“THE MERCHANT OF VENICE” ,written by William Shakespeare in 16th century that is during the Elizabethan period is technically classified as a comedy, but sometimes referred to as a “problem comedy” mostly because it’s so controvertial or a “tragicomedy”, because it shares features in common with commedies but also contains the kind of dark elements we typically find in tragedies. Shylock’s desire for a pound of flesh is pretty intense, and the way shylock is treated by christians characters is pretty sickening and well,tragic .
In this play, Antonio is the leading merchant of venice.He is quite popular, wealthy and is a respectable man.He has a friend named Bassanio who is very dearly to Antonio.Bassanio owes a good deal of money but he is
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This play was written in Elizabethan period. Elizabethan period was a time when Christians hated Jews. Jews had to bear all the atrocities done by the Christians. They had suffered a lot.
Similarly in this context, shylock is a Jew and Antonio is a Christian.
A conversation between Shylock and Antonio –
Shylock – you call me a misbeliever, cut-throat dog
And spit upon my Jewish gabardine
[...]
Fair sir ,you spit on me on Wednesday last
You spurn’d me such a day; another time
You called me a dog ; and for these courtesies
I’ll lend you thus much moneys’ ?
Antonio - I am as like to call thee so again,
To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too.
Antonio has insulted Shylock many a times. He has spitted on him. Then Shylock was called a cut - throat dog. He has treated him like a garbage and even if he i.e. Shylock lends money to him,Antonio then also his racist behaviour would not change against Shylock.
Therefore, Shylock had to suffer and also had to bear all this, the reason being that he was a
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However in terms of historical context, the Elizabethan audience were majority Christians. They held very prejudician view of Christian. They still held very pejudician view of jews and blamed them for crucifying christ,which by the way is a perversion of christianinty because christians believe that christ was crucified for the sins of the world, everyone included, so it is our own sin that crucified christ, not the jews. Shylock bemoans the fact that ‘ For sufferance is the badge of all tribe,’
The jews had been prosecuted throughout Europe, thrown out of many countries. Everywhere shylock goes he is called as a currish jew or a dog.Naturally, hate has build up in his mind and if he can get even with non jews, he will and in this play, he does . Antonio is not so innocent . He has treated Shylock very badly in the past. Due to these reasons Shylock wanted to take revenge by taking a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body.
At least,Shylock had the courage to go against Antonio who is a christian, and file a suit due to breach of contract suffered by
Then there is the innocent and rich “Antonio” (Merchant), who is a Christian, and is a complete Anti-Semitec. Antonio’s character is wrong, he hates Jews, he loves being regarded as rich, and would do anything to make Shylock’s life a misery. Antonio hates Jews; this is proved in Act 1 Scene 3 where Antonio says, “The Hebrew will turn Christian, he grows kind”, this is blatant racism shown against the Jews. The story progresses, a new character is introduced, Portia.
Throughout William Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice, there is a strong theme of prejudice. Portia has to deal with prejudice against her sex, the Prince of Morocco has to deal with prejudice against his race but the character that is most discriminated against is Shylock. He is hated for being a Jew and a money-lender, but Shakespeare has not made Shylock a character easy to sympathise with. He appears to be mean and cruel and it seems as though he loves money above all things. However during the play there are moments when Shakespeare gives Shylock speeches which show his humanity. In these moments, the audience is made to feel sorry for Shylock. Shakespeare has created a character that the audience’s feelings will change for by the minute.
While engendering the bond in the inciting force of the play, Antonio says to Shylock – the antagonist – “Content in faith. I’ll seal to such a bond, / And say there is much kindness in the Jew” (1.3.149-150) which reveals how Antonio sees such positive terms in the deal. Although the terms may seem simples to follow, Antonio will still face the consequences of putting his life on the line for his dear friend, Bassanio. This bond portion of the play establishes relationships through the rivals and also gives background information about characters, which show the elements of dramatic significance. Subsequently, Shylock’s possessions are at stake during their trial after Antonio fails to pay him back because his argosies were abolished. Shylock’s punishment for attempting to
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...
...f flesh, and thereby Antonio's life. One might argue that it is Shylock's honesty that becomes his downfall. In the end there is no doubt in anyone's mind that he, as an alien, did "seek the life of a citizen" (IV, i, 347), and that he therefore is liable to persecution.
