Audience's Response to Shylock in William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice
As the opening scene of the third Act opens, Solanio and Salerio are
used as a chorus by Shakespeare to inform the reader of the events
that will be discussed in the scene. News is learnt of Antonio's ships
"wreaked on the narrow seas" (Line 3). With this comment, Shakespeare
instantly prepares the reader for the entrance of Shylock, who
embodies danger throughout the play. As Shylock enters, both the
reader and Solanio know "what news amongst the merchants?" as this
refers to the elopement of Jessica. Even though the reader has yet to
see Shylock since the elopement, we know that his anger will have been
fuelled by the fact that a Christian has stolen his daughter, as well
as his ducats. Immediately after the mention of Antonio, Shylock
states to "Let him look to his bond" (Line 44), and without question,
the reader realises that Shylocks true intentions for Antonio.
However, Solanio and Salerio fail to comprehend this, as question,
"Thou wilt not take his fresh. What's that good for?" (Line 47), which
is replied to with "If it will feed nothing, it will feed my revenge"
(Line 49). At this point, both the reader and the Christians now see
the truthful and avenging Shylock, who is now presented as a revenge
filled man, who's now only passion is to punish Antonio for the
Christians stealing his daughter and his ducats.
Additionally, the malicious digs and insults from Solanio and Salerio
spark Shylock's hatred, to produce one of Shylock's most dramatic
speeches since the start of the play. It is writte...
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...ng to trade with
Christians, but this is the furthest any relations will go. "I will
buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you…but I will
not eat with you, drink with you nor pray with you" (Act 1, Scene 3,
Line 32). However, in this Act, following Jessica's elopement and
stealing of her father's ducats, Shakespeare presents the true nature
of Shylock, a relentless man fuelled by his hatred for Christians. The
presentation by Shakespeare encourages the reader to reconsider their
perception of Shylock, with the reasons for his hatred becoming
understood. Shakespeare's key aim is to ensure Shylock is not plainly
a malevolent villain, but shown to purely be a Jewish man who is
possessed with hatred that can be justified through the punishment and
treatment he has received by the Christians within Venice.
"I have a good eye, uncle; I can see a church by day-light." (Act ii. Sc. 1.)
Audience's Sympathy for Macbeth in William Shakespeare's Play Macbeth was written during the reign of Queen Elizabeth the First, a period in history when people’s beliefs in their world were changing. People believed strongly in the Divine Right of Kings and that Regicide was an act against God’s will, making it an unforgivable sin. The worship of God was also incredibly important and people would be fined for not attending church on a Sunday and the priest would be the most important person in the village.
“ I cannot hide what I am. I must be sad when I have cause, and smile at no man’s jests; eat when I have stomach, and wait for no man’s leisure; sleep when I am drowsy, and tend on no man’s business; laugh when I am merry, and claw no man in his humour” (1.3.10-14).
...tle. Which is, “THAT YE SIN NOT”? What the Scripture is saying here in verse 1 is that if by any reason you should fall into sin, because of the lack of consecration and watchfulness you do not have to remain in the state of sin. God will grant unto you by His mercy another opportunity to be redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ, for the removing of your sins. Jesus is the advocate for those who fall in the temptation of their flesh and sin. The word advocate in the Greek parakletos, pronounced par-ak’-lay-tos, meaning an intercessor, counselor: comforter. Jesus Christ is represented as the mediator that counsels you unto strength, showing you the way back unto God. Once you have returned unto the Father, He will comfort you and keep you, only if you allow Him. The Lord will never console you in the state of your sins, for He finds no pleasure in you sinning.
In Susan Pharr's "The Common Elements of Oppression", she defines "the other" as the outcast of society, the ones who stand up for what they believe in, no matter how `against the grain' it may be, the ones who try the hardest to earn acceptance, yet never receive it. In Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice", Shylock, the `villain' is portrayed as the other simply because of his faith, because he is Jewish in a predominantly Christian society.
‘villain’; he is a complex mix of both. In the first part of the play,
Response to Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice by a Modern Audience Since the time of Shakespeare, The play “Merchant of Venice” has had a dramatic effect on the modern audience today. In the 16th century, Jews were completely disliked, & Jews were not allowed to live in England unless they had converted to Christianity. = == ==
say, “If I can catch once upon the hip I will feed fat the ancient
In Act 1 Scene 3, we are first introduced to Shylock, we see him as
receives. So it would not be fair to say that he was totally evil as
William Shakespeare attained literary immortality through his exposition of the many qualities of human nature in his works. One such work, The Merchant of Venice, revolves around the very human trait of deception. Fakes and frauds have been persistent throughout history, even to this day. Evidence of deception is all around us, whether it is in the products we purchase or the sales clerks' false smile as one debates the purchase of the illusory merchandise. We are engulfed by phonies, pretenders, and cheaters. Although most often associated with a heart of malice, imposture varies in its motives as much as it's practitioners, demonstrated in The Merchant of Venice by the obdurate characters of Shylock and Portia.
which tells us that Shylock is being referred to as a dog, not like a
at the end of the 16th century was overtaken by England which was at a
“I am a jew?”-Shylock the merchant. The Merchant of venice is a play from William Shakespeare, in which a merchant called Antonio gets a loan from Shylock to pay for Bassanio's trip. Through a string of unfortunate events lead to a angry Shylock nearly killing Antonio, but that is narrowly averted. Shylock in the play “The Merchant of Venice” can be seen as a victim due to the hostile prejudice towards his kind, unfair treatment of him, and the random events that cause him misery.
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.