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. The Perfection Form Company defines a romantic comedy as "a kind of comic drama that focuses on love. Romantic comedies often feature disguises, stumbling blocks to true love, idealized female characters, outdoor settings, and happy endings." In The Merchant of Venice, the characters, plots, and themes all support the definition of 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" (II. ii. 29-31). Launcelot then continues to confuse his father by telling him to "...talk not of Master/Launcelot...for the young gentleman.../is, indeed, deceased" (II. ii. 53-56). 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" (III. ii. 203-208). One is shocked by this statement because Gratiano puts the joke on the au...