William Shakespeare 's The Merchant Of Venice

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

Without a doubt, Shylock of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice has been a subject of much controversy and debate for scholars and critics worldwide. Specifically, an element of his character that has been thoroughly reviewed is the harshness with which he proposes his bond with Antonio. As contemporary readers of the pound of flesh story we are naturally mortified by the fact that Shylock would call for such barbarous terms. What many of us do not realize is that while we might feel horror about the idea of the bond, the same is not necessarily true for an Elizabethan audience. This story has been a major source of misunderstanding for many of its readers, as

Shakespeare engages a modern audience through the character Shylock. Shylock in The Merchant of Venice is the antagonist of the play and is subject to sequences of misfortune, much to the delight of the Elizabethan audience. However, in a modern context we show slight feelings of sympathy towards him as a result of today’s ideologies. Upon meeting Shylock we see that his religious standing puts him in an isolated position against the Venetian society. A line is recited

Society tends to define people as being either victims or villains due to the actions, beliefs and decisions present in their lives. In the Merchant of Venice, this separation between those good and evil is existent in the Venetian community, especially for the character of Shylock. Although one may think that Shylock is a victim in this play, as a result of other’s wrong-doing, Shylock is rather a villain because he conspired to kill Antonio through his bond, wished to see his daughter dead for him to retain his wealth, and refused to show even mercy so as he could get his revenge on Antonio. It is through such destructive intentions Shylock possessed, having a negative impact on other characters in the play, which designates him as a

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

2 Although the plays may reflect the legal concerns of the day, Shakespeare's interest in deeply engaging those issues appears to vary significantly. At first, readers may feel that the legal issues are overemphasized. The Sokols' conscientious documentation of all references to marriage laws in the plays and sonnets suggests that many references are "oblique" or superficial in order to maintain the hierarchy. 3

The American courtroom drama teleplay ’12 Angry Men’ by Reginald Rose is a classic and brings out the importance of flaws of a judicial system. This is mentioned on various levels right through the entire play. Published in 1954, the play is set in a jury room in New York and focuses on the 12 members of the jury having to deliberate and try reach a unanimous decision that will determine the defendants fate. This essay will argue that Reginald Roses’ play will maintain to be relevant due to its resemblance of flaws and imperfections in a courtroom and how in today’s society we still encounter judicial issues regularly.

Looking into Shakespeare’s work, the class and I got to view “The Merchant of Venice”. I

Blind the World: (Discussion of the title Measure for Measure) The balance between justice and mercy is difficult to find and even more difficult to keep. Shakespeare explores the complex balance between justice and mercy in his comedy Measure for Measure; he uses Angelo the Duke’s assistant to represent harsh justice and the Duke, Vincentio, to represent the mercy that over rules justice in Vienna. The play raises powerful questions about societal justice, moral justice, and God-like justice.

William Shakespeare’s influence on Renaissance culture arguably invented a uniquely English version of the Renaissance. The belief that Shakespeare did not simply reflect a new kind of self-awareness can be proven by some of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters such as, the villainous Iago of “Othello,” the indecisive Hamlet or the ambitious Lady Macbeth. Although Shakespeare’s plays seem high class today, they weren’t much in the 16th century. Shakespeare did not perform his plays for the selective courts of princes.

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.

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.

1 scene 3 in a building in a street in Venice. The building in which

In The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare the play is based upon the hierarchy between Christian men and Jewish men. A character by the name of Bassanio borrows money from his friend Antonio, and Antonio borrows the money from Shylock to give to Bassanio. Eventually, Antonio cannot pay the money back because his ships have supposedly sunk. Therefore, he comes close to death because he signed a bond with Shylock stating that Shylock would get a pound of his flesh if the bond was not repaid. In the end, the conflicts between the characters are resolved, and the mastermind behind the all of the conflicts, Portia comes forward. Furthermore, the character of Shylock has a complex personality which makes it hard for the audience to decide