William Shakespeare 's ' Portia '

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

In the play The Merchant of Venice Shylock is supposed to be the protagonist, the definition of protagonist is; the leading character or a major character in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. But the way Shylock is portrayed is more along the lines of being both victim and villain. Shylock is out for one pound of Antonio’s flesh which will in the end kill Antonio and the flesh will do him no good anyway. But he also gets called cruel names and is pushed around and spit on in the public by Christians, Antonio and all of Antonio’s friends. And farther on into the play Shylock is betrayed by his own daughter who stole from her father and became a Christian.

Love is complicated due to the fact that there is a difference of opinion and perception and it is complicated because people see stuff in different ways and interpret things differently as well. In the 3 texts dissatisfaction or complication is shown. Firstly in Othello love is presented as ephemeral and transient while atonement love is presented as unrequited and finally in cat on a hot tin roof love is presented as painful and troublesome due to unreciprocated feelings.

Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice exemplifies a principle that is as unfortunately true in our time as it was in his - he who has money also has love, sex, and above all, power. In this case, the use of 'he' is deliberate; 'she,' in the Elizabethan era, rarely had either financial independence or much control over the course of her life. Portia, the deceitful heroine of the play, is a major exception. To put it bluntly, Portia is enormously rich. This unique position allows her to meddle in the affairs of the unsuspecting and somewhat dim male characters, and eventually gives her unprecedented power of self-determination. However, the play is more than a tale of feminine

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.

become his wife - "but though I am a daughter to his blood I am not to

Artese claims that the flesh-bond plot in The Merchant of Venice resembles a folktale known as “A Pound of Flesh” (325). Artese supports his supposition with background context and parallels between the two story lines. Literary versions of the pound of flesh story circulated during the sixteenth century and were collected since the nineteenth century because of the plot’s longevity and populairity Shakespeare would have been familiar with pound of flesh stories (326). Human commodification is a central issue in both The Merchant of Venice and the folktale. When Portia states that Shylock cannot extract a drop of blood from Antonio and take no less or no more than an exact pound, this also alludes to the pound of flesh storyline (330-331). After establishing that The Merchant of Venice’s plot is based off of the pound of flesh storyline, the author explains that it was important for Shakespeare to use this specific plot because it shows the power dynamics between the Venetian Christian and the Jew.

In Shakespeare’s book Merchant of Venice, Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who holds a grudge with a Christian merchant Antonio. The resentment becomes open when Antonio asks Shylock to lend him money, and Shylock asks for his flesh in case he does not return the loan in time. Here, Shylock acts as a negative stereotype Jew, but he is only acting in manner due to forced circumstances. The persecution and discrimination of Jews have forced Shylock to be vengeful and cold hearted. In the Christian values, these actions are not tolerated, and thus he is marked as a bloodthirsty creature, who is mean and thus seen as an enemy of the Venetian citizens. The Venetians uniformly express hatred and intolerance towards Shylock and other Jews in Venice. In fact, that exclusion of “others” is what makes the Venetian Christian have a strong bond.

The play The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare is anti-semetic because anti semetic thoughts and actions are incorporated in a majority of his charcters. The actions of these Christian charcters go against Shylock, and other Jews presented in the play; as a result, establishing a clear seperation between the two ethnic groups. The constant hatred and mistreatment towards Shylock only enhances the division since it develops the idea that Christianity is the superior religion. Although there are many instances in which Shakespeare creates sympathy for Shylock rather hate, Shakespeare 's portrayal of him is what highlights the anti-semitism in the play.

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).

1. In the content, Shakespeare puts a scene in Belmont against one in Venice. As specified prior Shakespeare continually compares all through The Merchant of Venice. A juxtaposition is an abstract method that makes examinations between two disparate articles. One reason that Shakespeare continually compares is for the reason that Shakespeare 's deciding objective is to inspire intrigue and astound the perusers all through the story with sensational changes. To start with of act one scenes one and two, Antonio and Portia, two distinct characters are presented. An incident including Antonio in Venice and Portia in Belmont further outlines the correlation between the two. For example Antonio states, “In sooth, I know not why I am so sad”

It is hard to read The Merchant of Venice without finding at least one character to sympathize with. The unforgettable villain Shylock as well as Portia, Shakespeare’s first and one of his most famous heroines are arguably some of this plays most beloved characters. But, is Shylock really the villain? Or is he a victim of circumstance? Shylock’s insistence for a pound of flesh has made him one of literatures most memorable villains, but many might be inclined to say he is a compelling and sympathetic figure, rather then a villainous figure. By applying multiculturalism to this play, one might be able to deduce that through the exploitation of Jewish stereotypes common during the time this play was written, as well as language and character development, Shakespeare creates a character for which we not only feel scorn and derision, but also pity and compassion.

William Shakespeare has written many plays with tragic endings, happy endings, and everything in between. One of his plays, Merchant of Venice, is considered a comedy for its resolve of marriage, fortune, and wellbeing of its main characters. Except for one. This character, Shylock, is the sole force pushing the play as a conflicted characters, and he is depicted as the villain of the play. The events that take place in the story leave Antonio with a happy ending, but a much more grim, destructive and crushing forfeiture for Shylock, which when boiled down and considered leaves a much darker happily ever after than thought for this play, which is why this play is best understood as a tragedy because the heart of the story is not the tale of the static Antonio, but rather the rise and fall of Shylock, the perceived villain, and money lender of Venice.

The court scene in “ The Merchant of Venice” along with “Measure of Measure” are two of the most read court scenes in Shakespeare 's plays. The court scene in “The Merchant of Venice” is a window into the world of Elizabethan Law, and some of the issues that citizens had with the trying to find justice. It also shadows problems in our current legal system that are a source of contention today.

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.