The Theme of Prejudice in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
In The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, there are two main
themes, prejudice, and loyalty. Prejudice is the more evident theme
and is shown in many different aspects through the characters and
plot. Shylock and Antonio demonstrate religious discrimination between
Christians and Jews. Portia and her suitors display racial
discrimination. The aim of this essay is to discuss the theme of
prejudice as shown in the play.
Jews in medieval times were despised. They had been blamed for
spreading the plague by poisoning wells and were accused of being
usurers. Thus, they would be enriching themselves at the expense of
the poor. Christians were not permitted to lend money and anyone who
did was slandered. Jews were usually forced into lending money at a
fixed rate of interest because not many people would want to employ
them. These restrictions were forced by the overpowering Christians.
Shakespeare depicts this prejudice in a negative way throughout the
play suggesting that he feels strongly on this subject. However, he
adds humour to some parts in order to please the audience. Shakespeare
expresses prejudice through one of the main characters, Shylock.
Shylock is a Jew and his job is a money lender. These reasons are
enough for most of society to despise him. Antonio, another main
character in the play, is portrayed as the superior person as he is a
prosperous Christian and he looks down upon Shylock because of his
religion and for his system of making profit out of the merchants.
When Bassanio asks Antonio for "three thousand ducats," he immediately
says...
... middle of paper ...
...is her father and this is a big act to carry out
against him when he has taken care of her all her life. Jessica has
been a thief to be with Lorenzo, but when we see her with him it makes
the audience wonder if she will ever be accepted into the Christian
society.
Prejudice is shown throughout the play from almost all characters. The
play is based upon this theme for if Antonio was not prejudiced
against Shylock, Shylock would not hate Antonio. If Shylock did not
hate Antonio he would not then demand a pound of flesh from him. It is
an exploration of intolerance and prejudice and the hatred they cause.
Shakespeare is not opinionated on this subject as shown in the play,
but he is possibly trying to make people aware of it. The Merchant of
Venice illustrates the level of racial discrimination in Elizabethan
times.
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.
American history is a cornucopia of racial tension, beginning with the slave trade and spanning the centuries to the Ku Klux Klan and to the days of Martin Luther King. There is evidence that racial prejudice was just as prevalent in sixteenth century England as in modern day America. Othello can be seen as Shakespeare’s condemnation of racial prejudice.
In England in the 16th Century, with the absence of Jews, a popular negative image was created for them. Just as, today, we may imagine aliens to be estranged to us, enemy to us, and possibly even dangerous; the Jews were as good as aliens to England four hundred years ago. There were no Jews around to defend such a bad name, and so that reputation worsened to stereotype the Jew as a murderer and a demon. The rumours were exaggerated and invented tales were passed on.
In William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, the power that Iago has over Emilia in their relationship helps manifest the unfairness of gender roles thus, leading to a distortion of the worth of women. The power that Iago has over Emilia hurts Emilia’s self-confidence. The distortion of the worth of women ultimately leads to misunderstandings in Emilia’s view of relationships.
The main plotline of The Merchant of Venice sets up this underlying theme of homosexuality. Bassanio, a friend of Antonio’s, presents Antonio with a proposition. Bassanio asks that he enter into a contract with a rich man, Shylock, so that Bassanio may pursue his one true love. Antonio agrees to enter into a contract with Shylock. The terms of the contract are that Shylock will lend Antonio and Bassanio twenty thousand ducats as long as Antonio pays him back within three months. If Antonio fails to repay Shylock, Shylock is allowed to take a pound of flesh from Antonio. A...
Being a mirror of the age, Elizabethan literature was not in isolation from the currents of the era including these stereotypes. All these attitudes of ethnocentrism and xenophobia was skillfully interpreted through literature in general and drama in particular. One example of this is Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice which is about a miser money-lender Jew. Portrayal ...
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.
The Merchant of Venice is a play that deals with an assortment of issues that range from politics to racial views of the Jewish people. An embodiment of these two issues can be best attributed to the character of Shylock. In a 2004 production of The Merchant of Venice, by Michael Radford, we see the character of Shylock is portrayed in a different light than that of Shakespeare's 1594 villainous Jew. Both productions pose a series of questions in comparison. An understanding of the era that these plays were written in and the audience’s perception of the production attribute greatly to a true analysis. Another aspect of these productions asks who Shylock was to Shakespeare and who he has developed into for Al Pacino and Michael Radford.
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.
Being a Jew in Christian dominated Venice, Shylock is persecuted by society. He is the victim of popular Christian prejudice, which scorns his religion and restricts his means of employment. He is left with no choice but to be a moneylender and earn his money from collecting interest. To the Christians, collecting interest was against their teaching. This is one of the reasons for the Christians hatred.
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). All of the characters are defined by Shylock. Launcelot Gobbo, Shylock’s servant, treats his father disrespectfully, but this disdain is not ill-received by the audience; like the other examples of inequity, Launcelot’s apathetic attitude toward his near-blind father is inexplicably tolerated by past and contemporary society (Picker). Launcelot’s contempt is generally assumed to be a result of his underprivileged upbringing, if it is noted at all.
In Act II, Scene III, readers learn that Jessica, the daughter of Shylock, has a love interest in Bassanio’s friend, Lorenzo. In the scene, Launcelot leaves Shylock to go work for Bassanio instead, and Jessica uses this opportunity to ask him to send a message to her lover. Jessica was prepared to “end her strife, become a Christian, and [Lancelot’s] loving wife,” if he kept his promise to her (Act II. Scene iv. 20-21). She was bravely willing to convert religions upon marrying Lorenzo so that she may be a respected Christian. Jessica cross-dressed to elope with Lancelot and run away from home without her father’s knowledge. Jessica leaving her home is technically considered running away, but it is still a brave act in spite of everything. Jessica’s marriage portrays her lack of dependence to make her own decisions. She independently takes her life into her own hands after she has left her Jewish home.
Among the many different themes presented in The Merchant of Venice, the most prominent is true love. Shakespeare displays love many magnitudes: the friendship
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.
Shylock also seems to show little or no love towards his daughter, Jessica. He may have been hurt by his daughter running away with a large amount of his wealth and with a Christian lover (Lorenzo); this is a point where Shylock can be viewed as a victim in the story. This still does n...