In the Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare illustrates his feelings towards Jews in 17th century England through the use of a commonly known stereotype during the time, the racial tension between Jews and Christians. Shylock is the focal point of the play, and acts as the traditional stereotype of the Jew in Elizabethan times. The merchant of venice is often seen as an anti-semitic work due to the stereotypical portrayal of the jewish character shylock. Some would argue that the most inevitable interpretation of shylock as a miserly wretch who care for nothing but his money is shakespeare expressing now – unfashionable anti-jewish views. However , one must remember that this view was seen as entirley normal and acceptable at the time, and most of the jews of elizabethan england had stoicly accepted such treatment.…
Racism has been, unfortunately as it may be, woven into the fabric of many societies across the world, throughout history. The topic is confronted be most, but held onto by others. Many believe it is still alive in todays society, but none can deny it’s existence throughout history. In different parts of the world, it made it mark in different ways, none of which would be considered to have a positive outcome. It is a sensitive subject, and few authors have the courage to take it on in their books they write.…
That old Jew got what he deserved! This is the cathartic feeling that William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice inspires as the central character Antonio is released from the perils of his impending death. In American society today, it is wrong to persecute someone for their religious beliefs, as we are all created equal. This sentiment was, indeed, not the case in the 1500’s. Although the events that surround Shylock are interpreted as very tragic in today’s society, in the eyes of the audience, Shylock is a greedy Jew who has it out for a man who has done nothing wrong. The Merchant of Venice is about a popular rich man who, through a turn of unfortunate events, finds himself bankrupt and due to lose his life. In the end he is redeemed by the valiant actions of this friends. William Shakespeare intended the audience to have sympathy for the central character. With the fortunate turn of events surrounding this character, The Merchant of Venice is a classic example of Aristotelian comedy. good…
Racism, bigotry, and racial discrimination have been serious global issues for hundreds of years. Anti-Semitism, a hateful or discriminatory outlook towards Jewish culture, is arguably racism in its worst form. For hundreds of years the Jewish culture has been looked down upon, disrespected and persecuted by other ethnicities. In Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, the character of Shylock reveals to us Shakespeare's attitude towards the Jewish people and anti-Semitism. Throughout the play Shylock is treated with a continuum of hostility and disrespect from the other characters. Many would argue that Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice condones anti-Semitism, but if a closer look is taken, Shakespeare's playwright actually supports an opposing point of view. We see this through character quotes and speeches, particularly Shylock and Antonio. This is noticeable as well in some of the Character's attitudes, developments and comparisons, as well as in the theme advancements involving both the Casket, and Shylock-Antonio sub-plots. It becomes clear that Shakespeare actually intended to assault the anti-Semitic attitude that has, and still does exist in certain societies.…
The way in which discrimination plays a part in the 'the merchant of Venice' is very evident throughout the entire play. The view over the ' Jews' throughout the play is generally negative, this bias nature found throughout the play may influence the villainous and immoral actions performed by Shylock and his decisions which lead to him lawfully having the right to take one pound of Antonio's flesh, which Shylock immorally accepted. The situation arose when Antonio's great friend bassiano fell in love with a woman call portia and asked a loan from Antonio in order to impress the woman, not having any immediate source of money, Antonio stated that he would take a loan from a jewish money lender called Shylock, in the meanwhile Antonio had ships filled with his soon to be fortune on their way, hence the loan was sanctioned and an agreement was made but in a somewhat tragic lead up of events Antonio had lost all his boats, creating a situation where the Jew could either be merciful towards the christian, or take one pound of his flesh of which Shylock took the second option. The first major bias or discriminative action performed in the play which may have created Shylock's urge for 'revenge' may well have been when Antonio had had a quarrel with Shylock. Shylock states this when Antonio seeks a loan from Shylock, it becomes apparent that Antonio abused Shylock due to the fact that he was a Jew. Another event that may have been a stimulator towards the actions of Shylock may have been the way in which his daughters life had been intertwined with a Christians in a negative way, when shylocks daughter jessica betrays him by running away with in a way whichever emotionally hurt Shylock. A final and very strong reason for Shylock being so prejudice was due to the overall hate towards the 'Jews' in the city, it seems as though Shylock acts towards antonio in a way which expresses his hatred towards the unfair treatment towards the Jews, it seems as though all his actions…
