Throughout the play‚ The Merchant of Venice‚ Shakespeare cultivates the idea of “Shylock the Jew” being both a villain and a victim each depending on the reader’s interpretation of the play. 16th century Venice was largely Roman Catholic and Christian. I think in correctly interpreting the play‚ we have to take a look at what influences Shakespeare may have had in devising Shylock’s character. In 16th century Europe‚ there was a massive revolt called the Reformation led by Saxon Monk named
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Because revenge is unjustified‚ it is easier for Iago to perform evil actions because he is the play’s villain; whereas‚ it is difficult for Hamlet to perform evil actions because he is a protagonist. Shakespeare’s placement of character traits creates a large impact on Iago and Hamlet’s revenge strategies. Because Iago is an antagonist‚ committing evil crimes is what his persona is meant to do. Villains are primarily ones to hold solely evil traits with little room for sympathy or improving one’s mentality
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Deformed in body and twisted in mind‚ Richard is in every way the dominant character of the play‚ to the extent that he is both the play’s protagonist and major villain. He is selfish‚ evil‚ corrupt‚ sadistic‚ and manipulative. His intelligence‚ political brilliance‚ and dazzling use of language keeps the audience fascinated and his subjects and rivals under his control. At the beginning of the play‚ it is made clear to the audience that Richard has no justification for seizing the throne. This
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Task: Shylock: Victim or Villain? From the book ’The Merchant of Venice.’ Written by William Shakespeare Shakespeare sets his play within the 16th century. During this time Venice was a powerful city involved in trade and was a strong believer in the religion of Christianity. In the Merchant of Venice‚ Shylock is the only Jewish character‚ he is complicated‚ yet wise‚ and the one who gets tormented‚ mocked and humiliated in front of everyone. The
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In today’s society‚ one does not need to wear a cape or be able to fly to be a hero. Someone does not need to wear black and have an evil laugh to be a villain either. Today‚ an ordinary‚ everyday person can be transformed into a hero or villain almost instantly. A catalyst is definitely needed to perform this transformation. An event usually has to pull out the heroic traits of a person. For instance a person who witnesses a car accident and this person runs to the scene of the burning car and
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victim and villain. The concept of the villain has evolved over the years‚ however its basis still rests upon the simple fact that as a character in the story‚ their actions are a result of malicious intentions ultimately negatively impacting the other characters in the story; that is they are the antagonist. Whether it is Tybalt from Romeo and Juliet‚ the wicked witch of the west from The Wizard of Oz‚ Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter‚ or Victor Frankenstein in Frankenstein‚ all villains possess certain
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his immoral actions that hurt those around him? It is true that Catherine is extremely selfish‚ but she never intentionally or deliberately planned to hurt anyone in this novel. Heathcliff’s manipulative and vengeful actions are truly those of a villain. Heathcliff as a Victim: Nelly’s unwillingness to acknowledge Heathcliff’s presence to Catherine in a crucial time allowed him to overhear the hurtful things that she was saying. If Nelly had tried to stop Heathcliff from running away‚ he may have
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Iago the Master Villain In the play Othello by William Shakespeare the character Iago is a brilliantly devised character. He is the nemesis to Othello‚ a general in the Roman military yet is his friend and trusted companion. Iago is such a villain that everyone around him trusts him and feels that he is a confidant‚ Othello the most. In the beginning the of the play Iago even says it himself that he is a liar and cheat and that he is not what he seems to be. "I am not what I am" (I‚ 1‚ 65). This
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Katie Parlier Villain‚ Hero‚ or Victim? Jay Gatsby is one of America’s most prized antagonists who the reader genuinely wants to believe in but his personae of a hero is falsely presented and admired. Characters are commonly placed in either the hero or villain category‚ but Gatsby is the exception because he exhibits more qualities of a victim. Gatsby has fallen victimized by Daisy’s guise. During the initial relationship between Daisy and Gatsby in Kentucky‚ Daisy continues to encourage Gatsby’s
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very courageous‚ I resonate more with the villain because they are smarter and more creative‚ always stand up for what they believe in‚ and are willing to do anything to achieve their goals. I will take these values with me into the next stage of my life. As Marilyn Manson once said‚ “In any story‚ the villain is the catalyst. The hero’s not a person who will bend the rules or show the cracks in his armor. He’s one-dimensional intentionally‚ but the villain is the person who owns up to what he is
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