Essay about The Merchant of Venice - 2939 Words

William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is one of his most controversial plays for a variety of reasons. Written in sixteenth-century England, where anti-Semitism was common and the presence of Jews was not, the play poses many questions concerning racial, religious and human difference. The play is especially tricky to examine in today’s society, as its anti-Semitic themes and language can be uncomfortable to face in a world post-Holocaust. Additionally, the depiction of the relationship between Jews and Christians, which has always been an ambivalent one, adds a very interesting albeit difficult dimension to this play. Ultimately, through dramatic plot and distinctive characters, The Merchant of Venice explores what it means to be†¦show more content†¦One side of Shylock is preoccupied by money and crazed by revenge, while the other represents an old man who eventually loses everything near and dear to him, an outsider who is spit on by his Christian ene mies and must put up with being called â€Å"misbeliever, cut-throat, [and] dog† (1.3.107). Unlike other antagonists such as Don John in Much Ado About Nothing or Aaron in Titus Andronicus, Shylock does not explicitly name himself as a villain nor does he relish in his evil behaviour. He does indeed display villainous characteristics; very early on he admits in an aside that he hates Antonio â€Å"for he is a Christian† (1.3.37), and his obsession with revenge quickly grows out of control. But what is complicated about Shylock’s â€Å"evil† is that it all seems to stem from the malevolence of the Christians. One cannot really blame him about being bitter for the times Antonio kicked him and spit â€Å"upon [his] beard† (1.3.113), or that his money lending business is damaged by Antonio’s tendency to lend out â€Å"money gratis† (1.3.39). Even though the Christians in the play consider usury an evil practice, it is the only way that Shylock knows how to make a living, and it is understandable that he would be protective of his busine ss. He shows his more tender side in scenes with daughter, especially in 2.4 as he leaves home and tells her to shut the door after her, because something firmly secured will remain safe; â€Å"Fast bind, fast find ⎠¯ / A proverb never stale in thrifty mind†Show MoreRelatedThe Merchant of Venice939 Words   |  4 PagesThese are two of Shakespearean antagonists of all time. They are alike in more ways than one. Shylock in Merchant of Venice is a Jewish moneylender based in Venice. He has been tormented and repressed mainly by the Christian population. One finds it easy to sympathize with him mainly because he has his own reasons to be loathing, greedy, and miserly. This ends up making the entire ‘Merchant of Venice’ bittersweet. This was when Shylock was forced to give up all that he owned and further converted itRead MoreThe Merchant Of Venice . In The Merchant Of Venice, Written1357 Words   |  6 PagesThe Merchant of Venice In The Merchant of Venice, written by William Shakespeare is a play that only has three female characters. They are Portia, Nerissa, and Jessica. Portia is a woman who was in search of a husband, who her father had to agree with. Unfortunately, Portia s father had passed, so he left a test for Portia s suitors to pass in order for one of them to marry his daughter. These women are not bad women, they are rebellious and brave but they are not bad people. I also foundRead MoreThe Merchant of Venice938 Words   |  4 PagesLove and Hate The Merchant of Venice a play written by the famous poet and play writer, William Shakespeare, in the year 1596 - 1598. It is based on both love and hate. Shakespeare demonstrates the themes of love and hate clearly through various character. The friendship love is shown through Antonio towards Bassanio, romantic love is shown through Portia and Bassanio and self love is shown through shylock. However Shakespeare also illustrates hates during the play through the characters shylockRead MoreThe Merchant of Venice1028 Words   |  5 PagesSociety tends to define people as being either victims or villains due to the actions, beliefs and decisions present in their lives. In the Merchant of Venice, this separation between those good and evil is existent in the Venetian community, especially for the character of Shylock. Although one may think that Shylock is a victim in this play, as a result of other’s wrong-doing, Shylock is rather a villain because he conspired to kill Antonio through his bond, wished to see his daughter dead forRead More The Merchant of Venice2444 Words   |  10 PagesThe Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice was written in 1598 by William Shakespeare. The story is set in Elizabethan times, which was the sixteenth century. People back then were quite prejudiced towards any race that was not Christian. They would have hated Jews. When Shylock would come onto the stage, the audience would have just booed him back off. The Christians had their reasons for hating the Jews. The fact that they supposedly killed â€Å"Jesus† still angers many people today. ChristiansRead MoreTragedy in The Merchant of Venice1472 Words   |  6 Pagesshows awful decision making. There are typically deaths which arise at the end or near the end of the play. The Merchant of Venice can be classified as a tragedy because it contains the rather sinister elements generally found in tragedies and the play Antigone can be considered a tragedy, because of the severe consequences of the storys proceedings. As a tragedy, The Merchant of Venice focuses on the collapse of a Jewish moneylender, Shylock, who exits the stage a wrecked man and is unavoidableRead MoreEssay on merchant of venice1394 Words   |  6 Pages The Merchant of Venice The play,  ¡Ã‚ °The Merchant of Venice ¡Ã‚ ± by William Shakespeare has two main settings. One setting is Venice, a city where many businessmen live, a place, full of unhappy and unkind people. It a world of commercial and law. Shakespeare has portrayed Venice as the  ¡Ã‚ °real ¡Ã‚ ± world. The other setting is Belmont, a city which houses a rich, happy society of beautiful people. Belmont is a fairy-tale world of music and love. In this play, it is evident that, good things happen in BelmontRead MoreThe Merchant Of Venice As A Tragedy1363 Words   |  6 PagesThe Merchant of Venice is a tragedy Jean Racine, a French dramatist of the 17th century France, states, â€Å"Life is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel† (Goodreads). In the early days of its staging, the play The Merchant of Venice written by William Shakespeare is considered to be a comedy, but as the world develops there is controversy as whether to believe that the play is actually a tragedy. The play is centered on two main plots: the bond plot and the casket plot. The bondRead MorePortia, The Merchant Of Venice1514 Words   |  7 PagesPortia, The Merchant of Venice Do you agree that Portia is a memorable character in the play The Merchant of Venice? In the play The Merchant of Venice, there are many female characters who face injustice alone in society. Portia as many seemingly paradoxical identities. This makes her a memorable character in the play The Merchant of Venice. She has represented being dutiful towards her father, being an innocent young woman, a ‘mortal-breathing saint’ who posses ‘god-like amity’, a hard headedRead MoreMerchant of Venice Essay980 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish essay In Shakespeare’s play the merchant of Venice the audience learns about love in many forms. Through the characters, of Portia and Bassanio, Shylock and his love for money over his daughter and Antonio and Bassanio. The audience learns through Portia that true love always triumphs. From shylock we learn that money isn’t everything it seems to be and that you should treasure your family more than money. Through the friendship of Antonio and Bassanio we learn about the love of one friend