The Elizabethan Theater was an entertainment place located in England between 1562 and 1642. The theater was very famous during this time period for the popular plays presented to the audience. Shakespeare’s novels were one of the most well known acts in the Elizabethan Theater. One of his most popular novels was The Merchant Of Venice , which is still a popular novel nowadays. The novel deals with the relationship between christians and jews. It is about Shylock, a jewish moneylender, who seeks for revenge against Antonio, a christian merchant, who is not able to pay a loan. The novel is intended to be a comedy, and made the Elizabethan Theater audience laugh with every act performed. Nowadays, perspectives have changed, and what was considered humorous during that particular time period, nowadays can be seen as a tragedy. In “The Merchant Of Venice” , the christians humiliating jews, a daughter betraying her own father and racism are examples of situations that can be seen as a tragedy rather than a comedy.
The discrimination against jews, in England, started at a very early year, in 1290. During that time, jews were being expelled from England for following their beliefs. Until today, Christians have mixed feelings about jews, who they believe, killed Jesus Christ. During the time period when The Merchant Of Venice was written, the feeling many Christians had towards Jews was worse than nowadays. In Shakespeare’s novel, Shylock is a jew who is constantly humiliated by Antonio, who is a Christian. Throughout the majority of the novel, Jews are physically and verbally abused for following their beliefs. Antonio spits and verbally disrespects Shylock for being a Jew. Shylock reveal Antonio’s behaviour towards him by stating:
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... United States Of America. Even the Christian’s perspectives about other races have changed since the novel’s time period, when Father Augustine Tolton became the first black Roman Catholic priest, in 1886. Along with all those events of achievements coming from black people, points of view about different races have changed, and racism is a delicate subject that affects a variety of people in a, mostly, negative way.
Perspectives have changed since the Shakespeare time period. What was considered humorous to the audience in The Elizabethan Theater can, nowadays, be seen a tragedy. Jews being humiliated by Christians, a daughter betraying her own father and racism are aspects in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant Of Venice that would be considered and are intended to be a comedy. In the present days, those aspects are offensive and brutal for a lot of the readers.
In I Henry IV and II Henry IV, William Shakespeare brings together drama and comedy to create two of the most compelling history plays ever written. Many of Shakespeare's other works are nearly absolute in their adherence to either the comic or tragic traditions, but in the two Henry IV plays Shakespeare combines comedy and drama in ways that seem to bring a certain realism to his characters, and thus the plays. The present essay is an examination of the various and significant effects that Shakespeare's comedic scenes have on I Henry IV and II Henry IV. The Diversity of Society
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. = == ==
Within this essay I will be comparing and contrasting the changes that have occurred between Elizabethan Theatre to theatre of today’s society, in particular drawing attention toward American theatre and its first existence. I will give specific examples, such as’Tis Pity She’s A Whore’ a play by John Ford, with regards to Elizabethan Theatre in comparison with the works within Broadway, and how particular playwrights, such as Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller, helped to ground the movement that is American theatre. Within both theatre movements I will show how they reflect the society and culture in which they were birthed from.
Treatment of Jews in the 16th Century Looking at the history of Jews in England, it is evident that Jews were persecuted and murdered up until 1290, when Jews were expelled from the country. Jews were treated with strong disrespect both because of their alternative religious beliefs, and because of their financial status and ways of living. One can safely assume that Shakespeare never actually met a Jew, because Jews had been expelled three and a half centuries before he lived. Therefore the stereotypically evil character of the Jew was merely a myth, passed down through the generations. Shakespeare obviously intended on demonising the Jew of his play, making Shylock an outcast to the community of Venice.
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How would you feel if you were a woman in the Elizabethan Era and you could not act in the playhouse plays? In Elizabethan Theater there where many things that were very un-proper. This paper will everything readers would ever want to know and learn about an Elizabethan Era.
