Essay Drama in Merchant of Venice

Shakespeare's drama Hamlet has become a central piece of literature of Western culture. It is the story of a prince named Hamlet, who lost his father. Soon after that he has to confront multiple obstacles and devises a series of situations to defend the new king's royalty. Furthermore, he had to prove that King Claudius, who was the prince's uncle, had killed Hamlet's father. This story has remained among the most popular and the most controversial plays around the world. It generates controversy for all the doubts that this play leaves with the readers. One of the most questioning situations in the play is the delay of Hamlet in avenging Claudius' for his father's death. As a reader this

This clearly indicates that there is some sort of situation to be resolved, and that there is a reason for the king to be returning from the grave. From their speech, the reader learns that there has been a battle, and the result was the king’s death. "Such was the very armor he had on when he the ambitious Norway combated," introduces the conflict between Denmark and Norway. Through dialogue, it is also told that military preparations are taking place at Elsinore, because Fortinbras seeks to reclaim the Norwegian lands that his late father lost to King Hamlet. "So nightly toils the subject of the land, and why such daily blast of brazen cannon, and foreign mart for implements of war…"(p13, ln71) reveals that Denmark is intensely preparing for the war being carried out in Denmark. From this scene, there is also much to be said about the people of the land. It is quite apparent that they are very superstitious and wary of the supernatural. They fear that which they are unfamiliar with. If the reader is to read deeper into the plot, it can be seen that the people of the story are very closely intertwined. When Bernardo and Marcellus believe that they have witnessed a ghost, they decide that they must tell Horatio. After the ghost is observed, the three men decide to tell Hamlet of what they have seen. This indicates that the characters in the story are familiar with each other, and possibly

One of the strengths of good theater is its ability to mirror the problems and conditions shaping its time. In The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare reflects two important aspects of Elizabethan society: the corrupting influence of prosperity and the increasingly vengeful nature of Venetian justice. To address the former issue, Shakespeare downplays the importance of wealth by associating its involvement in romance with superficial and insubstantial advantages. He characterizes prosperity as a deceiving agent, citing its ability to introduce shallowness into a relationship. Shakespeare reasons that genuine romance depends on sacrifice and emotion, not wealth. The problem with justice is equally striking. In the play, justice is

Shakespeare initially introduces Portia in a way that her wealth and socioeconomic status are immediately evident. Not only is Portia rich and stunningly beautiful, but she rounds out the image of a

Looking into Shakespeare’s work, the class and I got to view “The Merchant of Venice”. I

Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is so alike to our financially afflicted world. The rules of law and commerce are subject to deceptive manipulation, fear of "the other" overwhelms respect for a common humanity, duplicity is the norm, sexuality is a vehicle for ambition, and money drives and wraps almost every action. It is a classic tale that includes important details of the financial crisis in the United States during 2007-2009. Shakespeare’s Venice, like the New York of his time - and the financial capitals of ours - is a city based on borrowing, on market speculation and greed masquerading as wealth and sophistication. Behind the curtains of the practice of lending and borrowing money in Shakespeare’s play lay the transition to capitalism: the rise of banking system; the scarcity for credit in developing industrial enterprises; and the growing dispute of default facing both aristocratic landlords and, above all, small, independent early entrepreneurs on trading ventures. Even though almost 600 years apart from each other, both Shakespeare’s tale and the financial crisis in the United States during 2007-2009 have a similar financial dilemma, each has its unique Shylock, Bassanio and Antonio- people who were responsible for causing the meltdown of their days.

Interestedly, instead of Shakespeare using the word bond as a way to tie Portia and Bassanio and their undying love and promises. We find Bassanio discovering out about Antonio’s situation in a letter telling Bassanio about his lost ships and Shylocks intentions of taking his pound of flesh. The news incites a since of guilt from Bassanio which prods Portia to offer and pay twenty times the original sum. After reading the letter aloud to Portia she suggests Bassanio go to his friends aid and go back to Venice by his side. (3.2.314)

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.

By tracing back the early roles of Shylock done in the Elizabethan stage, we are able to appreciate the complexity of Shakespear’s character, Shylock, and how he has the greatest impact than any other character.

The Elizabethan era, an era filled with renaissance and was a flourishing time period in the arts of poetry, music, and literature. Shakespeare, arguably the most important writer of this time period captivated his audiences with innovative and provocative plays. A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Merchant of Venice are two of Shakespeares’ most famous romantic comedies, the characters of these plays enchant audiences with their passion and love for one another and the conflict that creates in this time period. The conflict in both these plays arise from the character’s personal desires, and the pressure to conform to social norms. The plot in A Midsummer Night’s Dream that this conflict is most relevant in is between the love circle of Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius, and Helena. In The Merchant of Venice Bassanio and Portia have their own agendas whether they are hidden or not the pressure of society and their own lust and desires lead to a conflict.

Portia is a bachelorette in Belmont, the heiress to her dead father’s fortune, which attracts men from all over the world. ‘In Belmont is a lady richly left; And she is fair, and fairer than that word...For the four winds blow in from every coast renowned suitors’ ( I, i, 161 – 169). Portia loves her recently deceased father and this is shown when she decides to carry on with the casket challenge for her suitors that her father started. The men that arrive, wanting Portia’s hand in marriage are all drunk and boisterous and she isn’t particularly attracted to them but she is obliged to, because of her father’s wishes. The way Portia acts towards her father shows how much she loved him, unlike Jessica’s attitude towards her father.

William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is a perplexing story of dark humor, race, religion, identity, love, and justice. Generally, most people understand The Merchant of Venice as a comedy about a bitter and outcasted Jewish moneylender named Shylock who seeks revenge against a Christian merchant who has failed to pay his loan back. However, there are many different perspectives on whether The Merchant of Venice is a comedy or a tragedy depending on one’s views on the difference between race and religion. If one views the story as a comedy, it is a dark comedy full of many problems, especially the controversial subject matter of anti-Semitic attitudes of its Christian characters. If one views it as a tragedy, it is a tragedy that concludes with majority of its characters in a “happy ending”—that is if one agrees that Jessica’s decision of love over betraying her father and giving up her Jewish identity is indeed a happy ending.

The Merchant Of Venice is structured partly on the contrast between idealistic and realistic opinions about society and relationships. The play tells us mercy is preferable to revenge. Shylock chose revenge over mercy against Antonio and how his choices affected him. The Court of Venice begging mercy of Shylock. Finally, Portia forgiving Bassanio for giving away his wedding band.

1 scene 3 in a building in a street in Venice. The building in which

With Shakespeare being born in the sixteenth century, there were still three centuries to go before women started the feminist’s movement. However, with his storyline in both The Merchant of the Venice and Twelfth night, the females leads disguised themselves as males to accomplish what needs to be done. Both plays, shows the heroine choices which challenges the characters they interact with. These endearing characters shows similar and different traits. The focus of these plays was based on Portia’s and Viola’s ambition which showed Shakespeare’s respect for women.