Merchant Of Venice Character Analysis

Topic Sentence: Mercy plays a major role in this play it shows us the importance of human life and friendship.

Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice, is a complex play which forces the reader to really delve into some of the contradictory values revealed. He uses the characterisation of women in the play- Jessica, Portia and Nerissa- to show reveal some contradictory values at the time, such as the idea of independence and freedom in women. When we study Portia’s character, we can see both values in her- in her speech and in her actions. We are also able to see independence in Nerissa, though her role in the play is small- and in Jessica we are consistently shown the value of freedom- in her speech, and in her actions in running away.

like a wilful youth, / That which I owe is lost". This shows that he

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare takes place in 16th century Venice, a social, artistic and political, hub of Europe. The protagonist Antonio, a wealthy merchant, takes out a loan so that his dear friend Bassanio can travel to Belmont in hopes of winning the heart of Portia, the daughter of an affluent nobleman. As it is against Christian law to loan money with interest, Antonio seeks out Shylock, a Jewish money lender who has had quarrels with Antonio in the past. One of the most important aspects of the play is how Shakespeare presents gender roles, and the opposition of societal norms to critique the standards of the time related to men, women and the relationship between the two.

In my reading, I would have to say Shylock is a villain of persecution. Shylock has made many unacceptable decisions, that are now crumbling in front of his eyes all at once. He is blaming his bad judgment on his Jewish religion. In the speech, he only talks about helping himself. Shylock does not care about anyone, not even his daughter, who he wishes was dead at his feet, wearing his jewels. It is unfortunate Shylock is selfish and a murderer, leading him to care about money more than his own blood.

The play written by William Shakespeare "Othello, the Moor of Venice" has many acts of jealousy, violence, and hatred, along with many characters that stand for different matters and that also have different beliefs. These characters go through tragedies which causes corruption for them all. Behind all of this madness is a character named Iago. Iago is an evil villain that causes harm to everyone that gets in his way. He cares for no one, yet he devotes his whole life to revenge, rather than just walking away. In the play, Iago is a dominate and persuasive leader who has the talent for understanding and manipulating the others around him. He gains humor out of watching the people in his life suffer from the damage that he throws upon them.

Shakespeare uses repetition and rhetoric extensively throughout ‘The Merchant of Venice’ to show characterization through themes of wealth, race, religion and justice, amongst others through the characters Shylock, Antonio and Portia.

            Shylock is thus a completely broken man - without "the means whereby I live," destroyed by Portia's clever and ingenious methods of legal gymnastics. This is hardly the fare of romantic comedy. Indeed, the plight of Shylock is tragic by anyone's account. His controlled rage at the beginning of the play, fueled by a life of discrimination and isolation, gives way to a quest for revenge. Indeed, the Jew appears as a complex character, molded by the lot life has given him, full of wrath born of mistreatment, spreading hate which spills from him without control. It is not difficult to understand how treatment by oppressors can beget anti-social, hateful behaviors. It is the stuff of many modern-day sociological studies of the ghettos.

Unlike other antagonists such as Don John in Much Ado About Nothing or Aaron in Titus Andronicus, Shylock does not explicitly name himself as a villain nor does he relish in his evil behaviour. He does indeed display villainous characteristics; very early on he admits in an aside that he hates Antonio “for he is a Christian” (1.3.37), and his obsession with revenge quickly grows out of control. But what is complicated about Shylock’s “evil” is that it all seems to stem from the malevolence of the Christians. One cannot really blame him about being bitter for the times Antonio kicked him and spit “upon [his] beard” (1.3.113), or that his money lending business is damaged by Antonio’s tendency to lend out “money gratis” (1.3.39). Even though the Christians in the play consider usury an evil practice, it is the only way that Shylock knows how to make a living, and it is understandable that he would be protective of his business. He shows his more tender side in scenes with daughter, especially in 2.4 as he leaves home and tells her to shut the door after her, because something firmly secured will remain safe; “Fast bind, fast find ⎯ / A proverb never stale in thrifty mind”

