"We admire Portia as much as we dislike and despise Shylock." Give your response to this statement, using evidence from the play to support your views. Refer to the text, Shakespeare's use of language and prejudices of the time.
"We admire Portia as much as we dislike and despise Shylock." Give your response to this statement, using evidence from the play to support your views. Refer to the text, Shakespeare's use of language and prejudices of the time. To give my response to this statement, I will analyse the two opposite characters of Portia and Shylock. I will analysis the way in which Shakespeare uses language and dramatic devices, and how he uses the prejudices of the Elizabethan era to change our views and opinions of the two characters. Shylock is one of the most confusing characters in all of Shakespeare's plays. On the surface, he is a villain only concerned about money and revenge. This is one way of seeing Shylock. I will first explore the villainous representation of Shylock, the Jew. Many people are villainous in the way they act, and their villainous acts may be rooted in the desire to destroy others, or in the hopes of elevating themselves. Many people may only act "villainous" in reaction to the way they have been treated in the past. Shylock, the Jew, can be seen as the villain or antagonist in the play The Merchant of Venice. Shylock mistreats Antonio, his daughter, Jessica and Launcelot. The first person Shylock mistreats is Launcelot. He mistreats this servant by complaining behind Launcelot's back of his laziness. Shylock says, "The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder,
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice Director- Good evening Chris, lets begin thinking about Act 4, Scene 1. It's crucial we get this bit perfect as it's such an important part of the play. Chris- Indeed, I'm excited about learning more about such a complex and intriguing character. Director- Good, I'm sure you already know this scene explores and develops many controversial and important themes created during the play. Also this is the climatic scene of the play, which brings together the two different plots of Venice and Belmont. Chris- Yes, then it finally reveals the outcome of the bond agreed by Antonio and Shylock previously in the play. Director- Right lets get started look at the start of Act 4, the first thing I notice is the Dukes clearly biased from the start. He describes Shylock as "an inhuman wretch, uncapable of pity, void and empty" Rather than call Shylock his real name the Duke prefers to use discriminating insults to try and undermine and demoralize him. This all reflects the Dukes racist attitude towards Shylock. Chris- He isn't the only one to share this anti-semitic opinion though. Director- Very true, throughout the play we see many characters being openly racist to Shylock and Jews in general. Chris- Yes take Salerio for example in Act 2, Scene 8 he calls Shylock " the villain jew... the dog jew" Director- He does, however at the time in which the play
Is Shylock a victim or a villain?
Is Shylock a victim or a villain? In Elizabethan England, colonies of Jews lived peacefully because of their importance and skills as merchants and usurers. However, Jews were greatly discriminated against. Elizabethans hated the traditional image of the Jew. They saw them as a bogeyman, devil, the killer of Christ and the ultimate in cruelty and greed. The Elizabethans also believed that only Christians could attain salvation and go to Heaven. Usury was a career many Jews pursued but Christians saw this as a sin, so only Jews were allowed to lend money for profit. This meant that Christians had to go to Jews to lend money. The Jews in Venice were shut up in their Ghetto at nightfall every day and were guarded by Christians whose wages they had to pay. All the windows in the Ghetto that looked outwards on the city were blocked up. Jews had to wear red hats to identify them from the Christians. To stay in Venice, Jews had to have a permit which cost a lot of money and they were not allowed to own land so had to pay rent to live in the Ghetto. They were seen as inferior to such an extent that they weren't even called humans by Christians. Overall, Jews were treated were treated very harshly and with severe discrimination, and although they conformed to their established religion, many pretended to be Christian so they would be treated more equally and avoid
Discuss in which Stereotype and prejudice is presented in the play The Merchant of Venice and explain why these would have repealed to the Elizabethan people?
Discuss in which Stereotype and prejudice is presented in the play The Merchant of Venice and explain why these would have repealed to the Elizabethan people? In Elizabethan England, many people were anti-Semitic, driven by their heart, having hatred of each others religions. In the early middle ages, Jews were accused of exploiting Christians. They were actually banned from England in 1290, and were not allowed back into England several decades after 'The Merchant of Venice' had been written. There were still a few Jews living in England despite the ban. A few of them were tolerated. Only being a few they were out numbered, imagining if one somehow got into a fight with a Christian, the Christian would have much more support then the Jew. The Elizabethans were ignorant of the Jewish culture. Shakespeare knowing that the majority of the population was Christian had to write something that they all thought was going on. So he decided to write the Merchant of Venice, in which there are lots of stereotypes and prejudice of people. The play also became very popular in Germany, when Hitler was in power. As you probably know Hitler did not like the Jewish community and many other that did not come under his opinion of a pure race. Due to all these reasons to make his plays successful in the Elizabethan period he had to involve lots of stereotypes and prejudice of a Jew in his
In your opinion does Shakespeare portrayShylock as a victim or a villain
In your opinion does Shakespeare portray Shylock as a victim or a villain Throughout the play 'The Merchant of Venice' there are constant references to various characters and the way they relate to one another, however there is no character so diverse and so complex as Shylock's character. Shakespeare tries to portray Shylock in a number of ways however I believe his main focus in the play, is on his villainous side. This may be portraying the time of Shakespeare where ethnic minorities like Jews were hated and condemned for their religion. Jews like Shylock weren't awarded equal rights during Shakespeare's times and there was definitely a lot of prejudice against them. They were forced to earn a living in ways not practised by Christians like lending money. However this was against Christian religion and therefore Jews were seen as villains for taking part in this type of business, as they were seen to be exploiting their religion to earn money from the Christians. So this is most likely why Shylock is portrayed as such a villainous character; or is he? There are definitely a lot of instances in this play where Shakespeare portrays Shylock as a villain however there are also instances where he is presented as a victim and I believe that in Act 1 scene 3 Shylock is being portrayed as a victim. In this scene Shylock is explaining how Antonio has been abusing him, " Many a
More sinned against, than sinning How far do you agree with this description of how Shylock Is presented in the play?
