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Prejudice as the merchant of Venice theme
Prejudice as the merchant of Venice theme
Character analysis in merchant of venice
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There are many themes woven into the play The Merchant of Venice, Prejudice being the most evident. This prejudice is mainly racial (against race) or cultural (against lifestyle, i.e. religion, culture…) and is one of the leading causes of conflict in the play. Prejudice towards Jews, prejudice towards Christians, and prejudice towards people of different colour and prejudice of others with different nationalities, are all present in the play. (transition)
"Here come another of the tribe: a third cannot be matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew." (III, i, 73-74) This one quotation perfectly displays the attitude held towards the Jews at the time of The Merchant of Venice. In this quote, Solanio is stating that the Jew is worse than the devil himself. The audience would have accepted, and even enjoyed, this display of prejudice since anti-Semitism (hatred of Jews) was typical at the time. The discrimination that was held towards Jews has never truly made sense but “Prejudice, not being founded on reason, cannot be removed by argument.” -Samuel Johnson. Nothing that Shylock could have said would have changed the cruelty that was being giving to him by the Christians. The quote “Christian virtues unite men. Racism separates them,” by Sargent Shriver, implies the Christians’ attitude towards the Jews contradicted many of their beliefs. For example, the one about the importance of loving others. (transition)
“How like a fawning publican he looks! I hate him for he is a Christian;” (I, iii, 37-38) This quote shows that Shylock, too, discriminated. Hate begets hate and the anger that the Jews must have held towards the Christians makes sense considering the anger held towards them. Discrimination against Christians has always bee...
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...ationalities. She opposes the idea of marrying anyone of a different nationality than hers and even though her witty comments were designed to provide comedy, they were insulting to the other countries. Making an assumption that a person is to be a certain way due to the place that they are from allows people to judge others before they know them and often, the judgements are wrong. (transition)
Prejudice is a hurtful weapon that, when used in a battle, leaves both sides defeated. “The biggest problem throughout the history of man is the fact that racism is anything but an anomaly.” -Erik Hansen. Prejudice is something that some people confront on a day to day basis, and is not a rare occurrence. Prejudice will never completely stop. The Merchant of Venice does a great job on displaying prejudice from many different angles, but, in the end, it still isn’t right.
Through previously analysing examples of early Christian anti-Judaism, this chapter provides an insight into the connection between early Christian anti-Judaic attitudes and the Nazi understanding of the Jews. As Ruether contends that Christian anti-Semitism originates from the ‘left hand of Christology’, it will become apparent through analysing Nazi ideology and propaganda how early Christian anti-Judaism is repeated in the Nazi depiction of the Jews. Conversely, it is counter argued by Langmuir that Nazi anti-Semitism differed from early Christian anti-Judaism and therefore was not a continuation of anti-Judaism. He contends that despite the medieval church referring to the Jews as blind to the truth and the symbol of disbelief, medieval authorities did not condone the slaughter of the Jews. Therefore, it can be argued that there is not a direct connection between anti-Judaism and the racial anti-Semitism adopted by the Nazis. In response to Langmuir’s argument, the racial hatred for the Jews expressed by the Nazis, as with any hatred, has to have an origin and a trigger point which generates the feelings of contempt. For example, Christian contempt for Jews originates from the idea that the Jews were responsible for the death of Christ. Taking this into account, Langmuir’s argument is problematic and this chapter will reveal the repetition of early Christian anti-Judaism in Nazi propaganda. Although the Nazis interpreted the Jews from a racial discriminative standpoint, which was distinct to the early Church Fathers portrayal of the Jews, they used Christian anti-Judaic accusations and stereotypes of Jews to contribute to their portrayal of the Jewish race. This leads to the conclusion that the Nazis were influenced by the...
It is mentioned that the bishops tell the common folk that “the Jews have stolen your religion and yet the Jews live with you in your own land.” As a result, these words create violence as the common folk “rush out together in search of Jews, and when they find one they kill him.” The killings and violence committed during this time was also predominately recognized as acts of vengeance for many bishops and other Christians deem “the Jews as Christ-killers.” Again, this idea supports the notion that Jews created mischief and thus, the cruelty directed to them is understandable and
The Christians also labeled Shylock as explicitly equated with the Devil, which in a primarily Christian society left Shylock as the other. For example, in (II, ii, 24-28), Launcelot Gobbo identifies Shylock as "a kind of devil", "the devil himself", and "the very devil incarnation." Shylocks own daughter compared Shylock's house to "hell" (II, iii, 2). Salanio identifies Shylock as "the devil...in the likeness of a Jew" (III, i, 19-21) and Bassanio echoes this sentiment by identifying Shylock as a "cruel devil" (IV, i, 217). Antonio further cements the association between Shylock and the devil by noting how Shylock's arguments remind him how "The devil can cite scripture for his purpose" (I, iii, 97-100).