Shakespeare’s works are some of the finest examples of Tragedy and Comedy from the English cannon of literature. The reason that his works are so poignant and reflective is his use of both emotions in order to progress the other. In his interpretation of Troilus and Cressida the traditional story of tragic love and loss are peppered with irony and satire in order to address topical issues of Gender roles, Government action/inaction, and hero worship through juxtaposition and humor.
During the sixteenth-century there was a very prominent existence of anti-semitism. The English audience had a very clear prejudice towards the Jewish people because of the deep-rooted concept of anti-semitism. This mindset carried from everyday life to plays and productions of the time. This ill will towards the Jewish people spawned from political and religious disputes that were unresolved. The portrayal of Shylock as a villainous Jew is a logical move for the sixteenth-century playwrights because of this common belief. When walking into a production of The Merchant of Venice during this ear, one must keep in mind the predisposition towards the Jewish people as well as the cultural beliefs at that time.
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.
Religion was a major factor in a number of Shakespeare’s plays. Religion motivated action and reasoning. In Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” religion was more than a belief in a higher being; it reflected moral standards and ways of living. In the “Merchant of Venice,” “a Christian ethic of generosity, love, and risk-taking friendship is set in pointed contrast with a non-Christian ethic that is seen, from a Christian point of view, as grudging, resentful, and self-calculating.” (Bevington, pg. 74) Although Shakespeare writes this drama from a Christian point of view he illustrates religion by conflicts of the Old Testament and the New Testament in Venetian society and its court of law. These Testaments are tested through the Christians and Jews of Venice.
Elizabethan times in the 1600s was a progression for the world of the theater. A period named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, it is from this period that modern day society has its foundation for the entertainment industry. From the violence that was prevalent because of the Black Death, people turned to the theater for its poetry and romance. During this time period, there were two types of theatrical performances that were available for the people’s viewing, comedies or tragedies. These two genres were never really intertwined until the time of William Shakespeare. His play, Romeo and Juliet, is an example of both a comedy and a tragedy. It starts off as a comedy with Romeo weeping like a baby because of his love Rosaline, who did not love him back and ends as a tragedy when Romeo and Juliet, a pair of star crossed lovers, commit suicide because the lost of each other. It was also during Shakespeare’s time that writer were finally acknowledged by the people. Before this time, writers were not considered upper classman. Another group of people that began to rise into a higher social class were the actors. Actresses were not present back then because women were not allowed on stage. It was considered unladylike to have a female actor. Men played all the parts. Theater owners were dependent on actors to make them a profit. Rehearsals for the plays were fairly short, only lasting for about a week. The performances themselves would only show for three to four days.
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).
William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice presents a battle between love and hate, influenced by money. Written during the 16th Century, Shakespeare depicts an anti-Semitic era through the eyes of both Jews and Christians. Each perspective has it’s struggles, but what stays consistent between them is what makes this play so historical. Throughout this play, it becomes clear that culture affected by love and hatred, under the influence of money, can deliver a powerful message that still speaks to readers today.
William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and Ben Johnson are names that have resonated through the centuries. Not since ancient Athens has there been such gluttony of talent, producing stories for the ages. Might Athens be were these Englishmen found their inspiration? Greece produced its share of legendary playwrights; Sophocles and Euripides are two of the most famous. There are far m Elizabethan England gave birth to some of the most famous names in theatre. ore similarities between Elizabethan and Greek Theatre then there are differences. The influence of both eras is felt even today, stage productions of Shakespeare and Euripides are performed from London too Broadway and everywhere in between. I believe that both eras have influenced modern theatre simply because the Greek so obviously influenced Elizabethan theatre.
Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice contains many themes and elements that are considered timeless or universal. Samuel Taylor Coleridge defines a timeless or universal element as a “representation of men in all ages and all times.” A universal element is relevant to the life of every human being – it is universal. The first major theme that plays an important role in the play is the Christians’ prejudice against the Jews. A second important theme is the attitude toward money. Perhaps the most important theme of the play is the love between people. This love can occur between the same sex, or the opposite sex, platonic or romantic. In Merchant of Venice, the three timeless elements are prejudice, money, and love.