The Role of Prejudice In The Merchant of Venice
This paper discusses the subject of prejudice in the William Shakespeare
play, The Merchant of Venice.
I. Introduction
William Shakespeare's satirical comedy, The Merchant of Venice, believed
to have been written in 1596 was an examination of hatred and greed. The premise
deals with the antagonistic relationship between Shylock, a Jewish money-lender
and Antonio, the Christian merchant, who is as generous as Shylock is greedy,
particularly with his friend, Bassanio. The two have cemented a history of
personal insults, and Shylock's loathing of Antonio intensifies when Antonio
refuses to collect interest on loans. Bassanio wishes to borrow 3,000 ducats from
Antonio so that he may journey to Belmont and ask the beautiful and wealthy
Portia to marry him.Antonio borrows the money from Shylock, and knowing he will
soon have several ships in port, agrees to part with a pound of flesh if the
loan is not repaid within three months. Shylock's abhorrence of Antonio is
further fueled by his daughter Jessica's elopement with Lorenzo, another friend
of Antonio's.
Meanwhile, at Belmont, Portia is being courted by Bassanio, and wedding
plans continue when, in accordance with her father's will, Bassanio is asked to
choose from three caskets -- one gold, one silver and one lead.Bassanio
correctly selects the lead casket that contains Portia's picture.The couple's
joy is short-lived, however, when Bassanio receives a letter from Antonio,
informing him of the loss of his ships and of Shylock's determination to carry
out the terms of the loan.Bassanio and Portia marry, as do his friend, Gratiano
and Portia's maid, Nerissa.
The men return to Venice, but are unable to assist Antonio in court.In
desperation, Portia disguises herself as a lawyer and arrives in Venice with her
clerk (Nerissa) to argue the case.She reminds Shylock that he can only collect
the flesh that the agreement calls for, and that if any blood is shed, his
property will be confiscated.At this point, Shylock agrees to accept the money
instead of the flesh, but the court punishes him for his greed by forcing him to
become a Christian and turn over half of his property to his estranged daughter,
Jessica.
II.Body
Prejudice is a dominant theme in The Merchant of Venice, most notably
taking the form of anti-semitism.Shylock is stereotypically described as
"costumed in a recognizably Jewish way in a long gown of gabardine, probably
black, with a red beard and/or wing like that of Judas, and a hooked putty nose
or bottle nose" (Charney, p. 41). Shylock is a defensive character because
society is constantly reminding him he is different in religion, looks, and
motivation.He finds solace in the law because he, himself, is an outcast of
gives in. He states " 'It is cutting my flesh out to give to him and for
Religion in the Sixteenth Century was a major point of contention, especially for Elizabethans. In the midst of the Reformation, England was home to supporters of two major religious doctrines, including the Catholics and the Puritans. Three dominant themes that came out of this debate were sin, death and damnation. Important elements of Christian religions, these themes were often explored in the form of the seven deadly sins and the consequential damnation. The elements of sin pervasive in Thomas Nashe’s The Unfortunate Traveller, Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, William Shakespeare’s Othello, and Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queen allow for an investigation into the relationship of death and damnation in the sixteenth century.
5 feet 6 or 8 inches high, weighs between 150 and 160 pounds, rather "bright" complexion, but not a mulatto, broad shoulders, larger flat nose, large eyes, broad flat feet, rather knockneed, walks brisk and active, hair on the top of the head very thin, no beard, except on the upper lip and the top of the chin, a scar on one of his temples, also one on the back of his neck, a large knot on one of the bones of his right arm, near the wrist, produced by a blow...
say, “If I can catch once upon the hip I will feed fat the ancient
When this plea is made, it appears to be quite ironic. The man who participated in the sin is trying to convince his accomplice to do him in. However, this ...
Prejudice in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. The main theme of the Merchant of Venice is of Shylock, a Jew, and Antonio, a Christian taking part in a deal involving the Jewish lending. the Christian a sum of money. The bond they make is that of Antonio.
Risk is the exposure to danger. Taking risks are necessary because risk reveals experience to an individual. Hazard has both malevolent and benevolent outcomes, which can affect the overall atmosphere in a play. The content of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice includes many scenarios of risk-taking among the relationships between characters. The Merchant of Venice consists of four different plots: the bond plot, casket plot, love plot, and ring plot; in which characters are exposed to danger. Risk serves a major responsibility as it divulges many elements of dramatic significance throughout the play. Shakespeare manifests hazard through rival arguments, lovers’ commitments, and father and child agreements.
Stereotypes are a fixed image of all members of a culture, group, or race usually based on limited and inaccurate information resulted from the minimal contact with this stereotyped groups. stereotypes have many forms; people are stereotyped according to their religion, race, ethnicity, age, gender, coulor, or national origins. This kind of intolerance is focused on the easily observable characteristics of groups of people. In general, stereotypes reduce individuals to a rigid and inflexible image that doesn't account for the multi-dimensional nature of human beings. One example of stereotypes is the categorization of the Jews in Elizabethan era. In fact, Elizabethan era was an age of prejudice, discrimination, and religious persecution particularly against minorities. Jewish people were one of those minorities who was suffering and struggling for survival. This racist attitude was rife not only in England but also across Europe. "Christians tended to see the Jews as an alien people whose repudiation of the Christ had condemned them to a perpetual migration. Jews were denied citizenship and its rights in much of Europe and forced to wear distinctive clothing to identify themselves in public (the yellow star, or badges of shame). There were forced expulsions of the Jews from several regions across Europe." (1). Jews were even believed to worship the devil.
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.
When most people think of justice, it commonly brings forward the words positivity, fairness, law, order, and other familiar words. However, in the Merchant of Venice, this is not the case. Justice is used negatively in a court case that reverses from putting Antonio, the convicted Christian merchant, on trial to Shylock, the Jewish money loaner asking for justice, to be put on trial. In the play, both mercy and justice are rejected because of the obvious influential bias that the character’s actions portray.
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.
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).
Blanchard, Jane. "Contesting Constancy in The Merchant of Venice", Renascence 61, vol 4 (2009), pp 209-220
The Merchant of Venice explores the theme of Appearance versus Reality. The theme is supported with many examples in the form of characters, events and objects.
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.