The Merchant of Venice is a comedy written by Shakespeare‚ but it is arguable that it can also be called a tragedy. A dictionary meaning of a tragedy is‚ “a drama or similar work‚ in which the main character is brought to ruin or otherwise suffers the extreme consequences of some tragic flaw or weakness of character.” Shylock is a main character and succumbs to the tragic flaws he possesses. This play introduces Shylock‚ a Jew fighting against Christian society. Although Shylock is depicted in the
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Final Essay for Merchant of Venice Although the Merchant of Venice‚ written by the renowned playwright William Shakespeare‚ is part of brilliant romantic comedy series‚ it is known largely for its drama and intense allusions to themes and concerns of the time period‚ which may be looked at differently in the modern society. The title of the play refers to the character of Antonio‚ who is ‘the Merchant of Venice’‚ even though the Jewish moneylender‚ Shylock is the more prominent character‚ who leaves
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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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give thee here no jot of blood; the words expressly are ‘a pound of flesh.’ Taken then thy bond‚ take thou thy pound of flesh; but in the cutting it‚ if thou dost shed one drop of Christian blood‚ thy lands and goods are by laws of Venice confiscate unto the state of Venice” Observant even though portia has no right to pick the husband‚ she wants to observe those who seek to marry her anyways "I pray thee‚ overname them‚ and as thou namest them I will describe them; and according to my description
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Shylock as Villian in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice In Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice the antagonist of the play is Shylock. Shylock is a wealthy Jewish moneylender. Shylock is probably the most memorable character in the play because of Shakespeare’s excellent characterization of him. Shylock is the antagonist in the play because he stands in the way of love‚ but this does not necessarily make him the villain of the play. Shylock can be seen as both 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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in the population. According to the definition provided by the United Nations‚ megacities are cities with populations of over 10 million (UNFPA‚ 12). Based on this definition‚ it is expected that the number of megacities in the world will be mostly located in the developing world. However‚ the definition of megacities based on the population size is arbitrary given that the population in any given city changes with context and time. In the ancient times‚ for example‚ Rome‚ which has a population
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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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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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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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