To what extent is the play a microcosm of the Elizabethan Era? In Elizabethan England‚ many of the general public were anti – Semitic and driven by extreme dislike of other religions other than Christianity. This anti – Semitic sensitivity has lasted since the early ages‚ dating back to 1300 B.C. when the Jews were expelled from Egypt at the end of the nineteenth Dynasty.. Jews were accused of exploiting Christians and they were actually banned from England in 1290‚ and were not allowed back
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Shakespeare’s Purpose of The Merchant of Venice There are different intents to illustrate in each of Shakespeare’s plays. In one of his plays‚ The Merchant of Venice‚ his intent was to illustrate that whatever you do to a person or to a group at the start‚ will always come back to you at the end. (karma) However‚ if we take an honest look at those thing that we have done‚ it doesn’t always come back as the same. Just as judging a person by the cover isn’t always right‚ you need to dig deeper into
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Quek Lin Yuan (25) 212 Act 2 (To be graded) In Act 2 Scene 1‚ Portia is polite towards the Prince of Morocco and assures him that she would not discriminate against him for his dark complexion and he stood and equal chance. “Yourself‚ renowned prince‚ then stood as fair / As any comer I have look’d on yet / For my affection.” However‚ at the end of Scene 7‚ we later learn that Portia is rather racist‚ as she is prejudiced towards others of a very different skin colour‚ when she says “Let all of
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tragedies‚ while others are more ambiguous. The Merchant of Venice is a play that falls under the latter type‚ and it has been hotly contested whether this literary work should be classified a comedy or a tragedy. However‚ since the majority of the characters received a happy ending‚ the abundance of comic relief scenes and characters‚ and lightheartedness of the plot relative to other Shakespearean works leads me to conclude that The Merchant of Venice is indeed a comedy. One of the
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Anti-Semitism in The Merchant of Venice It is my strong belief that the play‚ "The Merchant of Venice"‚ should be taught in classes. If this play was banned from schools it would most certainly be a form of censorship. While minors rights are somewhat limited when it comes to this right‚ I think that even Minors should not be censored from this writing. The play teaches us about prejudice‚ and why it is wrong. People would see how everyone was hurt at one time or another by a prejudice
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Notes merchant of Venice Key characters Shylock‚ Antonio‚ Bassanio‚ Portia Need to know Personality traits How they impact on the plot of the narrative? How they change throughout the play? Key relationships The problems they must overcome Their characters importance in the plot key themes Law‚ mercy and revenge Self-interest vs love Prejudice and intolerance Wealth Greed vs generosity Love and friendship Law‚ mercy and revenge The law can be manipulated (scene 4) Law favors
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The main theme in The Merchant of Venice is the way money and love is viewed by each character. The Christian characters in the play value human relationships over business ones‚ whereas Shylock is only interested in the money. Antonio lends money without interest and puts himself at risk for the people he loves. Shylock destructs over the loss of his money and runs through the streets saying‚ O‚ my ducats! O‚ my daughter!Skylock apparently values his money more than he values his daughter‚ meaning
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Propaganda and The Merchant of Venice Shylock and Nazi Propaganda • "Never trust the artist‚ trust the tale.“ • We will never know what was in Shakespeare’s mind when he began writing "The Merchant of Venice." • what he intended and what he accomplished are not necessarily the same thing • Shylock is meant to be a villain. • his motives and his personality are clear • Given the opportunity he attempts to commit legalized murder. • Shylock is a Jewish villain‚ but he didn’t have to be. He could have been
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Historical Context The historical context of The Merchant of Venice turns‚ for the most part‚ on one question: the status of Jews in Shakespeare’s England. Jews had lived in England throughout the Middle Ages; they were treated then as property of the King‚ and were permitted to stay in England‚ over the protests of the Church‚ only by his "good graces." In fact‚ English kings allowed the Jews to remain in England largely for financial reasons: practicing trades‚ particularly money-lending‚ that
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Asiya Wallace November 30‚ 2012 English 100 Anti- Semitism & The Merchant of Venice 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
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