Question

how far is merchant of venice a romantic comedy

Answer 1

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 Antonio’s ships and evil being brought to light, as we can see in Shylock’s 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 Shakespeare’s romantic comedies, therefore, the Merchant of Venice can, to a certain extent be considered as a romantic comedy.