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Religion conflict in the merchant city of venice
Role of women elizabethan era
Role of women elizabethan era
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Exploring How Shakespeare Challenges the Audience's Views on Elizabethan Society
In the play Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare challenges the way Elizabethan society worked. He repeatedly brought up issues throughout the play that displeased him about the way people behaved and acted at the time. Religious issues, such as the treatment of Shylock by the Christians, and his eventual persecution in the court scene of Act IV Scene I, is a major factor to the play. Also, the treatment of women back in Elizabethan times came to question in the play, with the first heroine in a play written by Shakespeare in the play and the Act IV Scene I scenario of Portia dressing as a man to act as a lawyer. Mercy, love and faith also feature in the play.
Back in the years the play was written and performed, England was an entirely Christian country, with Jews banished from England. Jews had to worship in secret, and were hated by the general public. They also could not have many occupations Christians could have, and one of the few jobs that Jews were permitted to do was to be a moneylender. Sh...
One of the strengths of good theater is its ability to mirror the problems and conditions shaping its time. In The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare reflects two important aspects of Elizabethan society: the corrupting influence of prosperity and the increasingly vengeful nature of Venetian justice. To address the former issue, Shakespeare downplays the importance of wealth by associating its involvement in romance with superficial and insubstantial advantages. He characterizes prosperity as a deceiving agent, citing its ability to introduce shallowness into a relationship. Shakespeare reasons that genuine romance depends on sacrifice and emotion, not wealth. The problem with justice is equally striking. In the play, justice is easily exploited as an instrument for revenge due to its exacting nature. The use of compassion and humanity, however, allows the law to be administered both fairly and justly. A reflection of the social tensions of his time, William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice explores how romance becomes more genuine without the influence of money, and how justice proceeds more effectively through the ideals of mercy and reconciliation, not vengeance.
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet's Appeal to Audiences in Modern Time. Four hundred years ago, William Shakespeare wrote what is perhaps the most important book of Shakespeare. world's best-loved play: Romeo and Juliet. It still plays to packed. theatres, all over the world, and has been adapted and rewritten for thousands of operas, musicals, films, and plays.
In reading Shakespeare, minds of readers are expanded due to his use of Early Modern English and extensive vocabulary. Shakespeare’s works also provide readers with great entertainment whose portrayal of the human condition transcends the generations. The Merchant of Venice contains many witty lines and sub-plots. “Prejudice feeds on ignorance” (Leggatt 215). If teachers do not teach their students the origin of such stereotypes, then they are developing ignorant students who will forever believe that Jews are incarnations of the devil. Considering the Jewish Stereotype that is supported and developed in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, the play is, indeed, still useful as a high school reading experience because, due to its sensitive topics, assists in eliminating innocence and creates a more discerning eye for world issues in students.
Shakespeare was a famous writer who wrote many poems, comedies, tragedies, and histories. His plays have had a lasting impact on the world. He was born on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom. Shakespeare wrote 10 history plays and they were used to educate illiterate audience members. Many of these history plays were not accurate because Shakespeare altered the events to make them more exciting. Shakespeare was forced by the aristocracy to write history plays and they were often based on monarchies. He wrote seven plays on Henry V and VI, and two plays about a character named Richard.
Shakespeare is unquestionably one of the most, if not the most, influential and renowned playwrights of the Elizabethan era. He was and still is recognized today for his boundless talent in the literary and theatrical worlds. Readers speculate whether he is writing about himself specifically and his own personal experiences or from other inspirations. Regardless, there is raw emotion and profound depth found in his words. In this particular piece, Shakespeare is in a troubled state and he is attempting to convey his feelings of distress and self pity; this is evident in his language, poetic devices, and content.
Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” is a story revolved around the trading hub, Venice and the rich and royal love-center, Belmont. This Shakespearean story shows the inequality of different cultures and genders, as well as the impact of power throughout the Elizabethan era. Portia is the beautiful and wealthy heiress of Belmont. She is the big female role of the play. Shakespeare has written the play in a way which Portia appears to be one thing, which quickly changes as time goes on. The audience sees Portia as a strong, lovable but comical character through her intelligence and trickery. Shakespeare uses various dramatic features and lines throughout the play to display Portia’s development.
William Shakespeare shows how two tradesmen can have completely different lives when others view them differently in the play The Merchant of Venice. In the play, Bassanio, Antonio’s friend, needs money to pursue his love. They seek a loan from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender in Antonio’s name. The contract is for three times the value of the bond in three months or else Shylock cuts off a pound of flesh from Antonio. While all this is happening, there are love plots going on. One of which is for Shylock’s daughter to elope with Lorenzo, a Christian. Later on, Antonio’s source of money, his ship, is reported sunken in the English Channel, dooming him to the loss of one pound of his flesh. There is a trial on the bond, and when it seems sure that Antonio will die, Portia, disguised as a doctor of laws legally gets Antonio out of the situation and Shylock recieves harsh penalties. Antonio and Shylock, two similar businessmen of Venice, are viewed differently and are treated oppositely to heighten the drama of the play and mold a more interesting plot.
