Lorenzo

## Role in *The Merchant of Venice*

Lorenzo in *The Merchant of Venice* is a merchant who works for a main merchant who goes by the name of Antonio. In the novel Lorenzo is madly in love with a Jewess that goes by the name of Jessica. They want to run away together and get married. The fault in their plan is that Jessica's dad, Shylock, does not know of their plan, and if he finds out he will forbid their marriage. Lorenzo receives a letter from Jessica delivered to her by a fool called Pocket. Upon delivery of the letter Pocket wants to use Lorenzo in order for Pocket to talk to Bassanio. Pocket wants to use Lorenzo by threatening to tell Shylock Lorenzo's marriage plans if he does not retrieve Bassanio. However, is this man actually in love with Jessica?

That same night Lorenzo divulges his plans to his friends that he is just using Jessica for her father's fortune and sex and does not love actually love her. After marrying Jessica Lorenzo plans on staying with her till he gets bored with her. Once Lorenzo is done with Jessica he plans on murdering her and throwing her into the sea. However as the saying goes, "The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray."

Pocket ends up hearing Lorenzo's entire plan and runs away to warn Jessica. Lorenzo spots Pocket and Lorenzo and his friend Salanio are trying to capture him. They end up capturing Pocket and Lorenzo ends up trying to murder Pocket so Jessica will not hear about his plans. Salanio thrusts a dagger into Pocket's chest. Pocket ends up falling into the Venetian channels. Lorenzo leans over the water to see if Pocket is actually murdered. While looking into the water a mermaid jumps out of the water and bites Lorenzo's whole head off and murders the skiving merchant.

## Characterization

### *Merchant of Venice*

We know Lorenzo's physical features in the novel. Pocket describes Lorenzo as, "A handsome rascal, with his neatly trimmed, pointy black beard and his broad shoulders." Also Pocket calls him a "Miniature merchant."

In the start of the novel we perceive Lorenzo as a nice guy. In *The Serpent of Venice* it states, "Lorenzo, the youngest of the crew, scooped up Shylock's papers from the cobbles and patted them awkwardly in the old man's hands, then snatched the yellow hat worn by all Jews (by decree) from the stairs, placed it on Shylock's head, and patted it several times while Shylock looked up at him, then stepped back, adjusted the hat, and patted it again." We interpret Lorenzo to be this great guy because most gentiles treated Jews terribly. Yet Lorenzo shows this act of kindness to Shylock. It makes sense because we think he is in love with Jessica and wants Shylock to not completely hate him for taking away his daughter to marry her with out Shylock's consent.

However, later in the novel we realize that Lorenzo is just a greedy guy who does not love Jessica, but instead, he only loves Jessica's dad's fortune. He is a heartless lustful merchant.

### *Merchant of Venice*

In the play that William Shakespeare wrote, Lorenzo was a completely different character. In the *Merchant of Venice*, Lorenzo is fully in love with Jessica and not for just her money. He recites,"Beshrow me but I lover heartily; For she is wise, if I can judge her; And fair she is, if that mine eyes be true; And true she is, as she hath proved herself. And therefore, like herself, wise, fair, and true. Shall she be placed in my constant soul" (2.6.54-59). A reader fully believes Lorenzo is in love with Jessica. He and Jessica get married and with Jessica's marriage he is now rich with Shylock's fortune.

He is also the same in the Serpent of Venice: a merchant and friends with Antonio, Salanio, and Bassanio.

## Critical References

Jessica and Lorenzo's relationship between a Jew and a Christian is something that really is not that uncommon. James L. Wilson describes that "Mrs. Alice D. Brown pointed out that the theme of a Jewish maiden with a Christian lover (or seducer) was common in the exempla of the Middle Ages."  This means that Shakespeare was not off his rocker when he made this relationship. On the flip side Shakespeare apparently wrote an uncommon story with Jessica leaving her father. Wilson also cites "In none of the exempla cited by Mrs. Brown, however, does the Jewish girl desert her father and elope with her lover."

## External Links

Jessica

Shylock

Antonio

Merchant of Venice

Pocket

## Citations

1. ↑ Moore, Christopher. *The Serpent of Venice.* London: HarperCollins *Publishers*, 2014. Print.
2. ↑ Moore, Christopher. *The Serpent of Venice.* London: HarperCollins *Publishers*, 2014. Print.
3. ↑ Moore, Christopher. *The Serpent of Venice.* London: HarperCollins *Publishers*, 2014. Print.
4. ↑ Shakespeare, William. *The Merchant of Venice*. Ed. Leah S. Marcus. New York:W.W. Norton and Company, 2006. Print.

Wilson, James L.. “ANOTHER MEDIEVAL PARALLEL TO THE JESSICA AND LORENZO STORY”. *The Shakespeare Association Bulletin* 23.1 (1948): 20–23. Web...

Wilson, James L.. “ANOTHER MEDIEVAL PARALLEL TO THE JESSICA AND LORENZO STORY”. *The Shakespeare Association Bulletin* 23.1 (1948): 20–23. Web...