From this we can see that he is so concerned with his money, and so enraged at his daughter that he wishes her dead. This to the audience would be seen to be a very evil thing to be, and so they would believe that all Jewish people were like that. If the play were not anti-Semitic then the plot would be that Shylock would not care about the money, he would be angry no doubt but he would want to know what was wrong with his daughter to be like this, and he would want to talk to her. Shakespeare has clearly made the plot like this in order to show the audience that Shylock is evil and his being Jewish had clearly influenced this decision.
It is so important for people to recognize how Jews were portrayed during Shakespeare’s life so that historic events such as the holocaust do not repeat themselves. Teachers who plan on presenting their students with The Merchant of Venice should also present them with articles explaining how Jews received their negative stereotype and explain to them that Jews are not as evil as Shylock. The play can still be useful as a high school reading experience only if taught correctly, in a manner that avoids Jews being insulted and non-Jews getting a completely flawed idea about Jews. Although comedic during the 16th century, The Merchant of Venice can no longer be viewed as a comedy in the 21st century due to the diversity of people and general acceptance of their cultures throughout the United States.
Drama and Tension in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice Introduction The merchant of Venice is about a merchant who borrows a loan to help a friend who wants to go to Belmont to Marie a woman called Portia. The person who borrows a loan is a merchant name (Antonio), and Antonio goes and gets the loan off a Jew name (Shylock). After Antonio borrows the loan, Antonio sign a bond saying that if in three month Antonio ships don’t return, shylock would have his pond of flesh.
Venice, where this drama takes place, is a largely religious Italian City. Although filled with spiritual people, the city is divided into two different religious groups. Venice was primarily and dominantly a Christian society with Jews as it’s unfairly treated minority. Stereotypes classified Jews as immoral, evil, and foolish people while the Christians were graceful, merciful, and loving. Representing the Christian belief is Antonio who is summoned to court by a Jew who goes by the name Shylock. The cross between Christianity and Judaism begins as Antonio and Shylock create a legally binding bond. The bond’s fine print expresses that if Antonio cannot fulfill his debt to Shylock, Shylock will receive a pound of Antonio’s flesh. As learned in the play, Antonio cannot repay his debt and Shylock publically exclaims his need to receive fulfillment of that bond. Hastily, Shylock is determined to obtain his pound of Christian flesh. Shakespeare provides his audience dist...
Shylock lends Antonio a sum of money, that Antonio intends to pay back when his merchant ships arrive in Venice, one month before the debt would be forfeited. When Bassanio arranges the sum of money, Shylock befriends him, only to stand aside and utter to him self, "I hate him for he is a Christian... If I catch him once upon the hip, I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him," Act 1, Scene 3. Shortly after saying, "But ships are but boards, sailors but men... the perils of waters, winds, and rocks...Three thousand ducats; I think I may take his bond." Shylock is setting his trap here. Shylocks terms of the agreement are a pound of Antonios flesh from closets his heart, if it be forfeited.
Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (nd) available: >http//:www.123helpme.com/veiw.asp?1d= 149242< [Accessed 24th April 2008].
In Act III scene I Salanio and Salarino confront Shylock, mocking him about his daughter's deception and insulting him. Shylock explains why he will take Antonio's flesh, making his famous speech, 'I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?'
Antonio and Shylock are both successful entrepreneurs in Venice but they both have different attitudes and experiences. When Antonio is asking Shylock for the loan he says, “Within these two months – that’s a month before this bond expires – I do expect, return of thrice times the value of this bond.” (1.3.169-170). Antonio and Shylock both are well off and successful businessmen. Antonio, being a man who is treats everyone nicely, lends his good name to Bassanio to woo Portia. Shylock on the other hand, could never do that and is a very greedy man who asks for three times the value of the loan. Also, Antonio is a risk taker and thinks things will always go the right way for him and his success will continue, which is shown when he accepts the high interest rate and the bizarre payment if the money isn’t received. Shylock handles his business straightforward and charges interest because it is his job, although being a very high amount and if it isn’t carried out, Shylock gets his payment of one pound of flesh. Shylock is depicted as the greedy businessman while Antonio is the nice man who tries his luck.
...es vivid and distinctive characters both are nice and evil, but we have to look upon not merely goodness on good persons and evilness on evil persons. Shakespeare through the character of Shylock repines for the Jews who suffer from national and religious discrimination, manifesting his bourgeoisie humanitarian standpoint.
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.”