Significance Of The Trial Scene In Merchant Of Venice

Through the 8th Juror’s characteristic of a brave individual, it is evident that the play is symbolising him as a ‘hero’. From the beginning, he puts himself

In Act I Scene I we are introduced to the play’s antagonist, Tybalt. Perpetrator of the play’s violence and fuel to the conflict, Tybalt is constantly drawn to violence and uses family honour as his reasoning. His malevolence is shown from the onset of the play: “What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds? Turn thee, Benvolio; look upon thy death.” Initial impressions of Tybalt include that his character is domineering and antagonistic, vindictive and unscrupulous. The topic of violence and death is the theme of his first few lines. Rather, the word “death” is syntactically placed at the end of the sentence, resonating and leaving a lingering impression. With regards to the context of the original play, status and power are explored within

The first lines of The Merchant of Venice come from Antonio, who is lamenting over his present state of melancholy: "In sooth, I know not why I am so sad" (i, i, 1). "As the play opens, [Antonio] is marked as a man of complex feeling, not only sad but worried over 'What stuff [his sadness is] made of" and how it affects his ability to 'know' himself" (Patterson 20). His acquaintances Salarino and Solanio attempt to guess at the root or his sadness, first asking if it stems from business. After Antonio gives a short diatribe to dispel that idea, Salarino believes Antonio is in love. "Fie, fie!" (45) Antonio responds. But once Bassanio enters and is alone with Antonio, "Antonio is free to proceed to what is evidently uppermost in his mind" (Engle 23). And Engle, as well as other scholars, believe Bassanio's interest in Portia is the pressing issue within Antonio, and the reason for Antonio's sadness (Sinfield 124).

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

Shylock is punished by the Venetian court for seeking to end Antonio’s life. He is charged under a Venetian law (of Shakespeare’s creation) and he is forced to give up his wealth and to beg the Duke to spare him his life. Viewed like this it seems simple enough; Shylock broke a Venetian law and, as a consequence, is punished. However, Shylock’s case is far from simple. Antonio’s demand that Shylock should renounce his Judaism and become a Christian and his insistence that Shylock should will his money to the Christian

The first event that demonstrates that Shylock is a victim would be that he is ridiculed by his community and his family. Antonio and Shylock were never friends. They always fought because Antonio was a Christian and Shylock was a Jew. They also have different money lending practices which cause a lot of discrepancies. Antonio always mocked Shylock. He calls him a misbeliever and a cutthroat dog. Shylock tells us that Antonio “…call me misbeliever, cutthroat dog,/ and spet upon my Jewish gabardine,” (1.3.108-109). Here Shylock demonstrates that Antonio on a day to day basis mocked Shylock. Later on, Antonio mentions that he will call Shylock that again if he wants to. Another example would be Antonio’s friends. They teas Shylock for his faith and his misfortunes. When Jessica runs away with Shylock’s money and jewelry, he asked the Duke to go help him search Bassanio’s ship for them. Solanio heard

Literary devices are frequently used throughout acts four and five of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Some of the most prominent devices used on TMOF are dramatic irony, allusion and symbolism. These devices help further develop theme ingrained in the story such as marriage, deceive, wealth, and religion. The use of literary devices helps ensure the story transitions smoothly and is pleasant to the reader, it might also help in the comprehension of the story´s characters.

This shows how Shylock is shrewd, by playfully suggesting the forfeiture of the bond which is actually a cunning plan to murder Antonio with the law on his side.

Act III Scene V - This is a very important scene. Select and comment on

This scene is important as it comes midway into the play, marking a turning point, that drives the action towards the tragic end. The scene opens with all three characters relaxed and in a playful mood, but there is an underlying tension that builds throughout the scene with an uneasy sense of insecurity, which is felt by the Duchess as she is aware that her brother has returned to court. The tension continues to increase, with the use of dramatic irony, where the audience is aware of information that the actors on stage do not have. The atmosphere soon shifts from a light hearted one to one of fear. The Duchess, Antonio

Shylock is introduced as a greedy villain who craves nothing but revenge. The play begins with Antonio in need of three thousand ducats, he then turns to

Shylock is also the victim when Jessica leaves. He loses his only child, that underneath his cold exterior it becomes apparent he loves her and struggles with the depth of his grief. He loses hold on his business and walks through the streets morning the loss of his child to the men he detests. He cries in anguish ‘The curse never fell upon our nation till now; I never felt it till now…. My own flesh and blood to rebel! I say, my daughter is my flesh and blood.’ This scene evokes compassion towards Shylock but he is tormented more by Salario and Salanio. This shows him as a repentant father, a man a victim to his child’s will and prejudice surrounding his race.

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.

In Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, one recurring pattern is male fixation with law and justice.

Shylock’s revenge against years of ridicule is what brought about his downfall. In the end, his refusal to accept anything but the bond that was agreed upon caused him to lose his home, his daughter, his fortune and his religion. This is a tragedy indeed.