Shakespeare has also presented Shylock as a hateful and revenge-driven character when Shylock says ' I hate him for he is a Christian.' The verb 'hate' Shows that Shylock detests, loathes, anathematizes, and scorns upon Antonio. However, Shylock hates Antonio, because of all the bad things he's done to him, like spit on him and call him a dog, so his hate is out of his hands. The noun 'Christian' in the quote shows that Shylock hates Antonio just because of his religion. Another way to interpret this is by saying that Shylock is discriminating the whole Christian religion due to one man. This links to context because in the Elizabethan era, Jews detested Christians because of their religion and vice versa.
In the book, Crucible, everyone in the town accuses each other to get back at their enemies and this is a huge fundamental flaw. People use the witchcraft to get revenge on others. In the book, the Nurses, Proctor’s, and Putnam's all blamed each other of witchcraft or stealing land. The Putnam's tried to take George Jacob’s land, “If Jacob hangs for witchcraft he forfeit up his property... This man is killing his neighbors for this land!”
Throughout the book edmond seeks out his revenge for his wrongful imprisonment against those who put in the hell of his prison he. When he was released he immediately began planning his revenge. For this paper i will go in depth about his revenge.
Out of all the themes in the novel The Scarlet Letter, revenge is quite prominent. Throughout the book, the characters all seem to be afflicted with revenge in some sort. The theme revenge, refined by Hawthorne, exposes the flaws of the novel’s ‘perfect being’, how this virtue can take over one’s life, and how this affects them in the later future.
Edgar Allen Poe details connoisseurship in his story “Cask of Amontillado” through Montresor playing with his victim and revenge. The narrator also known as Montresor, wants to get revenge on Fortunato, the victim for wrongdoing him in the past. “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge” (Poe 209). Montresor explains that Fortunato has wronged him many times in the past. The quote shows that he craves revenge on Fortunato. Montresor plans to get Fortunato increasingly drunk with Amontillado. He invites Fotunato to come to his house to drink more as he is home alone for the night. “I broke and reached him a flagon of De Grâve. He emptied it at a breath” (Poe 211). After
Throughout Arthur Miller's The Crucible revenge is a common theme. Within the madness of the witch hunt many are convicted, due to people seeking revenge. In this play revenge corrupts people’s minds and tries to persuade them to do things that are unethical in order for one’s own benefit. In The Crucible revenge is portrayed negatively. By the cold hearted and greedy townspeople in Salem, as they accuse each other of witchcraft. Many of the characters disregard their own values and morals in seek of revenge. They act on their fellow townspeople’s fears, whilst taking great pleasure in blaming others is a common trait many of these characters possess. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible the concepts
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, is set in Puritan times, following the lives of Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth after Hester’s crime of adultery. While Hester Prynne successfully processes her emotions and refuses to cave in on herself, the men in the novel resort to revenge. When one devotes themselves to vengeance, they become consumed by it. Reverend Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth both spend the novel taking revenge on themselves and someone else, respectively, leading to their decline of life and character.
Shakespeare still had to please the crowd with the insults and anti-Semitic feelings the people loved. He did this by adding flaws to the characters that they are now known for. Shakespeare gave Shylock his deep hatred for Antonio and all Christians, shown constantly by Shylock himself as he rants how Antonio constantly wrongs him. Another flaw in Shylock's morals is seen in his "Hath not a Jew eyes" speech. There he believes he has the right for revenge when a Christian wrongs him, saying, "If a Jew wrongs a Christians, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrongs a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge." (III, i, 63-66). Antonio too shows flaws, both through Shylock's stories of Antonio's persecution and through the insults he offers Shylock throughout the play. In the courtroom scene, Antonio tells Bassanio he might as well go stand on the beach and tell the waves to stop their endless beat upon the shores than try to get the Jew to change his mind. He also jokes that Shylock is turning into a Christian with his kindness to lend Antonio the 3,000 ducats, saying "The Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows kind." (I, iii, 170). Not only does this add the necessary conflicts for humor that the audience wants, but it provides the backbone for the story, showing the background of the
