The Merchant Of Venice By William Shakespeare

Throughout the education system, there seems to be an unofficial consensus that pieces of literature that are deemed “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 “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 reading this play. The contrastive style of literature will provide students and teachers alike who read this play the chance to expand their horizons when it comes to their English skills. With this in mind, The Merchant of Venice written by William

Throughout Othello by William Shakespeare, Othello makes numerous poor decisions due to his jealousy. Hitting Desdemona, trusting Iago, and killing Desdemona are among a few of the poor decisions that he makes. The word jealous can be defined as feeling or showing suspicion of someone's unfaithfulness in a relationship. Othello feels suspicious of Desdemona’s and Cassio’s relationship because of the lies that Iago tells him. Many people try to tell Othello the truth but he only believes the words of Iago. Even Emilia, Iago’s wife, tells Othello that Desdemona and Cassio are not having an affair and their interaction is business only, however; he does not trust her. Without Othello’s jealousy he would not have made these horrible decisions.

Perhaps the most interesting and exotic character in the tragic play "Othello," by William Shakespeare, is "Honest" Iago. Through some carefully thought-out words and actions, Iago is able to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits him and moves him closer toward his goals. He is the main driving force in this play, pushing Othello and everyone else towards their tragic end. Iago is not your ordinary villain. The role he plays is rather unique and complex, far from what one might expect. Iago is smart.

Shakespeare’s retirement play ‘The Tempest’ mainly focuses on the used of power; the will to control over others. Power seems to be the main theme throughout the play as it is manifested by different characters either in a good way or as the case may be, bad. The protagonist Prospero is the main character that holds majority of the power, both magical and political. Tempest, which was written in the early 1600s, shows how characters like Prospero, Antonio and even Caliban plus others exert power over the weak and the willing. The significance of the different elements of power; Political power, Magical powers and most of all, the Power of Love is examined in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

What is the most important trait in a healthy relationship? The romance? The dates? The sweet words? No. It is the trust. If there is no trust between lovers then the hope of a stable relationship is absolutely impossible. This brings us to our main lovers, Othello and Desdemona. Though in the beginning their love felt sweeter than a meringue; jealousy reared its ugly head and consumed Othello, making him believe his wife to be unfaithful. But mere jealousy alone was not the only cause for the demise of what Othello and Desdemona had. Iago was the match that sparked the forest fire, meaning Iago was the beginning of it all. But why was Othello so quick to believe him? The reason for Othello believing in Iago's dishonest words so quickly was because to Othello, Iago was a 'trustworthy and honest' man, Iago planted seeds of doubt in Othello's mind, and because Othello cares more for restoring his status and honor rather than believing his own wife; this is important because it brings up the question whether Othello truly loved Desdemona.

Love has many purposes. Traditionally viewed as wonderful, overcoming emotion, it sometimes take a sinister route. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, the word love has a key role throughout the play. In the opening of the play we are introduced to Othello, the general of the Venetian army, and the supporting characters such as Iago, his coworker, and Desdemona, his wife. A Moor in a European capital, Othello becomes insecure in his position of power, and turns to the false-hearted Iago as a source of advice. Throughout the play a great deal occurs, such as Iago’s vendetta against Othello, which primarily controls the plot, and Desdemona’s struggle with her ideal of love. Although love is one of the most important themes of Othello, the characters manipulate love to disguise their true motives while maintaining the facade of loyalty.

The Tempest by William Shakespeare was introduced during King James I’s time of power, in 1611. Although it was not then acknowledged as post-colonial work, it is evident now that post-colonial elements are present throughout the entire play. There are many events that occurred during Shakespeare’s time that are thought to be the inspiration of the play. Henry David Gray, in his essay The Sources of The Tempest said “it had been Shakespeare’s unvarying custom for many years to dramatize some story which had already been told, it is customary to suppose that he did not invent even the very slight plot about which The Tempest is built.” The discovery of Roanoke in 1584 ignited the period of colonization. Although this mission failed, Jamestown had been established in Virginia and the Sea Adventure was headed for the shores of the New World. During this trip, the Sea Adventure was shipwrecked off the coast of Bermuda. It is possible that this event had inspired Shakespeare in the writing of The Tempest.

The Merchant of Venice offers another unique perspective on crossdressing as it existed on the English Renaissance stage. Howard suggests that Portia’s crossdressing is “more disruptive than Viola’s” (Howard, p. 433) because Portia herself was an unruly woman to begin with. Portia has become the master of her own destiny with the passing of her father, for she is referred to as the Lord of Belmont now that no man exists to fill such a role. What remains of the patriarchal authority, particularly the casket trial by which Portia’s future husband must be chosen, is even subverted by Portia’s ability to guide her suitors to a proper or incorrect choice. Her seemingly innate guile and resourcefulness set the stage for her entry into the male arena and the inversion created by her crossdressing (Newman, pp. 26-28).