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. = == ==
In my opinion, prejudice has a very big impact on society all across the country everyday. I do believe that most people have a tendency to let their preconception of others get in the way of and effect their decisions. People tend to make many decisions based on their own bias beliefs about other people. Prejudice can be called by many things such as bias, racism, sexism, discrimination, and many other different things.
Prejudice is an issue that cannot be easily avoided in today's society. It has and always will have a huge impact on the discrimination that some people face based on religion, appearance, background, mental/physical disabilities and etc.
Shakespeare creates a caricature of a Jew, just as he might have seen done by Christopher Marlowe in "The Jew of Malta". Shakespeare's "Shylock" was easily recognisable as a Jew, wearing traditional clothing, immediately showing the audience that he is different. The money lending profession adds to the Jewish look, and the way he acts, without even a care for his own daughter, making references to his desire for Christian blood, allows Shakespeare's audience to create a strong hatred for the Jew. Although nobody had actually met a Jew, probably the entire audience had been brought up to despise such an awful religion, hearing terrible tales of sin and misery.
In looking at Shylock, the sixteenth-century audience would deduce all view except the greedy, selfish, manipulating, Jew. In accordance with the normative view, Jews were believed to be out of tune with the universe. This is re-enforce in act 2 scene 5 lines 27-30 when Shylock is comment...
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.
...ived a corrupt life and society which went against their Christian values. In a This I Believe Essay, by Kevin, he writes, “I believe that others have already defined much of who I am supposed to be, and I have spent a great deal of time running from that definition. I believe that there comes a time in everyone’s life when he or she must speak up and address stereotypes and assumptions because they are easier to believe that the work it takes to discover the uniqueness of the individual.” In the case of this subject at hand, the Christians define the Jews as evil and in a much more separated society from them despite both being human beings. The prejudice they produce, the nefarious lifestyle, all come into the factor displaying Christians as the true villain in The Merchant of Venice.
Most people find stereotypes to be obnoxious, especially when they have to do with sensitive subjects like gender or race. “Stereotyping is a generalization about a group or category of people that can have a powerful influence on how we perceive others and their communication behaviors” (Floyd, 61). Because they underestimate the differences among individuals in a group, stereotyping can lead to inaccurate and offensive perceptions of other people. Although stereotypes are prevalent in almost every society, becoming aware of our perceptions of others, as well as differentiating between both positive and negative stereotypes can help us overcome those stereotypes.
Being a Jew in Christian dominated Venice, Shylock is persecuted by society. He is the victim of popular Christian prejudice, which scorns his religion and restricts his means of employment. He is left with no choice but to be a moneylender and earn his money from collecting interest. To the Christians, collecting interest was against their teaching. This is one of the reasons for the Christians hatred.
Discrimination is a resounding theme in The Merchant of Venice (Meyers). All of the characters are affected by inequality. This inequity is evidenced clearly in Shylock, the Jewish usurer. He is treated with scorn and derision by all the characters. Shylock’s misfortunes stem not from poor attributes or even a poor background; it stems from the fact he is Jewish, and what is more, he is impenitent of that distinction. If he had been more daunted by Christian influence, he might have been forgiven, as Jessica is subjectively exonerated. He is not contrite and it is believed that his appalling birth cannot be absolved (Bonnell).
Shylock is no more greedy than Bassanio begging for money or Lorenzo accepting Jessica’s gifts. Shylock is a loving father who wants the best for his only daughter. This love is expressed by his distress after he finds she has left him and through Shylock’s concern about Christian husbands during the courtroom scene in Act 5 Scene 1. Although Shylock showcases benevolent characteristics, like any individual he possesses faults. Shylock occasionally has moments of great acrimony in which he expresses his displeasment in the society. A strong proclamation of Shylock’s displeasment with his environment is when Shylock cries, “what 's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes?”
The first theme is that religious intolerance and prejudice play destructive roles in the book. Even to this day, there is racism and prejudice in schools about race and religion. Antonio, as a true Christian, has often condemned moneylenders. He knows that since the early twelfth century, Christians are forbidden by the Church to lend money for profit. Shylock, as a Jew, does not consider his money-lending and overwhelming interest to be a sin in any manner. In fact, he considers his earnings through money lending as the gift of God. He appeals to and quotes the Scriptures in defense of his profession. Shylock and the other Jewish moneylenders are essential to the prosperity of the merchant community, but they are also outcasts as human beings and as Jews. Shylock often shows his dislike to the Christians; “I hate him for he is a Christian”, (Act I, Sc. III, L. 38). The Christians ridicule and hate the Jewish moneylende...