The last act of 'The Merchant of Venice' has no dramatic value

The last act of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ has no dramatic value whatsoever. Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer.

Is the Fifth Act of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ superfluous? Discuss.

Ans.

The Merchant of Venice‘ is a drama in five Acts. Like all good dramas it also has an Exposition, Climax and Denouement. There are four stories in the drama and Shakespeare has performed a dramatic marvel in handling them dexterously and blending them with great literary art and skill. He has in fact created a work of great dramatic art out of a seeming chaos.

The four major stories are, in order of their significance, the Bond Story, the Caskets Story the Rings story and the Lorenzo-Jessica Story. The first two stories are major stories and the texture of the drama is mostly woven with them.

The climax of the play is reached in the Fourth Act, in the Trial Scene to be more precise-a significant part of the Bond Story, its culmination. After the tension and suspense created in the Trial Scene, after the dazzling display of Portia’s intellectual splendor and Shylock’s total collapse the prevailing effect being that of gloom, and Shylock emerges a heart broken, crushed and dishonoured to retch-a pathic figure indeed. If the play ends here it is a tragi comedy: tragedy for Shylock and comedy for the rest.

Many critics feel that the play should have ended there. They argue that the Fifth and Final act as a whole has no dramatic significance, whatsoever, and, so it is superfluous.

It can be argued that this view is wrong. The Fifth Act (the last of the drama) has great dramatic significance. William Shakespeare was not a novice – he was the master dramatist, a genius. He had valid reasons for introducing the last act, comprising one scene only.

“The Merchant of Venice’ is a Romantic Comedy. The Lorenzo-Jessica Story firmly establishes its claim to be called a thus. It is in the final act that we meet the love-adventurers in their elements in a truly romantic atmosphere. It may be argued that since Lorenzo-Jessica Story is a minor story, it can be dispensed with altogether. But Shakespeare was not a minor dramatist. The Lorenzo-Jessica Story has its own significance. It helps to reveal Shylock’s character, his relationship with his own daughter and also to antagonise Shylock against Christians apart from Antonio’s public and professional conduct. The wound of his daughter’s elopement, that too with a Christian and with his ducats and precious stones was deeper and more painful. It rankled like a throne in his bosom. So this story can not be dispensed with.

Next, the last act introduces romanticism, poetry and music. It serves the purpose of relieving the tensions and gloom of the previous Act.

The “episode of the rings” has its climax and denouement in the last Act of The Merchant of Venice’. It is argued that the tragic gloom created by the fate of Shylock is hard to wash and so the Story of the Rings is also superfluous and unnecessary.

It is also argued that the impact of the Trial Seen is so powerful and enduring that any subsequent Act or Scene fails to sustain the interest of the audience (readers). According to the theory of drama the scene that follows should be of greater interest than that of the previous one.

All these objections are met the moment we remember that Portia and Nerissa appeared in the Court in Venice disguised as a young male lawyer and an equally young male clerk respectively. Even Bassanio and Gratiano, their husbands, could not recognize them. It was only proper that Antonio and Bassanio should know who their benefactors or saviour were. And it has great audience (readers) appeal besides dramatic significance.

This Act also makes the play a real comedy for all, not a comedy through Antonio alone. Antonio receives the good news about his ships, Lorenzo-Jessica learn about their inheritance and Bassanio and Gratiano are pleasantly surprised to learn about their wives.

So the last act of the The Merchant of Venice’ is a dramatic necessity and not a superfluity.