William Shakespeare is universally regarded as the greatest dramatist and the

finest poet of the English language. He lived in England during the era of Queen
Elizabeth I of which historian consider the Elizabethan Age as a peak of English
culture.. And Shakespeare's birthday is usually celebrated on April 23, also the
date of his death, he died at the age of 52.
William Shakespeare was the eldest son and the third of eight children, his father,
John Shakespeare, was a glover, a tanner and a local prominent merchant who
was later granted arms, acknowledged as a gentleman. Shakespeare's mother,
Mary Arden, was left with money and some properties that her father gave her
before his death, therefore, Shakespeare grew up in a fairly well off family. He
was probably educated at the local grammar school in Stratford, he might have
also learned Latin, Greek and the language of ancient Rome there.
William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582. They had three children,
Susanna, born in 1583, and twins - a boy and a girl, Judith and Hamnet, born in
1585 All in all, Shakespeare is not only the greatest but also the most powerful
and influential of the English writers and poets, he is the master of early modern
English, with his profound understanding of human nature and his ability to
create such vivid and interesting characters, Shakespeare definitely has had a
direct significant influence in the shaping of English literature and the
development of the English language.

The Merchant of Venice is certainly one of Shakespeare's best-loved plays.

Perhaps one of the reasons for its popularity is that the play does indeed combine
elements of comedy, tragedy and romance.
A romantic elopement, three marriages, and hilarious disguises are just three of
the elements that make William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice a romantic
comedy.
For instance, three main characters of The Merchant of Venice add comedy to
the play. First, Launcelot the clown adds humor by disguising his identity to his
blind father, Old Gobbo. When Old Gobbo asks Launcelot for directions to
Shylock's house, Launcelot confides to the audience: "O heavens! This is my true-
begotten father/who, being more than sandblind/high-gravel blind, knows/me
not: I will try confusions with him" Launcelot then continues to confuse his father
by telling him to "...talk not of Master/Launcelot...for the young gentleman.../is,
indeed, deceased" These antics go on until finally Launcelot proves to Old Gobbo
that they are indeed father and son when he mentions his mother's name.
Next, Gratiano adds laughs when he declares his love for Nerissa, Portia's
maid. Up until his unexpected announcement, Gratiano was assumed to be a fop
because of his outspoken and sometimes feminine nature. All of those
assumptions are dispelled when Gratiano declares: "My eyes, my lord [Bassanio],
can look as swift as yours/You saw the mistress, I beheld the maid/You lov'd, I
lov'd for intermission/No more pertains to me, my lord, than you/Your fortune
stood upon the caskets there/And so did mine too, as the matter falls"

In Shakespeares romantic comedies, the protagonists live happily ever

after, and more often than not, the play ends with the tolling of wedding
bells, with more than one couple getting married to create a joyful
atmosphere. Love always seems to triumph over adversity in his romantic
comedies. Besides, evil is also brought to light, exhibiting enlightenment and
reformation. The genre of romantic comedy depicts societies that cannot
accommodate the independent woman, often indicated by the hiding of her
true identity in order to be able to function in society. Cross-dressing is often
used to achieve this purpose and in addition provide comic relief.
The play revolves around one main plot and three sub-plots. The
main

plot centres on the question of mercy and forgiveness as seen in the

relationship between Antonio, the kind Christian, and Shylock, the

unrelenting Jew. The three subplots revolve around the romances of

Portia and Bassanio (the most important couple in the play), of

Lorenzo and Jessica, and of Gratiano and Nerissa (the least

important

couple of the play). All four plots are bound by the threads of love,
generosity, friendship, and the wise use of money, which are the

ideals of the Elizabethan society. The plots are also reflective of

one another. Antonio's love for Bassanio is reflected in Bassanio's

love for Portia. The love of Gratiano and Nerissa is modeled after the

love of Portia and Bassanio. Jessica, like Antonio and Bassanio,

recognizes the greed of her father and wants to replace it with

Christian love, which she finds in Lorenzo. The characters are,

therefore, are tied together by friendship and Christianity. In the

end, the play is a romantic comedy that emphasizes the rewards of

love, generosity, and harmony.

Yes. It is a romantic comedy.
1. The Merchant of Venice is often categorized as a romantic comedy. To
some extent, the play does qualify as one. Firstly, of the three plot lines that
run through the play, two are related to love and marriage- the relationships
of Bassanio and Portia, as well as that of Jessica and Lorenzo. The play
depicts the stories of these two couples, integrating the theme of romance,
at the same time showing how they overcame obstacles to be together.

2. Secondly, in the final stretch of the play, Graziano and Nerissa, and
Lorenzo and Jessica, get married. Bassanio and Portia have already been
married in the earlier scenes, and all live happily ever after. The play ends
happily with the union of the lovers, the return of Antonios ships and evil
being brought to light, as we can see in Shylocks conversion to Christianity.

3. Thirdly, cross-dressing is also featured in Merchant of Venice, as we can

see in how the three females, Portia, Nerissa and Jessica dressed up as men.
Portia and Nerissa were able to prove their capabilities as females, and
Jessica was able to reunite with her lover this way. At the same time, the
cross-dressing of Portia and Nerissa provides comic relief as we can see in
the rings plot. These are all conventions of Shakespeares romantic
comedies, therefore, the Merchant of Venice can, to a certain extent be
considered as a romantic comedy. The Merchant of Venice is particularly a good choice
because it bridges the gap between comedy and tragedy. Shakespeare blends serious issues
and values with light comedic elements in this rather complex play. The two main plots are the
comedy about Portia and her marriage to Bassanio and the tragedy about Antonio, the
merchant and Shylock, the Jew.

The kind of punishment Shylock is subjected to at the end is even tragic. He loses
everything from his children to his po Shakespeare takes the readers on a roller coaster
throughout the drama. Tragedy elevates, tragedy falls and so on till by the end Shylock
is lost thinking where his evil plan betrayed him. The readers are treated with such
humor in the drama that they would not see it as a tragedy. Shakespeare has balanced
the tragic and comic elements in his work that by the end comedy spills over the
brim.ssessions Antonio despite being kind-hearted is subjected to the pain of waiting for
the cruel death to arrive. He is certain that Shylock is not going to spare him. The kind
of agony he is subjected to, what if for a limited period, is appalling and that is the most
tragic element in the drama. This play is certainly one of Shakespeare's best-
loved plays, and, due to its themes of bigotry and suggested violence, one of
his most controversial. Perhaps one of the reasons for its popularity is that the
play does indeed combine elements of comedy, tragedy and romance.

The comic elements are perhaps most clearly seen during the segments when
Portia's suitors choose the gold and silver caskets. In these scenes the two
suitors are shown that their...

The play concludes with a harmonious ending but all through the plot, reoccurring themes of sadness and
tragedy are included.

Conclusion:

The Merchant of Venice combines beautifully the elements of romantic comedy, love and tragedy in a
cohesive manner. Shakespeare treats individual characters with lan and poise. The comic elements are
shown via dialogue delivery and the attire they wear.