The play, “The Merchant of Venice,” written by William Shakespeare is set in Venice, Italy 1596. An exciting event that was important in the text was at court when Shylock went to claim his bond. This event is exciting and important as it was very dramatic and solves the issue of the agreement between Shylock and Antonio. It is also very important as it relays the ideas of mercy or justice and prejudice.
William Shakespeare's satirical comedy, The Merchant of Venice, is an examination of hatred and greed. Prejudice is a dominant theme in The Merchant of Venice, most notably taking the form of anti-Semitism. Shylock is stereotypically described as "costumed in a recognizably Jewish way in a long gown of gabardine, probably black, with a red beard and/or wing like that of Judas, and a hooked putty nose or bottle nose" (Charney, p. 41). Shylock is a defensive character because society is constantly reminding him he is different in religion, looks, and motivation. He finds solace in the law because he, himself, is an outcast of society. Shylock is an outsider who is not privy to the rights accorded to the citizens of Venice. The Venetians regard Shylock as a capitalist motivated solely by greed, while they saw themselves as Christian paragons of piety.
Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice presents the topic of racism, an issue people face even to this day. I feel readers have difficulty in characterizing the play and Shylock because they are influenced by current society and know that racism should not exist. To comprehend the play’s designation as a comedy, we must view the play through a 16th-century Elizabethan perspective. An audience from this era would have felt justified in the discrimination against Shylock, viewing his downfall as a delight and a happy ending. Despite this, I feel Shakespeare left the story open-ended on purpose. When Shylock was asked why he wanted a pound of flesh, Shylock responded, “I am a Jew. Hath / not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, / dimensions, senses, affections, passions?” (Shakespeare 3.1.60-62). This monologue displays a mind-set and tolerance that may have been rare during the Elizabethan era. Perhaps Shakespeare tried to open up the English people’s way of thinking in his own little
In this play, three timeless elements that are very relevant today and throughout history are prejudice, money, and love. Shakespeare included many examples of all these themes in his play. Bassanio, Antonio, Gratiano, Lorenzo, Portia, and Shylock are the main representatives of these themes. You could take anyone in history and compare him or her to anyone in this play. An example of this would be the prejudice and mean spirit that both Shylock and Hitler share. Shakespeare did a very good job showing these elements in real life scenarios. Samuel Taylor Coleridge put it perfectly; this play is a “representation of men in all ages and all times.”
In this essay I will try to discover is Shylock a villain or a victim, in the William Shakespeare play “A Merchant of Venice”
While there are many fundamental themes in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, only one seems to drive the play to its inevitable conclusion. There is a constant theme of self-interest versus love. On the surface, this seems to be the dividing factors between the Christians and the Jew. Shylock is portrayed to only care about money and profits, while the Christians are shown as people who value human relationships more. Examples of this theme are shown through Shylock’s behaviour, the many weddings of the Christian characters, and the relationship between Antonio and Bassanio.
In the Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare introduces a new concept of the modern women for his current society. In his time, women aren’t working at high standard jobs like lawyers and they aren’t educated like men. The society denies women’s freedom and constrains their mental capabilities to some domestic grafts such as sewing and weaving. Shakespeare demonstrates throughout the play how women possess the power to change the world around her. Women can’t be enticed by the beauty and appearance as men do. Women can alter the traditions, the woman possesses the capabilities to make choices and engage her husband. Jessica flees from her father’s house with the man she chooses. Portia assists Bassanio to know where her image is to marry him. Shakespeare claims that sapient woman can counter the argument and bring up what is unexpected. Portia restrains Shylock with his bond and rescues Antonio from Shylock’s hand when no one is able to do that. Conversely, Shakespeare posits that women still need men’s assistant either directly or indirectly to achieve their work. Portia asks directly for law doctor’s help to go to Venice. In addition, Portia and Nerissa disguise as men as an indirect way to go to the court to save Antonio.
This is one way of looking at the play, reading it or enjoying the performance. But it can be a contradiction to our actual feelings about this complex play. ‘The Merchant of Venice’ might appear to be a romantic tale without much logic but that would be a superficial interpretation. Portia’s father may have raised our concerns in taking away her freedom to choose her beloved; Shylock’s bond and those conditions may violate most legal codes; but the way the play moves takes one beyond these doubts and objections.