The theme that I have selected to analyse is Racism. The texts that I will use to explore this theme are the films ‘Django’ directed by Quentin Tarantino, ‘Schwarzfahrer’ directed by Pepe Danquart, the poem ‘Racism is around me everywhere’ by Francis Duggan and the novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee. In this report I will research how racism affects individuals with dark skin, what the consequences of racism are, and how racism is the norm throughout different periods of history. Racism is an ongoing issue and in my report I aim to change the way you think of racism and what we can do to end this abominable behaviour.…
Bibliography: Herschel Baker. The Riverside Shakespeare. 2nd edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997. This collection of Shakespeare’s plays offers illustrations and several pages of commentary and criticism about each play. Barnett, Sylvan, ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Merchant of Venice. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1970. The essay, “The Merchant of Venice,” by Harley Granville-Barker, describes the play as a fairy tale. She discusses the two disparate themes and the characters. The description of Shakespeare’s Venice is also good background information. John Russell Brown’s “Love’s Wealth and Judgment of The Merchant of Venice” explains the key scenes: the three caskets, how Shylock stands for the law, and the ring promise. Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern Critical Interpretations: William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. This collection of literary criticism is very valuable, particularly if the students are working on research projects on this play. It is also valuable as enrichment information for the teacher to present in the classroom. Information includes Freud, pound of flesh stories, the model for the play, scapegoating, the three caskets, the use of vocabulary, and the quest for material and spiritual riches. Important facts are included, such as the date when Jews were expelled from England (1290) and the fact that there were no Jews living in England when Shakespeare wrote this play. Bloom states that the play should be staged with Shylock as a comic villain. Boonstra, Janrense, Hans Jansen, and Joke Kniesmeyer, eds. ANTISEMITISM: A History Portrayed. Amsterdam: Anne Frank Foundation, 1998. This reference book is very valuable in teaching the treatment of Jews through the ages. The economic sources of anti-semitism and the legend of the Wandering Jew are explained. It is an illustrated book with everything from medieval paintings, manuscripts, and political cartoons to photographs of concentration camps. Statistics and historical explanations are brief and easy to understand. Durband, Alan. Shakespeare Made Easy: The Merchant of Venice. London: Barron’s, 1985. This version of the play is useful in the regular classroom because the student can read Shakespeare’s text on the left side and see an updated modern version on the right, so there is an immediate comparison and clarification.…
Shylock as a Jewish moneylender, is excluded from Venetian society both because of his religion and his career choice. He is often called “dog’” (1.3.138) by people who are his equals in terms of wealth and property, like the wealthy merchant Antonio. He internalizes his resentment of his treatment by the Christian Venetians. For example, when we see first see Shylock encountering Antonio he says, “I hate him for he is a Christian” (1.3.42). Throughout the play Shylock typically begins monologues with an anti-Christian reference or Jewish statement, which shows how aware he is of his different religion and of his isolation from Venetian Society. Shylock is desperate to transcend Venice’s anti-Semitic stereotypes by focusing his attentions on acquiring his “pound of Antonio’s flesh” (2.4.141). In the court scene this reaches a breaking point, as Shylock repeatedly demands for the payment, even when offered sums of money triple the original amount due. Instead the “unlawful” (4.1.72) Jew declares, “My deed upon my head! I crave the law, the penalty and forfeit of my bond” (4.1.212-213) and his ‘craving’ of a ruling shows the extent of his desperation.…
