Merchant of Venice: Stereotypes‚ Shakespeare‚ and You In the play The Merchant of Venice‚ Shakespeare uses a variety of examples to show stereotypes. These examples are both shown for and against the specific stereotype‚ whatever it may be. This can range from how women were treated‚ how jews were treated‚ and how christians were treated. These were humorous at the time‚ but now our society has grown out of that and “matured” itself. Shakespeare reinforces and also critiques the stereotypes of
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Money versus Love/Human Relationships Which is more important to you in life‚ money or love? Both are important and necessary parts of life‚ but which one brings more of the other? In the The Merchant Of Venice it seems that money is the more important thing in several places within the play‚ money is mentioned before a person as well as love itself. This is a consistent pattern throughout the play with the majority of the characters but this is highlighted within the lines of Shylock The Jew
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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
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In the graphic memoir Fun Home‚ Alison Bechdel records her unusual relationship with her late father Bruce Bechdel and reveals her family secrets. Throughout Chapter Three‚ she speculates about the cause of her father’s death after first knowing this catastrophe and makes a comparison between F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous character Jay Gatsby and her father. In this allusion‚ Bechdel highlights the deep influence of Fitzgerald on her father‚ in that Bruce was fascinated by Fitzgerald’s lifestyle and
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chooses the right casket‚ he will get to marry Portia and gain all of her wealth as well. In the beginning of his speech‚ Bassanio is reacting to the song that is being sung by one of Portia’s servants. As he gives his speech‚ we are captivated by his many metaphors and by the suspense of his words. The entire time he is speaking‚ we wonder which casket he will ultimately choose. Before this scene‚ Portia explained that in her father’s will‚ he set her marriage up in a way that men from all over
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In Shakespeare ’s The Merchant of Venice‚ Shylock is a Jew who struggles to adjust to a Christian society that belittles him. Antonio is a devout Christian. Shylock’s relationship with Antonio reveals that he is biased against Christians‚ and in this way both Shylock and Antonio exhibit similarities in how each perceive "the other." Both Shylock and Antonio are racially biased and they both put down each other. Shylock claims to be victimized by Christians; however‚ he exploits Christians in business
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previously limited to that of the stage Jew. While most adopted this general theme using it to mock Jews in the hopes of a cheap laugh‚ one play has stood the test of time. This is of course none other then the Shakespearean masterpiece The Merchant of Venice. During the Elizabethan period‚ the concept of a Jew was based on rumour and the occasional public performance‚ for example Christopher Marlow’s infamous play “The Jew of Malta” in which a greedy stage Jew tries to poison‚ murder and generally
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ACT III RECAP SCENE 1- Act 3 begins on a street in Venice with Salanio and Salarino. Salanio and Salarino are concerned by news that Antonio has lost a ship. Shylock comes on the scene and Salanio and Salarino ask of news among the merchants. Shylock can only talk of his daughter’s betrayal. They express the opinion that she is very different from her father and it was time for Jessica to leave. They then question Shylock directly about the news of Antonio’s ship. Shylock states that he will need
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In Shakespeare’s edgy and suspenseful play‚ “The Merchant of Venice”‚ the character of Shylock may evoke complex feelings within the reader. Shylock is clearly a villain in the sense that he takes repeatedly takes advantage of people in vulnerable economic situations and makes a handsome living in this way. He is not an inherently likeable character throughout “The Merchant of Venice” by Shakespeare; he avoids friendships‚ he is cranky‚ and he is steadfast in his beliefs to the point of being rigid
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Jasdeep Bains Mrs. Valdez ENG2D1-05 Wednesday May 28‚ 2008 Appearance Vs Reality in Merchant Of Venice This theme of Appearance Vs. Reality is used throughout the play to mislead and confuse so things may not always be what they seem. Shakespeare uses deception to enhance the unfolding drama and involve his audience more fully in the play – the audience are party to deceptions which the characters themselves are unaware of. Prejudice was common and the word “Jew” applied to hardhearted unscrupulous
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