The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare Essay

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare The character Shylock was a stereotypical Jew of his time, and as Jews were generally unpopular, the audience would have been automatically prejudiced against him. In Shakespeares time, Jews were not treated well at all. This was because they were a minority group, as they had been previously banned from the country by Edward I unless they were willing to become a Christian. But, in large European cities, like Venice there was a large Jewish population. As these cities relied on trade, the authorities encouraged Jews to become moneylenders. This was because the Christian law, which forbade money lending for profit, did not apply to them. Moneylenders†¦show more content†¦But, only the Christians succeed, as they were at an advantage because Shylock was the only Jew and they were able to find a loophole in the law, which was in favour of the Christians. When Shylock seeks revenge on Antonio, it is based on hatred; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a lodged hate and certain loathing I bear Antonio,. He has many reasons to dislike Antonio. One is that Antonio lends out money to his friends at no interest, which could put Shylock out of business. Also, in the past he has treated Shylock badly; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice?. Shylock does not only want revenge from Antonio, but from all the Christians who have ever treated him badly for being a Jew or a moneylender. He is regarded as being less important than the Christians are, and wants to be equal, or better than them; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The villany you teach me I will execute, and t shall go hard but I will better the instruction. He may feel that taking the life of a Christian could compensate for the way he has been treated by Christians. But, the Christians also have valid reasons to hate Shylock. One is that he will not give a good reason for wanting to kill Antonio, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ can I give no reasonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ more thanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ hate and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ loathing. Also, he treated Jessica badly, who described living with herShow MoreRelatedThe Merchant Of Venice By William Shakespeare1445 Words   |  6 PagesTalia Warshawsky Ms. Rembert CGI English 11 HH 12 November 2014 Crashing Thru Venice William Shakespeare, possibly the most esteemed writer of all time, wrote a play titled The Merchant of Venice, near the end of the 1500 s. The play takes place in Venice, and while it can be described as what we now call a romantic comedy, it also draws attention to the harsh divides in the Venetian society brought on by conflicting beliefs and religions. Centuries later, in the early 2000 s, Paul Haggis wroteRead MoreMerchant of Venice by William Shakespeare830 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice is a story about man seeking justice for the forfeiture of his bond. Shylock the Jew created a bond loaning three thousand ducats to his rival Antonio. In the event that the loan could not be paid back, Shylock was entitled to a â€Å"pound of flesh from the breast† of Antonio. Antonio’s invested the money in his merchant ships hoping to gain profit. Unfortunately he loses his ships at sea, losing everything Shylock had loaned him. Shylock h appily takes AntonioRead MoreThe Merchant Of Venice By William Shakespeare1102 Words   |  5 Pagespassed, but even today, women are being treated unfairly in certain situations. However, in The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare challenges the concept of women being unequal to men. He conveys this message through the actions of Jessica, Portia, and Nerissa. The female characters empower themselves, accomplishing various tasks in order to gain control over the men in their lives. The Merchant of Venice is a highly effective feminist play, which is demonstrated through the assertive and cleverRead More`` The Merchant Of Venice `` By William Shakespeare1147 Words   |  5 Pagesjeopardy. It is an inescapable labyrinth that plagues the lives of all ever since humanity’s first existence. Yet it,s double-edged sword like characteristics of also providing opportunities and gains keeps many enthralled in it. In William Shakespeare s’ The Merchant of Venice, Antonio, a protagonist, gives himself over to a life-threatening contract with the villain, Shylock the Jew, in order to provide the means for one of Antonio’s friend the opportunity to woo a lady. Over the course of the playRead MoreThe Merchant Of Venice By William Shakespeare1036 Words   |  5 Pagesauthentic and respectable character. The Merchant of Venice by renowned playwright William Shakespeare is in itself a story about religion and religious tensions; however, one’s religion is not what defines them. One’s character does, and in the Merchant of Venice we encounter two characters, Antonio and Shylock, who share similarities throughout the play, but are overall different people with different morals. On one hand there is Antonio, a sad, christian merchant and a dear friend, while on the otherRead MoreThe Merchant Of Venice By William Shakespeare1153 Words   |  5 Pagesprogressed as time has passed, but even today, women are treated unfairly. However, in The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare challenges the concept of women being unequal to men. He conveys this message through the actions of Jessica, Portia, and Nerissa. The female characters empower themselves, accomplishing various tasks in order to gain control over the men in their lives. The Merchant of Venice is a highly effective feminist play, which is demonstrated through the assertive and cleverRead MoreThe Merchant Of Venice By William Shakespeare1685 Words   |  7 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The play The Merchant of Venice  by William Shakespeare is anti-semetic because anti semetic thoughts and actions are incorporated in a majority of his charcters. The actions of these Christian charcters go against Shylock, and other Jews presented in the play; as a result, establishing a clear seperation between the two ethnic groups. The constant hatred and mistreatment towards Shylock only enhances the division since it develops the idea that Christianity is the sup erior religion. AlthoughRead MoreThe Merchant Of Venice By William Shakespeare2046 Words   |  9 PagesEssay Abbesath.K Throughout the education system, there seems to be an unofficial consensus that pieces of literature that are deemed â€Å"controversial† should not be taught in school. The Merchant of Venice falls into this category due to the Anti-Semitism which exists within the play making it â€Å"controversial† therefore, banned. On the contrary, this play should not be considered controversial and it should not be banned due to the learning experiences and knowledge that can be gained by readingRead MoreThe Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare2080 Words   |  9 PagesThe Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare The play revolves around one main plot and three sub-plots. The main plot centres on the question of mercy and forgiveness as seen in the relationship between Antonio, the kind Christian, and Shylock, the unrelenting Jew. The three subplots revolve around the romances of Portia and Bassanio (the most important couple in the play), of Lorenzo and Jessica, and of Gratiano and Nerissa (the least important couple of the play)Read MoreThe Merchant Of Venice By William Shakespeare Essay2233 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"The Merchant of Venice† by William Shakespeare, explains the differences of religion and greed. There was a guy who needed a loan so he could go across the country to marry the girl of his dreams. He didn t have the money so he asked a Jew name Shylock. Shylock lends the guy money but he told him â€Å"If you don’t pay me back, I get to take a pound of your flesh† (pg. 143). We all know if someone needs money and you have it you would give it to them and you’ll have power over that person. Therefore