Anti-Semitism is the suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. In the play The Merchant of Venice, there was a very strong anti-Semitic attitude throughout the movie. African Americans also had to deal with hatred, enslavement, and discrimination during the Civil Rights Movement. Anti-Semitism and The Civil Rights Movement have a lot in common. During the Civil Rights Movement African Americans were treated unfairly and discriminated against just like the Jews were. They both were enslaved and treated wrongly because of who they were. The portrayal of Shylock in the movie Merchant of Venice, the Jews in society during the Anti-semantic eras and the portrayal of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement show how both of these two groups were treated in negative discriminating ways.…
The Merchant of Venice was written by Shakespeare and printed for the first time around the sixteen hundreds, just after a revolutionary play that depicted the main character as a great villain and Jew, The Jew of Malta, by Christopher Marlow. Shakespeare’s inclusion of a Jewish character in his play was not usual, and until today it is discussed whether he was trying to show an anti-Semitic opinion or criticise the anti-Semitism of the time.…
Set in Venice, the most important trading centre in the world in Shakespeare’s time. The Jews were segregated from living alongside the Christians and under curfew for their movements at night. They were easily identified by the different clothes they wore. Many were moneylenders who charged interest for the privilege; this was considered to be a sin by Christians, who despised them for it.…
Although critics tend to agree that Shylock is The Merchant of Venice’s most noteworthy figure, no consensus has been reached on whether to read him as a bloodthirsty bogeyman, a clownish Jewish stereotype, or a tragic figure whose sense of decency has been fractured by the persecution he endures. Certainly, Shylock is the play’s antagonist, and he is menacing enough to seriously imperil the happiness of Venice’s businessmen and young lovers alike. Shylock is also, however, a creation of circumstance; even in his single-minded pursuit of a pound of flesh, his frequent mentions of the cruelty he has endured at Christian hands make it hard for us to label him a natural born monster. In one of Shakespeare’s most famous monologues, for example, Shylock argues that Jews are humans and calls his quest for vengeance the product of lessons taught to him by the cruelty of Venetian citizens. On the other hand, Shylock’s coldly calculated attempt to revenge the wrongs done to him by murdering his persecutor, Antonio, prevents us from viewing him in a primarily positive light. Shakespeare gives us unmistakably human moments, but he often steers us against Shylock as well, painting him as a miserly, cruel, and prosaic figure.…
In the context of Merchant of Venice, Jews believe in justice, and following the law and Christians are shown to have mercy. Shylock with his bond prepares to cut Antonio's heart, meanwhile the Christian court begs him and asks why he will not show mercy. Shylock replies saying he doesn’t have a logical reason for why he hates Antonio but he insists on having his bond to for fill his revenge.…
In The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare portrays Shylock as a covetous Jew. Shylock charges interest to those who borrow money from him when they are in need. Shylock is mercenary. Shylock’s love for objects overweighs his love for his own daughter. This character trait shows that in Venetian times, it was a time of greed and selfishness. In The Merchant of Venice, Antonio discriminates against Shylock because he is a Jew. Shylock shows us his human moments –this embodies that he is as much of a human as any Christian in the play. Shylock is vengeful because of his past with Antonio. Shylock’s vengeful attitude shows us that back in Venetian times, it was a time of prejudice and intolerance. William Shakespeare also portrays Shylock as a merciless Jew. This shows us that back in Venetian times, Shylock being merciless is a reflection of the values of Venice of the day.…
Conflicts in "Merchant of Venice" occur as a result of four major life themes: love, money, prejudice and disguise. Shylock, the Jewish moneylender is usually, and somewhat unjustly, held responsible for many of these conflicts. Though Shylock's behaviour is, in many ways, evil,and should by no means be exonerated, the conflicts he does cause are most often merely his vengeful attempt to respond to the prejudices he has experience caused by his religion. In the time of Shakespeare, prejudices were deep-seated and common. Most of society (the white Christians) regarded anybody who was different as inferior and worthy of suspicion, especially those with dark skin or alternate faith. These feelings of superiority were classically expressed by ostracism and isolation of the involved party.…