William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
Introduction
The three versions of the Merchant of Venice which I have watched are:
1. Channel 4 television version for their Schools Broadcasting
Programmes
2. Trevor Nunn's version
3. National Theatre Company version directed by Jonathan Miller and
starring Laurence Olivier as Shylock
Act IV scene 1 is an intense scene in the play where we see many of
the play's main themes such as justice and mercy, money and status,
revenge, loyalty, love and prejudice and tolerance.
Shakespeare presents a harsh character in Shylock the Jew, but the
fact that he also gives him the chance to speak more than any other
European playwright preceding him would suggest that his portrayal is
not conventional but much more complex for example in his words in Act
III scene 1, lines 57-58: "I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a
Jew hands, organs, dimensions?" Much of Shakespeare's enduring appeal
has been in his amazing portrayal of the complexities of the human
condition for example Hamlet or Macbeth. Traditionally Jews were the
evil villains of Elizabethan drama, frequently Machiavellian or greedy
but unlike his contemporaries Shakespeare's characters were never
simply 'good' or 'evil' but embody the complex mix within each of us
that makes us human.
The main dilemma in staging this play today is in the consideration of
Shakespeare's possible anti-semitism and/or sympathies towards his
character and indeed whether Shylock only represents the Jewish people
or whether he is symbolic of oppression of minority races in general.
Through Shylock's forced conversion in this scene we...
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...d used traditional
Shakespearean costumes. Lighting and music were used effectively and
the setting gave the impression of a real courtroom. I felt some
sympathy for Shylock in this version
The Trevor Nunn version was simplistic, with most actors dressed in
dark suits. It gave me the impression of rival mafia style gangs.
The final version, which was done by the National Theatre Company, was
my favourite. Laurence Olivier portrayed Shylock as a strong confident
character who moved around the room making him appear more arrogant
than in the other two versions but also eliciting sympathy. I felt
this version was the best as it succeeded in conveying the
complexities of Shylock's character. We saw both arrogance and frailty
and I thought it conveyed the story as Shakespeare was trying to put
it across in the text.
still a common view of Jews is for them to be penny pinching, both in
In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, the character Othello is portrayed as a fairly good man. By some, he may be known as a bad person but he has become greatly beneficial to the growth of Venice and the state of Cyprus. Othello is a good man even if he committed murder to his wife because he is a great war general and contributed to Cyprus in time of need.
is a curious tale, as we are able to see how Jews were viewed in the
William Shakespeare's The Tempest “The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance” In act five, scene one, I believe that the lines; “the rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance“ are pivotal to the text, because the outcome of Prospero’s decision determines how the play concludes. There are many subtle hints in the text which could suggest why Prospero makes the decision that he does. First, we must question the nature of forgiveness in ’The Tempest‘.
Racial barriers are often used as a means to manipulate a member of a minority group. in The tragedy, Othello, was written by William Shakespeare(1564-1616) an English poet and playwright, who is often contemplated as the greatest writer in the English Language. The story begins with Othello, a black general in the Venetian army who secretly marries Desdemona, a white woman. Early on, Othello promotes Michael Cassio as his lieutenant over Iago, fostering mass jealousy. Desperate to get even with Othello, Iago creates elaborate plans to ruin his marriage with Desdemona. Iago’s effective manipulation skills lead Othello to take his wife's life and then his own. Iago is successfully able to deceive Othello because of their many differences, mainly racial, and Iago's understanding of how manipulation works.
Act II, Scene 2, which appeared in the original production, was dropped by the author from the published reading version. It has not been included in most productions. Read the scene and
It is clear that the race of Othello is a factor in his downfall. A
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.
Duke of Venice: The official authority in Venice, the duke has great respect for Othello as a public and military servant. His primary role within the play is to reconcile Othello and Brabanzio in Act I, scene iii, and then to send Othello to Cyprus.
as famous as "TO BE OR NOT TO BE" or other classical pieces in his
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.
A significant moment in Othello demonstrates the theme of binaries questioned in many of Shakespeare's works. Addressing the Duke and senators, Othello says:
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.
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.
Defeating the enemy, light-heartedness, and a happy ending for the lovers are all elements in a comedic play. William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice shows that love conquers all and that you can always defeat the enemy. Even if a pound of flesh is the difference between life and death, or if one wrong person chooses the casket that decides your fate. For example, The Merchant of Venice, Antonio, not only survives the fate of having a pound of his flesh taken from his body on account of his friend that could not repay the bond to a man who is seen as the devil, but gets thrice his money back and the villain is taken down. Not to mention that Antonio’s best friend, Bassanio, not only repays the bond and gets out of his debt to help his friend, but also marries himself a rich wife. In contrast, Portia, who was bound by her dead father to marry a man whom she could never love, cheated her fate and married the man she truly loved. What makes this play a comedy is clearly evident; the villain is defeated and destroyed, and happy endings are given to those that deserve them like the Christians.