By analyzing one of the sources, the quote from Merchant of Venice, the detectives piece together the correlation between the pound of flesh on the scale next to the victim and the reference to flesh in the quote. Unfortunately, no fingerprints were found at the scene either implying that the murderer was meticulous and careful or that he somehow removed his fingerprints, which makes it difficult for the detectives to easily identify him. After reviewing the evidence and sources, Mills recalls that the picture of Eli Gould’s wife had her eyes circled in Mr. Gould’s blood. From this evidence, they deducted that the wife, although not physically at the crime scene, has knowledge that could somehow help the case. After taking a second glance at the crime scene photos, she declares that a specific piece of artwork has been rehung upside down, indicating to the detectives that it was at the behest of the murderer. Behind the artwork, Somerset finds fingerprints, which is odd given that this is the first crime scene where fingerprints have been found. The crime scene investigator, after using a black light on the wall, discovers the words “help me” in the form of multiple fingerprints. These fingerprints are in the national fingerprint database and match a man named Theodore Allen, who goes by Victor, has an extended criminal history and had previously employed the second victim, Eli Gould, as his attorney. Somerset, being the world-weary cynic, is not convinced that Victor is

The merchant of Venice was believed to wrote between 1596 and 1598, and it is Shakespeare’s most controversial play. The theme of this play is praises kindheartedness, friendship and love, but also reflects the contradiction between the bourgeoisie and the usurer in the early commercial capitalism period. “Although Shylock is the most prominent character in The Merchant of Venice, he takes part in neither the beginning nor the ending of the play” (Bevington:21). His vengeful struggle to acquire a pound

The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, is more tragic than Comedic in many ways. Throughout the play we discover cycles of depression, hatred, and finally revenge that doesn’t quite happen as planned and backfires tragically.

Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is problematic when it comes to classifying genre because it does not stay within the confines of any one category. While many of Shakespeare’s plays can be easily categorized, some, like The Merchant of Venice, are unclear because of the combination of tragedy elements mixing in with the comedy. After closely reading the play, it is apparent that it does not fit the rules of a true tragedy. For example, even though Shylock meets a tragic end, it is not enough to consider him a tragic hero. Shylock’s downfall elicits sympathy, especially in the modern day, but this is not tragic ending that the audience fears. If Antonio was to lose his life, and the marriages of the couples fail, then this play could be considered tragedy. Any tension or anguish placed throughout this play is used dramatically to further the plot and draw the intended emotions from the audience. Gene Fendt states that what is enjoyed in a play is not necessarily the good in it, but the joys or desires it awakens in the audience. He writes, “as tragedy produces a catharsis of pity and fear, so such comedy would purify our desire and sympathy” (287). The Merchant of Venice certainly uses passions and vengeance to rouse lighter emotions in the audience. While The Merchant of Venice consists some elements of a tragedy, the use of comic relief, disguises by characters, and the happy endings for the protagonists, proves that this play is a comedy.

What defines a person, or how might a person define themself?  Is it the things they believe in, the things they say, or the actions they perform? There are several aspects that determine how Shakespeare’s readers, even the characters in the play, define his well-crafted character Othello. Someone who once stood as an honorable and noble authority figure, was then transformed into a murderer in just a matter of days, leaving a lifetime promise of love crumbling as a result of a few days of speculation. In the Shakespearean tragedy, Othello creates his own downfall by letting his weaknesses get the better of him, by blindly following Iago’s illusions and manipulations, enabling the extreme spite and jealousy that led to his ultimate demise.

In The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare the play is based upon the hierarchy between Christian men and Jewish men. A character by the name of Bassanio borrows money from his friend Antonio, and Antonio borrows the money from Shylock to give to Bassanio. Eventually, Antonio cannot pay the money back because his ships have supposedly sunk. Therefore, he comes close to death because he signed a bond with Shylock stating that Shylock would get a pound of his flesh if the bond was not repaid. In the end, the conflicts between the characters are resolved, and the mastermind behind the all of the conflicts, Portia comes forward. Furthermore, the character of Shylock has a complex personality which makes it hard for the audience to decide