Since the beginning of recorded history, women’s roles in society have been seen as inferior to those of men. Women’s rights have progressed 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 clever personalities of the women portrayed.

Shylock’s malevolent actions during the play is one justification that he is a villain and not the victim. One of these is his sole desire to take a pound of Antonio’s flesh, ultimately killing him, with the court on his side. This is shown towards the beginning of the play of the play when Antonio says, “Let the forfeit be nominated for an equal pound of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken in what part of your body pleaseth me,” to Bassanio as they agree on the terms of the bond(1.3.160-63). This single quote shows many traits Shylock possesses including his desire to rob Antonio of a pound of his own skin. Shylock first mocks Antonio for being Christian by saying he has “fair skin.” By saying this, Shylock displays his animosity to the way Jews are treated as well as increasing the tension between the two. Also, by saying “what part of your body pleaseth me,” Shylock shows his cruel intention to cause harm and appease his own desires without caring how it affects Antonio. Another situation that showcases Shylock’s scarce supply of humanity is his declination of Bassanio’s offer to pay him

Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, contains highlighting of inequalities for two characters in particular: Shylock and Portia. In the Venetian society of the play, which is essentially Elizabethan England, gender restrictions and religious intolerance seem to mirror one another, and in doing so create a parallel between these two not so different characters. Shylock, who is a jew, and Portia, a woman, may not be similar on the surface, but are both unequal in similar respects. Shylock and Portia are similar in that they both remain unaltered in their convictions and both identify themselves as outcasts of society. Furthermore, Shylock is only considered to be the villain of the play, and Portia the prize to be won, because of the way Shakespeare constructs this society within the play. In this controlled setting, Shakespeare displays religious intolerance in Venice by having the Christians of the play insult him, his race, and his religion. Shakespeare’s dialogue between the characters accentuates the way Jews were treated in his time, which gives Shylock reason to seek revenge on Antonio. He also highlights the absurdity of Venice’s patriarchal system by placing Portia adjacent to the men she must be subservient to, who are far less intelligent or able as she is. In their own ways, these characters understand how different they are from the rest of society and rebel against it by going against the roles it assigned them.

In England’s history, the Elizabethan era was notorious for its anti-Semitism. Jews were segregated by being forced to wear a red hat when outside of the ghetto, and were treated as inferior to the rest of the city. William Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice exhibits the prejudicial attitudes of his era. Antonio, a Christian merchant, makes a deal with Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. Shylock uses it as an opportunity to exact revenge by demanding a pound of Antonio’s flesh if he does not meet his end of the bargain. By pitting the majority of his characters against Shylock, Shakespeare portrays Shylock in a way that discriminates against all Jews. The interactions that Shylock has with Antonio, Jessica, and Portia clearly enforce the idea of anti-Semitism.

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 wrote and directed a film called Crash, that follows multiple different characters (all of different backgrounds and races) as they meet and interact with each other, in overwhelmingly violent situations. Each character is either oppressed, oppresses someone else, or both, resulting in a cycle of racism, similar to the cycle of religious bigotry present in The Merchant of Venice. Haggis 's Oscar award winning movie Crash serves as a modern retelling of Shakespeare 's timeless play Merchant of Venice as they are based on the similar theme of an endless cycle of racism and the characters in both pieces are subject to the same marginalizing society, and therefore develop in the same way.

Set in 16th century Venice, The Merchant of Venice is a comedic play written by William Shakespeare, following the lives of Antonio and Bassanio, two best friends. When Bassanio meets Portia, a beautiful and wealthy heiress, he borrows money from Antonio in attempt to woo her. As this plot unravels, we discover that Bassanio is not the only one after Portia, and is in fact against many other rich and titled suitors, who Portia unsparingly judges. This is when Portia is first portrayed as cruel and insensitive. However we later learn that beneath her quick wit and spitefulness, that she is also vulnerable and simply a girl in love. Shakespeare presents Portia as a powerful and complex character throughout this play who challenges the status

In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is one of Shakespeare’s most complicated characters. Throughout the play he seemingly hates everyone save Tubal, a Jewish friend. He even refuses to acknowledge his daughter because she runs away to marry Lorenzo. Nevertheless, Shylock is a fascinating character because initially it is difficult to know whether to embrace him or reject him. To support Shylock is to condone murder, but to reject Shylock is to ignore the plight of someone who seems to be hated possibly because of his religion and race. However, as Shylock’s character is gradually revealed through his famous defensive speech, Shakespeare leads us to dislike Shylock and recognize his character as one of pitiful selfishness.