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July 21, 1999. In order to complete his examination of the theme of orality in The Merchant of Venice, Michael Fleisher (JAPA 47/2) must also explore such topics as (1) the unconscious associations of breast and penis, as well as breast and feces; (2) the feminine connotations of the foreskin (e.g., lips/labia) and the masculine connotations of circumcision as the central element of the Covenant between Abraham and God (Nunberg 1949); and (3) the types of homosexuality represented by Antonio, based primarily on eroticized narcissistic oral and anal introjection of the breast, and by Shylock, based primarily on the erotization of anal and phallic rage toward the father, both types including passive and active processes (Hopper 1995, 1997).
The absence of a nurturing and protective mother is, of course, at the root of these three phenomena. Antonios do not cling excessively to their mother's sails (skirts, slips, etc.) when they have been fed well and sufficiently, and Shylocks are not provoked to make strict demands when they have no need to repudiate their own tender feelings toward their sons, not to mention their jealousy. It is unnecessary to make a meal of this, but mothers often need the authority of fathers in order to protect themselves from being bitten off and “Gobbo-ed” up.
It is worth noting that Shakespeare also treats these themes elsewhere, e.g., in Coriolanus.