylock pleads for equality, arguing that Jews and Christians share a common humanity and desire for retribution when wronged.
Key quote: "The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction"
Shylock, Act 3, Scene 1
Analysis
Shylock justifies his vengeful behaviour as learned from the villainy and prejudice of Christians, making him harder to empathise with.
Key quote: "You take my life when you do take the means whereby I live"
Shylock, Act 4, Scene 1
Analysis
Despite being spared death, Shylock faces ruin through the loss of his possessions, profession, and religion, suggesting the judgment against him is too harsh as punishment.
Key quote: "But love is blind, and lovers cannot see / The pretty follies that themselves commit."
Jessica, Act 2, Scene 6
Analysis
Jessica acknowledges that love can blind people to their beloved's flaws, underscoring how romance can impair one's judgment.
Key quote: "First go with me to church and call me wife, / And then away to Venice to your friend"
Portia, Act 3, Scene 2
Analysis
Portia's compassionate nature is shown as she encourages Bassanio to marry her quickly so he can aid his friend Antonio.
Key quote: "I like not fair terms and a villain's mind"
Bassanio, Act 1, Scene 3
Analysis
Bassanio wisely distrusts Shylock's strange bond terms, demonstrating sound judgment in contrast to Antonio's obliviousness.
Key quote: "In Belmont is a lady richly left, / And she is fair and — fairer than that word —/ Of wondrous virtues"
Bassanio, Act 1, Scene 1
Analysis
Bassanio reveals his primary motivation for pursuing Portia is to attain her great wealth, underscoring the power of material desires.
Key quote: "If fortune be a woman, she's a good wench for this gear"
Gratiano, Act 2, Scene 2
Analysis
Gratiano personifies fortune as a promiscuous woman, reflecting both the sexist attitudes and emphasis on wealth in Venetian society.
Key quote: "For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe"
Jessica, Act 3, Scene 1
Analysis
Jessica laments that sufferance (patient endurance of hardship) is expected of Jews, highlighting the oppression they face.