Essay on The Merchant of Venice

Friendship and love is separated by a very fine margin. Choosing between the two is like choosing between being in Mr.Vidulin’s English class and his photography class (it is nearly impossible). However, when the choice between friendship and love is mentioned in the play, it seems as though the answer is obvious. When Bassanio was in the courtroom talking to Antonio, Bassanio makes a statement that shows that he is choosing the side of friendship when it comes to friendship vs love. Antonio says, ”But life itself, my wife, and all the world are not with me esteem’d above thy life; I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all here to this devil, to deliver you.” (IV, i, 291 - 294) Antonio states that he will give up himself, his wife and the world to Shylock if it means that Antonio survives. This shows that he cares more about his relationship with Antonio in comparison to his relationship with Portia. The message which is associated with the topic of friendship vs love is that a healthy balance of both friendship and love is needed to fulfill a person. In the example with Bassanio and Antonio, Bassanio indirectly shows Antonio that there would be no point to his life and hence the reason as to why he says he will sacrifice his own self. Another major topic touched on in this play is mercy. Mercy can be explained as the power found to show compassion in a state of power. Many of us lack the ability to show mercy, which is a key component of our society. Mercy is shown

The merchant of Venice is a drama and romantic play, by William Shakespeare. Regarding the test for the suitors and the final part of the book, the author is inspired by a fourteenth-century Italian novel of Giovanni Fiorentino, called “Il Giannetto”, (Bullough, 1957). The merchant of Venice is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. It is contained on the First Folio, in the contents of Comedies, sharing certain aspects with others plays. That one traditionally ends with the positive return to order expected from the genre, it also has some characteristics of a tragedy, in particular with regard to the punishment and the oppression that are suffered to Shylock Jew. The peculiarity is the title of this book, “The Merchant of Venice”, in fact, it refers to the character Antonio, and not Shylock, a moneylender, which has a pivotal role in this play. One possible reason is that by calling “The Merchant of Venice”, Shakespeare wanted to focus the attention of the readers, on the

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.

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).

Different types of love and marriage play a significant role in Shakespeare’s twelfth night, whether unrequited like with Antonio and Malvolio; or something seemingly unattainable like with Duke Orsino. Love is prevalent as one of Shakespeare's central theme emphasized in the Twelfth Night. With that, we see Shakespeare communicate different interpretations and feelings regarding the subject. He does this with the medium of melodramatic characters. However, this essay will solely elaborate on the character Duke Orsino and his exploration of love. Through Orsino’s actions, Shakespeare conveys several messages still applicable today, some of which are about the fine line between superficial love and genuine love, love's incoherency, and love's

Antonio describes Shylock as a devil in disguise, because the devil Also tried to trick Jesus using the bible. This conveys to the the reader, that Antonio thinks that Shylock is a wicked person, guided by his own self-interest. He even goes to the extent of saying that Shylock is an evil soul, producing holy witness, just to get what he wants. The use of the simile, “A goodly apple, rotten at the heart.” Tells us that Antonio is warning Bassanio that what may seem nice and good on the outside, could be bad and evil on the inside. This is the first instance we see Antonio show a bit of resentment towards Shylock. After seeing what these two men have said about each other, it is no surprise that one of them is Jewish(Shylock) and the other a

    The meaningful term “love” can be applied to differing relationships in Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello. In this essay let us examine under a microscope the “love” that we find throughout the play.

First, we see Antonio, a soft-hearted and morose Christian gentleman whose riches cannot provide him the fulfillment that others deem appropriate. He is sad because he lacks love. To fulfill that love, he assists Bassano in his own quest to pursue love. Though usually depicted as a homosexual relationship, it is a portrayal of love between friends or brothers, another type of bond. This act of bonding puts Antonio in gracious light. He helps his loved one by borrowing money from Shylock and pawns his life to strengthen that bond. This reinforced bondage reflects Antonio’s selflessness, God-like quality, and most importantly Christian morality.

Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is so alike to our financially afflicted world. The rules of law and commerce are subject to deceptive manipulation, fear of "the other" overwhelms respect for a common humanity, duplicity is the norm, sexuality is a vehicle for ambition, and money drives and wraps almost every action. It is a classic tale that includes important details of the financial crisis in the United States during 2007-2009. Shakespeare’s Venice, like the New York of his time - and the financial capitals of ours - is a city based on borrowing, on market speculation and greed masquerading as wealth and sophistication. Behind the curtains of the practice of lending and borrowing money in Shakespeare’s play lay the transition to capitalism: the rise of banking system; the scarcity for credit in developing industrial enterprises; and the growing dispute of default facing both aristocratic landlords and, above all, small, independent early entrepreneurs on trading ventures. Even though almost 600 years apart from each other, both Shakespeare’s tale and the financial crisis in the United States during 2007-2009 have a similar financial dilemma, each has its unique Shylock, Bassanio and Antonio- people who were responsible for causing the meltdown of their days.

Interestedly, instead of Shakespeare using the word bond as a way to tie Portia and Bassanio and their undying love and promises. We find Bassanio discovering out about Antonio’s situation in a letter telling Bassanio about his lost ships and Shylocks intentions of taking his pound of flesh. The news incites a since of guilt from Bassanio which prods Portia to offer and pay twenty times the original sum. After reading the letter aloud to Portia she suggests Bassanio go to his friends aid and go back to Venice by his side. (3.2.314)

The Merchant of Venice is a play set in a very male and Christian dominated society where other religions and women rights weren’t very well accepted by the community. However Portia, a rich woman who had previously been controlled by men, triumphs as she manipulates tricks and saves the lives of the men.

This is where the link of Antonio’s homosexual feelings towards Bassanio can be seen. In the end, Antonio is unable to pay Shylock back on his loan. Antonio, on the verge of having a pound of flesh taken, directs a speech toward Bassanio regarding his love for him. A closer look at this particular speech, which occurs in Act IV Scene I, can help the reader to better understand Shakespeare’s intricate wording that portrays homosexuality in Antonio.

William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is a perplexing story of dark humor, race, religion, identity, love, and justice. Generally, most people understand The Merchant of Venice as a comedy about a bitter and outcasted Jewish moneylender named Shylock who seeks revenge against a Christian merchant who has failed to pay his loan back. However, there are many different perspectives on whether The Merchant of Venice is a comedy or a tragedy depending on one’s views on the difference between race and religion. If one views the story as a comedy, it is a dark comedy full of many problems, especially the controversial subject matter of anti-Semitic attitudes of its Christian characters. If one views it as a tragedy, it is a tragedy that concludes with majority of its characters in a “happy ending”—that is if one agrees that Jessica’s decision of love over betraying her father and giving up her Jewish identity is indeed a happy ending.

   Though William Shakespeare accurately portrays both Christianity and Judaism in his play The Merchant of Venice, the characters in the play do not represent their religions well. A reader unfamiliar with these religions could easily misinterpret flaws in a character's nature as the teachings of his religion. After a preliminary glance at the play, one would assume that Shakespeare wrote unjustly of the two religions depicted therein. However, Shakespeare had to write the play to please his audience, so he added a twist. By making characters not wholly perfect in their faith, in compliance with reality, Shakespeare was able to add the insults and bigotry and anti-Semitic feelings

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.