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Colmo Christopher’s article, “Law and Love in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice” tries to analyze as well as a continued exploration of the commercial and contractual relationship among citizens of Venice and Belmont already forming the plot of the play The Merchant of Venice. Colmo seems to dwell on the existence of male chauvinism and its effects to the society as evidenced in the case of Portia who is the first woman attorney. He posits that it because of the commercial and contractual lifestyle of the Venice citizens that has pushed the practice of traditions and beliefs to a deathbed.

In reading Colmo’s article, there is no doubt his subject of source is the sixteenth comedy play, The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. The play itself plots around conflict of interest when Antonio defaults loan advancement from Shylock and because he has no money to repay, he offers a pound of his flesh to the creditor. The author contends with the fact that were it not for the Society’s transition from traditions to modernity, Antonio would have lost his flesh. It is because Portia the first woman attorney’s deep knowledge of the law comes to his rescue.

The subject the author of “Law and Love in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice” is; law and law in the sense that both law and love co-exist in the same context. The author highlights the role the people’s transitioning played in bringing about an understanding of law and love. The interest in the subject matter rests on twists and turns reminiscent of the transitioning process in a major threefold representation of characters namely Antonio, Shylock, and Portia. The Authors questioning of the decision by Antonio to enter into debts in order to help Bassanio is very interesting to any reader. Just as Colmo, why would a royal merchant like Antonio with argosies of at sea from Mexico to India borrow money for the sake of a friend? Again, according to Colmo’s article in reference to Solanio’s comment that it is because of Bassanio that Antonio loves the world (Colmo 307) fits the answer to the question.

The audience of Colmo’s article is varied; it may be literary critiques, literature students and instructors, playwrights, lovers and many more. However, given the dominance of male chauvinism in Venice society, the article would be worth reading by the female gender because never has the legal system in Venice influenced by women lawyers resulting to them being looked upon as inferiors. However, as evident in “Law and Love in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice” Portia comes out very effective in her ruling thus saving Antonio from losing a pound of his flesh.

After reading “Law and Love in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice” one comes across four main points namely self-interest, love, mercy, and hatred in which in some instance I agree with the author’s analysis and in some I disagree. Their various forms are well brought out by Colmo as follows.

Love

Colmo addresses various instance of love in his article. For instance, Antonio loves Bassanio so much that he risks going into huge debts just to help his friend. To him it is not wrong to help friends as well as friends seeking help from each other, however, I support the argument by Colmo that how would be possible that A wealthy merchant like Antonio leave without Bassanio a poor man who cannot even reveal his love secrete for Portia to him. The author goes ahead to reveal that indeed Bassanio was ready to desert Antonio for the sake of Portia when he says, “Bassanio has acclaimed his pound of flesh from Antonio’s heart so that he can desert him for Portia (Colmo 310). The author ought not to read sinister motives in this because had had earlier admitted to the fact that friendship in Venice is one sided when he says, “Friendship in Venice is predominated by utility” (Colmo 308).

From the article, a reader learns of Bassano’s love for Portia

Self Interest

The first instance of self interest evident in “Law and Love in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice” is Portia’s ruling that Shylock should cut off the flesh of Antonio but without spilling blood which according to the author, is it is an appeal of the Jewish laws saying,

“Only be strong not to eat the blood for it is life and thus should not be eaten along with meat instead should be poured on earth like water” (Colmo 319).

The further alludes that the ruling was informed by Portia’s interest. That she wants to save Antonio from dying after realizing that he would be ready to do that to safe his friend Bassanio. The interest is in twofold; one Portia does not want his supposed husband Bassanio to suffer from Antonio’s death because it is the former that made the latter lend the money.

The second interest by Portia is that the law should legalize contracts in society of some things like marriage which she is has interest in so that probably she can “eat” Bassano’s money and after that the divorce. Although it seems valid, the author gets it wrong to connect Portia’s ruling with her love for contractual marriages as it continues the topic of male chauvinism in society where female gender is considered inferior and that why no woman attorney has never influence the legal system in Venice with their interpretation of the law.

Self-interest in the article is also evident when Jessica in her testimony incriminates his father Shylock for having planned to cut off Antonio’s flesh. According to Colmo, Jessica does this in order to express her displeasure with her father’s treatment of Antonio (p. 311)

Mercy

“Law and Love in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice” highlights mercy. To begin with, after Shylock being read to the process of chopping of Antonio’s flesh, he lessens his demands surround the flesh. This is further informed by Portia’s and the Duke’s appeal for mercy from Shylock to Antonio citing common humanity but interestingly Shylock says that it, Humanity supports mercy just as it does support revenge (Colmo 16). In addition, after Shylock was found guilty, Portia pleads with the Duke to show mercy to him so that as much as the binds him to punish he should not do it extensively to hut Shylock.

Surprisingly, from the article one learns that Shylock is the immediate victim of Daughter rebellion of their fathers in Venice when Jessica marries Lorenzo a christen faithful. Still, it is surprising that as father in law, Shylock decides to revenged against Lorenzo for marrying his daughter (Colmo 11)

The new discovery in the article is that Shylock was not a practicing Jew by was well versed in Jewish laws. In addition, Shylock was never supported by his close associates including Jessica and Tubular in his endeavors of charging interest on loans.

In concussion “Law and Love in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice” is worth reading however, there need to be research on the reason behind extensive male chauvinism in the society not only in Venice but the world as a whole. In addition, why is it that woman stories are always told in the context or in t eyes of males, as is the case of Portia?

Works Cited

Colmo, Christopher. Law and Love in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Oklahoma: UTOPIA, 2001. Print.