The Two Worlds of Venice and Belmont Depicted in Shakespear's The Merchant of Venice
In 'The Merchant of Venice,' Shakespeare explores two different yet
similar worlds. The world of Venice and the world of Belmont. These
two worlds have many differences and some similarities. For example,
Venice is a completely different setting compared with Belmont. Also,
the characters in Venice are different but also similar to the ones in
Belmont. Furthermore, the society in Veniceis different compared with
the society in Belmont.
First of all Venice is an entirely different setting when compared
with Belmont. Venice is a city which is located on the sea coast in
the north of Italy. Its main streets are actually canals and the only
vehicles available are boats. In the sixteenth century, Venice was the
centre for international trade. It exported and imported goods from
all around the world and mainly by sea. However, this was perilous as
an unexpected storm could easily wreck a ship and drown the cargo.
Antonio encountered this problem in the play which leads to him almost
losing his life. 'Antonio hath a ship of rich lading wrecked on the
Narrow Seas' (Act 3 Scene 1 Line 2-3). Belmont on the other hand is a
place of romance and music and is a good setting for the casket story.
Compared with Venice Belmont is very peaceful probably because there
isn't trading from abroad. 'Moonlight and music emphasize the
tranquillity of Belmont,'
Secondly, the Merchant of Venice consists of two different stories.
The bond story and the casket story. The bond story is a dramatic
story about hatred and prejudice and features intense hatred between
Christia...
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...ch means that Shylock must have loved someone. Therefore, Antonio
is the only character left that is isolated.
In conclusion, Venice and Belmont are two very different worlds with
different societies and people. Overall, if you compare the characters
of Belmont with the characters of Venice you will find that they are
not very similar probably because they were brought up in different
societies. Furthermore, the two central characters Antonio are both
left unsatisfied. This is because in the end Antonio didn't find
anyone to love and marry and Shylock didn't get his revenge on
Antonio. The main reason why Antonio can't find love is probably
because he is too busy in his trading and business. On the other hand
Shylock can't be part of Venetian society because he is a Jew so they
are both similar from this perspective.
say, “If I can catch once upon the hip I will feed fat the ancient
It’s clear that Othello is held in admiration when, as he enters, one of the senators states “Here comes Barbantio and the valiant Moor” (I.iii.48).... ... middle of paper ... ... EBSCO. Web.
Shakespearean works are well known for their depth, symbolism and philosophical view upon different aspects of life. Mirroring is one of Shakespeare’s favorite tools. Mirroring is used to emphasize the contrast and show differences between the sides of the society and ways of living of the characters. The Merchant of Venice is no exception. Just like all other plays of Shakespeare it has many of antagonisms and it portrays the most important and hot conflicts that used to be popular at that time just as much as they are now. Exploring this multi dimensional play is exciting, because the more you think about it, the more hints and tints you discover. The play takes place in two main locations – Venice and Belmont. These two places portray two different lifestyles. One of the most important and essential themes of the Merchant of Venice is wealth. Shakespeare has a special view of this subject; he sees love as a form of wealth (Milton 34). Venice represents earning of money, accumulating it, protecting it, fighting for it; and at the same time Belmont demonstrates having money an all other life’s pleasures, this is why life in Belmont is so happy, slow and peaceful, and the whole location is so dreamlike. Being rich and having nothing to worry about is a dream of most people. To my mind, Belmont and Venice present two different sides of wealth.
The Merchant of Venice is a play set in a very male and Christian dominated society where other religions and women rights weren’t very well accepted by the community. However Portia, a rich woman who had previously been controlled by men, triumphs as she manipulates tricks and saves the lives of the men.
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.
Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice is a play that, like many of Shakespeare's plays show characters at the edges of society. In The Merchant of Venice we see Shylock and Portia showing this by either being the minority or the least respected or in Shylock's case both. What adds to their role at the edge of society is the way they subvert their roles because this focuses, in the case of Portia, the audience on her and, in shylocks case, the other characters on him. In The Merchant of Venice
In both of Shakespeare’s plays, "Othello" and "The Merchant of Venice", there are several instances in which the non-white and non-Christian characters are marginalized and are often the victims of prejudice and outright racism. This occurs in both "Merchant of Venice" and "Othello" particularly through the use and power of language and terms of reference. What is most fascinating about this seeming racism and bias against these characters, Othello and Shylock, is that they aren’t represented in either text as completely fitting the villainous or negative stereotypes other characters wish to put them in. Both Othello and Shylock are presented as sympathetic to varying degrees and although they posses several character flaws that some of the white and Christian characters wish to attribute to their race (Jewish as greedy and heartless and Moors as savage and barbarous) Shakespeare does not completely rely on these stereotypes to draw his characters of these two men. Although Shylock is indeed money-hungry, greedy, and oftentimes heartless, he is still portrayed sympathetically at points and his faults are not shown to be something associated with his race. Othello, most notably at the end of the play commits a savage act, but throughout the rest of the text, he is shown to be mild-mannered and exceptionally “civilized” as a general and aristocrat. This softening allows the characters to be represented as more rounded, but the fact still remains that racial bias and outright racism and prejudice are present in both texts.
In the 16th century, women and men were defined as having specific and contrasting roles within society. Men were defined as being powerful and dominant while women were defined as being submissive and meek. These ideals can be seen across cultures and throughout time. With these definitions of gender roles in place, the text suggests that gender is a social construct therefore qualities of femininity and masculinity are subjective. This is shown when Portia cross dresses as the lawyer Balthazar (IV) and when the truths of the rings are discovered by the two women (V). The strong female characters in the play exemplify that women are not confined to their social construct as they manipulate the male characters. During the 16th century only
In Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, the role of women is quite significant. Although there are only three women throughout the play, Jessica, Nerissa, and Portia, all play a role that affects the outcome of the play. Portia, Jessica, and Nerissa are all very significant characters from this time period. The three women display characteristics of bravery, independence, and intelligence.
William Shakespeare shows how two tradesmen can have completely different lives when others view them differently in the play The Merchant of Venice. In the play, Bassanio, Antonio’s friend, needs money to pursue his love. They seek a loan from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender in Antonio’s name. The contract is for three times the value of the bond in three months or else Shylock cuts off a pound of flesh from Antonio. While all this is happening, there are love plots going on. One of which is for Shylock’s daughter to elope with Lorenzo, a Christian. Later on, Antonio’s source of money, his ship, is reported sunken in the English Channel, dooming him to the loss of one pound of his flesh. There is a trial on the bond, and when it seems sure that Antonio will die, Portia, disguised as a doctor of laws legally gets Antonio out of the situation and Shylock recieves harsh penalties. Antonio and Shylock, two similar businessmen of Venice, are viewed differently and are treated oppositely to heighten the drama of the play and mold a more interesting plot.
The Merchant of Venice written by William Shakespeare takes place in Italy in the late 1500s. The play focuses on 4 main characters: Antonio, Bassanio, Shylock and Portia. Antonio is a Venetian merchant who is in love with his best friend. Bassanio is the best friend of Antonio and the husband of Portia. Shylock is a Jewish moneylender and is hated by the people of Venice due to his religion. Lastly, there is Portia, wealth woman from Belmont. She is forced, by her father’s will, to marry the suitor who chooses the correct casket. Bassanio ends up being the lucky suitor and gets to marry Portia. Soon after the marriage they receive news of Antonio's appending sentence to death. Portia being a loving wife gives Bassanio the money to pay the bound. She decided to disguise herself as a doctor names Balthasar and replaces Bellario, so he can defend Antonio. Balthasar’s (Portia) duty is to look over the cause for the Duke and see if the still stands. She wants to save Antonio from death because he is the best friend of her beloved husband. In court, Portia demonstrates her intelligence and bravery in ways the Italian society consider worthy.
The. When he first arrives in Belmont, the reader can see how arrogant. the prince is, He says, "The best regarded virgins of our clilme/ hath. loved it too." (2.1, 10-11).
The epiphany of this however, is realized at the end of the play. Nearly every scene in the play, either intentionally or unintentionally, portrays a struggling relationship between a figure that possesses power and a figure that is suppressed by that power. The play explores the relationship between master and servant very dynamically. In the opening scene, the boatswain (servant) is very oppressive towards the noble men (master) due to their sophomoric attitude in a dangerous situation like that. This is especially visible when Antonio, the usurping Duke of Milan, asks the boatswain where the master is, to this, the boatswain replies, “Do you not hear him?
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.