William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice
In many ways, shylock is a more difficult character for a modern
audience than for an Elizabethan audience. With close reference to Act
1 scene 3, Act 3 scene 1 and Act 4 scene 1 show how an actor might
reveal the human being behind the stereotype.
The merchant of Venice is a play written in Elizabethan times by
William Shakespeare. The play is set in Elizabethan Venice. The play
starts with Antonio, a rich merchant, who is depressed without any
obvious reason. He denies that he is worried about his merchant ships
or that he is in love.
Antonio has lent money to his friend Bassanio in the past, but this
time Bassanio wants to borrow some money so that he can try for the
hand of Portia, who is a wealthy and beautiful heiress. In order to
lend Bassanio the money, Antonio himself must borrow money as all of
his moneys are on his merchant ships, which are trading to distant
countries.
Meanwhile, in Belmont, Portia is irritated. This is because of the
terms laid down in her father's will. His will says that everyone who
wishes to marry her must choose between a casket of gold, silver or
lead. Portia must accept the man who chooses the "correct" casket.
Also, the suitors must take an oath never to marry if they fail in
this contest. Half a dozen totally unsuitable young men leave rather
than taking their chances. The next candidate up to choose a casket is
the prince of Morocco.
Back in Venice, Bassanio has approached a wealthy Jew named Shylock.
Shylock is a money lender, who lends money in return for interest and
at this time Christians were not allowed to do this. Shylock and
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...uld be broken,
on the floor, sobbing, unable to move, he must fully portray the hurt
that comes with losing everything that you have except for life. This
is when the actor must portray Shylock as a broken man, not as a
devil.
The Audience would be cheering, as they would now have no sympathy for
Shylock whatsoever, they have seen him try to kill Antonio and he has
lost.
In Conclusion, Shakespeare is trying to portray Shylock as a human
being who has lost everything. Shylock is a man who has lost his
daughter, his money and his pride. Shakespeare Portrays him as both
villainous and humane.
Shakespeare shows us that every man has the willingness to kill.
Shakespeare gives us unmistakably human moments, but he often steers
us against Shylock as well, painting him as a miserly, cruel, and
prosaic figure.
still a common view of Jews is for them to be penny pinching, both in
In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, the character Othello is portrayed as a fairly good man. By some, he may be known as a bad person but he has become greatly beneficial to the growth of Venice and the state of Cyprus. Othello is a good man even if he committed murder to his wife because he is a great war general and contributed to Cyprus in time of need.
fair flesh" (I, iii, l. 143-4). It is easy to feel sorry for a widower
It is clear that the race of Othello is a factor in his downfall. A
In the comedy, The Merchant of Venice, the roles and responsibilities of women is a significant social issue proposed by Shakespeare. This theme is communicated by the only three female characters in the play: Nerissa, Portia and Jessica. For example, in Act 4 during the trial between Antonio and Shylock, Portia and Nerissa disguise themselves as Balthasar and Bellario to free their friend. However, Jessica also plays a minor role in portraying the independence of Jewish women in a Christian and Elizabethan society, by successfully betraying her father, Shylock. These characters portray Shakespeare’s overall opinion on women, as well as a modern audience’s view on Elizabethan society in many significant ways by accentuating themes, ideas and contextual links in the form of the play itself.
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.
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.
There are a number of points and specific aspects to Act 3 scene 1 of
Antonio, in which he gets to cut off a pound of flesh from his body,
The Merchant of Venice is a play set in a very male and Christian dominated society where other religions and women rights weren’t very well accepted by the community. However Portia, a rich woman who had previously been controlled by men, triumphs as she manipulates tricks and saves the lives of the men.
A significant moment in Othello demonstrates the theme of binaries questioned in many of Shakespeare's works. Addressing the Duke and senators, Othello says:
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 Jewish and what it means to be Christian. A closer analysis of these opposing groups unearths inconsistencies between what the characters preach versus what they practice, as well as their problematic notions of justice, mercy and love.
The Merchant of Venice written by William Shakespeare takes place in Italy in the late 1500s. The play focuses on 4 main characters: Antonio, Bassanio, Shylock and Portia. Antonio is a Venetian merchant who is in love with his best friend. Bassanio is the best friend of Antonio and the husband of Portia. Shylock is a Jewish moneylender and is hated by the people of Venice due to his religion. Lastly, there is Portia, wealth woman from Belmont. She is forced, by her father’s will, to marry the suitor who chooses the correct casket. Bassanio ends up being the lucky suitor and gets to marry Portia. Soon after the marriage they receive news of Antonio's appending sentence to death. Portia being a loving wife gives Bassanio the money to pay the bound. She decided to disguise herself as a doctor names Balthasar and replaces Bellario, so he can defend Antonio. Balthasar’s (Portia) duty is to look over the cause for the Duke and see if the still stands. She wants to save Antonio from death because he is the best friend of her beloved husband. In court, Portia demonstrates her intelligence and bravery in ways the Italian society consider worthy.
Characters and Relationships in The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare The characters Antonio, the merchant of Venice, and Bassanio, his friend who lives beyond his means, have already been introduced by Shakespeare in the first scene. Here Bassanio has asked his friend to lend him money so that he might woo the rich and beautiful Portia. Antonio has expressed his willingness to lend the money, but, as his. trading ships are all away at sea, he does not have funds readily.
Defeating the enemy, light-heartedness, and a happy ending for the lovers are all elements in a comedic play. William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice shows that love conquers all and that you can always defeat the enemy. Even if a pound of flesh is the difference between life and death, or if one wrong person chooses the casket that decides your fate. For example, The Merchant of Venice, Antonio, not only survives the fate of having a pound of his flesh taken from his body on account of his friend that could not repay the bond to a man who is seen as the devil, but gets thrice his money back and the villain is taken down. Not to mention that Antonio’s best friend, Bassanio, not only repays the bond and gets out of his debt to help his friend, but also marries himself a rich wife. In contrast, Portia, who was bound by her dead father to marry a man whom she could never love, cheated her fate and married the man she truly loved. What makes this play a comedy is clearly evident; the villain is defeated and destroyed, and happy endings are given to those that deserve them like the Christians.