The Merchant Of Venice : Tragedy, Comedy Or Tragicomedy

This week’s Lecture was focused on the third play in the four comedies book named “The Merchant of Venice”. This play was known for being controversial but also very interesting play that captured the attention of the viewers. Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” is set in Renaissance Venice, with a few scenes in a town called Belmont. The setting is important – Venice was one of the wealthiest towns in Europe, as it was right on the sea, with excellent shipping facilities for trading with the east. During this time, there was a large population of Jew’s in Europe, although 16th-century Venice was more tolerant of foreigners than Elizabethan England, Jews in Venice were confined to ghettos at the time Shakespeare wrote “The Merchant of Venice”. If a person compares “The Merchant of Venice”, to the other Shakespeare’s plays that have been covered in this class already and also to the ones that have not be covered yet, such as “As You Like It” or “Much Ado About Nothing”, some common features can be found throughout each of these plays. Some of the common features are: Multiple plots, Dual settings, Games/Trials/Practical Jokes/Music, Love Vs. Friendships/Multiple Marriages, Different types of relationships and a comic villain. Each of these features will be explained in greater details.

Even though love and friendship are regarded as two forms of relationships where no one seeks any pragmatical purpose, in fact they covertly embody different sorts of self-interest. The triangular relationship among Antonio, Bassanio and Portia in The Merchant of Venice and the friendship between Abigail Williams and the girls in The Crucible are both based on selfish motives. Bassanio asks Antonio for money in order to marry Portia. However, his motive for this marriage consists of not solely his love for Portia but mostly his desire to have Portia’s wealth and be able to pay his debts. He reveals this motive in Act 1, Scene 1 when he tells Antonio that he will be able to pay his debts when he marries Portia. Also Bassanio’s asking his friend, Antonio, for money contributes to the claim that friendship can be used for self-seeking economic purposes. Similarly, the indirect relationship between Portia and Antonio serves to an analogous purpose. Since Portia knows that her

Risk is a situation that involves the possibility of exposure to dangers. Risks exist everywhere, even the most minute of actions can place someone in jeopardy. It is an inescapable labyrinth that plagues the lives of all ever since humanity’s first existence. Yet it,s double-edged sword like characteristics of also providing opportunities and gains keeps many enthralled in it. In William Shakespeare 's’ The Merchant of Venice, Antonio, a protagonist, gives himself over to a life-threatening contract with the villain, Shylock the Jew, in order to provide the means for one of Antonio’s friend the opportunity to woo a lady. Over the course of the play, various risky opportunities and events also expose other relationships as means of satisfying their wants, although not all their outcomes are favourable. Risk is the root cause of rewards and punishments in The Merchant of Venice. This is seen between the play’s rivals, such as Antonio and Shylock. Also is seen between lovers, such as Bassanio and Portia. It is seen again between fathers and children, such as Shylock and Jessica.

On the other hand I believe that Shylock can react wrongly, and is too adamant to get his revenge which I think is a harsh revenge. An example of Shylock acting a villain is when losing his daughter Jessica; who then runs off with Lancelet and eventually changing her religion to become a Christian. As parents should unconditionally love their children regardless of what they chose to do with their life; Jessica has committed the ultimate crime against Shylock, to change religion from being Jewish, and religion is

William Shakespeare’s comedy The Merchant of Venice tells the story of Antonio, a merchant, who borrows money from Shylock a Jewish moneylender to help his friend, Bassanio, marry a woman. The play highlights the tension between Jews and Christians in society through the interactions between Shylock and the Christians. In contrast, the play also highlights the positive aspects of both religions. The main point of The Merchant of Venice is to critique society’s treatment of religion.

It is evident that Shylock has already made his mind up and his decision to keep the bond would not be swayed in favour of Antonio, regardless of what he pleaded. In response to the cruel names Antonio had called him previously, Shylock wants to show him how horribly he can truly be, choosing to behave as a worse villain than Antonio was towards him. Rather than rising to the occasion and showing mercy, Shylock chooses to be a villain, bloodthirsty for revenge and his bond in order to get Antonio back for the

Throughout the play Shylock is presented in different ways: a victim who lives in a prejudice and intolerant society, a villain who deserves scorn and rejection and a tragic figure who has admiral traits worthy of respect but destroys himself by giving in to his flaws and weaknesses. This

These assumptions are clearly present in Shakespeare's work. In Merchant, financial language and romantic language are inextricably linked, suggesting that money is a source of both power and sexual desirability, particularly for males. The opening scene depicts Bassanio asking Antonio for money so that he may woo the beautiful and wealthy Portia. Bassanio is penniless and, it seems, made weak, unattractive, and perhaps less masculine by his poverty.

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 triangular relationship between Antonio, Bassanio and Portia in The Merchant of Venice and the friendship between Abigail Williams and all the girls in The Crucible are both based on selfish motives. Bassanio asks Antonio for money in order to marry Portia. However, his motive for this marriage consists of not solely his love for Portia but mostly his desire to have Portia’s wealth and be able to pay his debts. He reveals this motive in Act 1, Scene 1 where he says “I owe you much, and, like a willful youth, that which I owe is lost. But if you please to shoot another arrow that self way which you did shoot the first, I do not doubt, as I will watch the aim, or to find both or bring your latter hazard back again and thankfully rest debtor for the first”. He tells Antonio that he will be able to pay his debts when he marries Portia.

<br>Shylock can be seen as a product of centuries of racial persecution. Thus Shylock ‘s character has oscillated between the malignant caricature and the dignified tragic hero.

William Shakespeare is probably one of the most, if not the most, well known playwrights of all time. The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is probably one of his most well known tragedies. It tells the story of Othello, a man with an approaching wedding. In the story, Othello is a Moor. This term may be unfamiliar to many. Basically, the Moors were Muslims who lived along the northern coast of Africa.

The genre of William Shakespeare’s most performed play has been debated for a long time: is it a comedy or a tragedy? The play has elements of both genres, but one is clearly prevalent. While the story hits upon the tragic element of despair, The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, is a comedy because lovers are separated, characters are in disguise, and the story has a happy ending.

Sympathy is not gained through religion, but rather through authentic and respectable character. The Merchant of Venice by renowned playwright William Shakespeare is in itself a story about religion and religious tensions; however, one’s religion is not what defines them. One’s character does, and in the Merchant of Venice we encounter two characters, Antonio and Shylock, who share similarities throughout the play, but are overall different people with different morals. On one hand there is Antonio, a sad, christian merchant and a dear friend, while on the other hand there is Shylock, a hostile Jewish moneylender, who like Antonio is struck with great loss. Both exhibit mercilessness, for different reasons, and both suffer loss, with different reactions. Overall, the similarities between Antonio and Shyock make us sympathize with Antonio, the man with the more sincere character.

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare is often called a problem play because it does not neatly fit the characteristics of either a comedy or a tragedy. A tragedy is a drama or literary work in which one of the main characters is brought to ruin or suffer extreme sorrow, especially as a tragic flaw or moral weakness. The Merchant of Venice has a character that is brought to ruin. It also has many other characteristics of a tragedy. Most of the events being serious is one of the characteristics of a tragedy. A comedy is any discourse or work that is intended to be humorous or to amuse by inducing laughter or it could simply be a story with a happy ending. The Merchant of Venice is not funny. The Merchant of Venice is more of a