Explore how both original and contemporary audiences might respond to the trial scene in Merchant of Venice. Shakespeare wrote the merchant of Venice in a time when Jews were seen as the most inferior

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Merchant of Venice

Explore how both original and contemporary audiences might respond to the trial scene in Merchant of Venice.

Shakespeare wrote the merchant of Venice in a time when Jews were seen as the most inferior to Christians this was because they were stereotyped for being “money lenders” and doing anything for money but most of all they were blamed for the death of Jesus. It was also said that some of their feature were to resemble that of the devil because of this an original audience would have seen the play as a comedy. A contemporary audience would have watched the play in a more serious state of mind this I because we live in a time were prejudice is seen as wrong, there also more reasons like if the Jews had not killed Jesus he would not have resurrected and the religion of Christianity might not have existed and that Jesus was a Jew himself.

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The merchant of Venice by Shakespeare was originally intended to be a comedy and the original Christian audience would have found Shylocks misfortunes amusing because they were waiting until the Jews was outsmarted by the Christians ,but a contemporary audience might feel sympathy towards Shylock because of the way he is treated.

The original audience would have seen the trial scene as humorous because they know that Jews plan to get a pound of flesh will fail and that in the end shylock would end up getting his comeuppance. Act 4 scene1 line 84 Bassanio  says “for thy ...

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