The Merchant of Venice

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.

Though he clearly fulfills the role of the villain and main antagonist in this play, the character of Shylock is extremely complex and multi-dimensional. He seems to have two sides that can be emphasized or played up in order to create a fundamentally different play, as has been done many times throughout history; post-Holocaust reproductions, for example, are obviously radically unlike than ones that may have come before (Rich 1). In most modern adaptations, Shylock is seen as a sympathetic character, perhaps due in part to the widespread acceptance in most modern societies of those from varying religious and racial backgrounds. However, it is entirely possible that Shakespeare, who was a genius playwright famous for his complex and multi-faceted characters, del...

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... actually considered this a happy ending for the Shylock character (4); by converting he is “saved” from the possibility that “misfortune [may] cross… / … a faithless Jew” (2.4.35-37).

This paper barely scratched the surface of the religious and moral complexity that is The Merchant of Venice, but it is clearly a complicated play and for many reasons: the racially charged tension, the anti-Semitic language and the morally ambiguous characters. What makes this play so exciting is that it provides neither answers nor apologies, provoking the ongoing disagreement as to what is really happening in this play. Shakespeare’s multi-layered characters and complicated representations of mercy, justice, love, religion and difference produce a remarkable piece of work that has kept people talking and guessing for centuries, and is sure to continue to for centuries to come.