Shakespeare criticizes society’s output on Judaism through his play with the characters Shylock and Jessica. Shylock and Jessica are seen as outsiders in Venice and are discriminated by the Christian characters in the play for being Jewish. For instance, Gratiano describes Jessica, a former Jew, as an "infidel "(III.ii.223) despite converting and marrying a Christian. By calling Jessica an “infidel”, Gratiano is implying that she isn’t a true Christian and is still a Jew. Later in the play, Jessica is also told there’s "no mercy in heaven.."(III.v.31) because she was Jewish. This statement evokes the idea all Jews are sinful and can’t enter heaven. The two examples above show how Jews are seen as inferior to Christians in the play. Because of this bigotry, Shylock is vengeful toward Antonio with his bond. When he finds out about Antonio’s lost ships, he exclaims: I'll plague him, I'll torture him. I am glad of it." (III.i.115-116). This line demonstrates the stereotypical image of Jews that Christians see. What Shylock says relates to the 16th century where Christians often believed that Jews used their blood in religious ceremonies. By saying he’ll “torture” and “plague” Antonio, Shylock is conforming with the negative image society has of him. However, Shakespeare also paints Shylock as a human character treated unfairly by the Christians in Venice. After finding out that his daughter Jessica eloped to a Christian man, Shylock delivers a powerful speech about Jews being equals: “Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases [...]as a Christian is?” (III.i.48-54). This speech presents to the audience that Shylock is human
Stereotypes for every different religion, ethnicity, culture, and gender exist among the minds of the human race. These typecasts have ruled this world for as long as there has been diversity among people. In Shakespeare’s comedic tragedy, The Merchant of Venice, one prejudice is very central to the theme. The play is dominantly set in Venice, one of the most liberal cities of the Renaissance era. In this place and time period, anti-Semitism is very much in force. The Jewish people are discriminated against and treated terribly by the Christians living in Venice. Shylock, a wealthy Jew, is mercilessly spurned many times by men like Antonio, a Venetian merchant. In contrast to this blind hatred is the longing and lust associated with
They treated them as if they were inferior. For example, Jessica and Launcelot are arguing whether Jessica would go to heaven. She says to Launcelot, “I shall be saved by my husband; he hath made me a Christian” (3.5.-). Jessica is saying that she will go to heaven because she converted to Christianity in order to marry her husband. Launcelot and Jessica’s argument shows that only Christians can go to heaven. Another example of this is when Antonio says to Shylock, “I am as like to call thee so again,/To spet on thee again, to spurn thee too” (1.3.456-457). Antonio is saying that he has treated Shylock poorly in the past, and he will do it again. Antonio does not like Shylock because he is Jewish. Shakespeare also reflects anti-semitic behavior through a character named Lancelot. Lancelot is a Christian who does not like working for Shylock. He says, “I should stay with the Jew my master, who, God bless/ the mark! is a kind of devil; and, to run away from the Jew, I should/ be ruled by the fiend, who, saving your reverence! is the devil/ himself” (2.2.585-587). Lancelot is debating with himself on whether he should flee with Lorenzo and Jessica or stay and work for Shylock. Lancelot says that Shylock is the devil, therefore he leaves. Shakespeare is showing that even Christians who weren’t wealthy disliked jews.
Shylock can be seen as a victim of anti-Semitism and discrimination. He has long suffered at the hands of the Christians, who seize any opportunity to torment him. Shylock has been spat upon merely because he is Jewish and has been called nasty names such as "cutthroat dog". This dehumanising language demonstrates how poorly the Christian society views Jews as being outsiders and filthy people who do not belong to the world. Shylock has also been called ‘Jew’ twenty-two times and ‘Shylock’ only six times in the play. Shakespeare helped maintain the anti-Semitic meanings of the term
In William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is instantly portrayed as a villain. Shylock, while making a deal, crucially demands a pound of Antonio’s flesh as interest. It is revealed that Shylock’s villainous behavior stems from a history of constant torment from characters in the play. In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is a villain who acts out of revenge when he wants pay back for all the pain he endured. Evidently, Shakespeare created the character Shylock with a sympathetic past in order to have the audience question Shylock’s true nature.
Throughout William Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice, there is a strong theme of prejudice. Portia has to deal with prejudice against her sex, the Prince of Morocco has to deal with prejudice against his race but the character that is most discriminated against is Shylock. He is hated for being a Jew and a money-lender, but Shakespeare has not made Shylock a character easy to sympathise with. He appears to be mean and cruel and it seems as though he loves money above all things. However during the play there are moments when Shakespeare gives Shylock speeches which show his humanity. In these moments, the audience is made to feel sorry
did this through Shylock. In Act 3 Scene 3, Shylock tells of how he is
Shakespeare characterised Shylock in such way that he highlights the inequalities of him, them being ungrateful, vengeful, and religious intolerance. As each is explored Shylock is directed towards a harmful act to deem his vengeance upon his greatest rival, Antonio. Shakespeare’s idea in the play tells us mercy is preferable to revenge. In Act 1, Scene 3