“More sinned against, than sinning” How far do you agree with this description of how Shylock Is presented in the play? In the play, A Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare presents Shylock as both a man who is sinning but also a man who has been sinned against. Shakespeare shows Shylock as a stereotypical villain as being greedy, malicious and a bitter man who is hated for his money lending but also for his religion. Having said this audience’s nowadays are able to recognise an injustice in the way Shylock is treated. Shylock is shunned from society predominantly due his Jewish background, creating conflicting responses from the audience. In many productions Shylock is portrayed as more of a miserly money lender and malign villain, however to other audiences he is played in a quite different perspective, as a victim of the society around him. Shakespeare achieves all this through the use of various techniques, such imagery,antithesis, repetition and personification. In Act 1 Scene 3, the audience witnesses Shylock for the first time; Shylock nurses a long standing grudge against Antonio, he reveals that he despises Antonio because he is a Christian and also lends without interest therefore bringing down the rate of interest. Here Shylock can be seen to be the one who is sinned against by his contemporaries and is presented as a person who is hated and mocked by Antonio.
With close reference to the text, explore how Shakespeare presents the character Shylock in 'The Merchant Of Venice' and examine how the character could evoke sympathy of a modern audience.
Victoria Newsum GCSE English Literature Coursework The Merchant Of Venice With close reference to the text, explore how Shakespeare presents the character Shylock in 'The Merchant Of Venice' and examine how the character could evoke sympathy of a modern audience. I will be exploring how Shakespeare presents the character of Shylock in 'The Merchant Of Venice' by using close reference of the text. I will also examine how the character of Shylock could evoke sympathy of a modern audience. Throughout 'The Merchant Of Venice' there is a clear separation between Christians and Jews. This separation has been outlined throughout history. Christians and Jews have antagonised each other because of their beliefs. All arguments stem from the fact that Christians and Jews believe different things about Jesus. Christians believe that Jesus was the son of the god and that he sacrificed himself in order to save humanity from sin. Whereas Jews believe that Jesus wasn't the messiah and that when the messiah comes it will take them to the promised land of Zion. The clear anger between Christians and Jews in 'The Merchant Of Venice' can be traced back to the event of the Holocaust. The Holocaust took place between 1941 and 1945. It was the extermination of more than 15 people including Jews. The event of the holocaust was what caused the anger between Christians and Jews. The
Discuss Shakespeare’s presentation of Shylock in the Merchant of Venice
Discuss Shakespeare's presentation of Shylock in the Merchant of Venice In the Merchant of Venice, Shylock is presented in many forms. The first question one must ask is whether the play is Anti-Septic or not. This enables us to see how accurate Shylock's portrayal is. In my opinion the play is not. Shakespeare displays Shylock in both positive and negative ways. In turn, during the play we are able to sympathise with Shylock and to fear him. At the end of the play we are horrified with Shylock's behaviour but can easily understand his way of thinking. This is because throughout the whole play he is abused in various ways. This is why when he does this horrific act; he is seeking revenge rather than pleasure. The play is mostly done to show the Christian prejudice at Shakespeare's time. It shows the malice and hate aimed at Jews, and gives us many examples of their mistreatment. At the time of Shakespeare Jews were stereotypicalised and a certain view was upheld about them. This meant that anyone who was Jewish was automatically selfish and somewhat improper. Shakespeare wanted to exhibit this prejudice and wanted, in my opinion, for us to sympathise with him. Unfortunately, he was not able to do this entirely due to his audience at the time. In Shakespearean times, people were far more prejudice than the people of today. Unlike us, they did not know about the dangers of
In many ways, shylock is a more difficult character for a modern audience than for an Elizabethan audience. With close reference to Act 1 scene 3, Act 3 scene 1 and Act 4 scene 1 show how an actor might reveal the human being behind the stereotype.
Merchant of Venice - Coursework In many ways, shylock is a more difficult character for a modern audience than for an Elizabethan audience. With close reference to Act 1 scene 3, Act 3 scene 1 and Act 4 scene 1 show how an actor might reveal the human being behind the stereotype. The merchant of Venice is a play written in Elizabethan times by William Shakespeare. The play is set in Elizabethan Venice. The play starts with Antonio, a rich merchant, who is depressed without any obvious reason. He denies that he is worried about his merchant ships or that he is in love. Antonio has lent money to his friend Bassanio in the past, but this time Bassanio wants to borrow some money so that he can try for the hand of Portia, who is a wealthy and beautiful heiress. In order to lend Bassanio the money, Antonio himself must borrow money as all of his moneys are on his merchant ships, which are trading to distant countries. Meanwhile, in Belmont, Portia is irritated. This is because of the terms laid down in her father's will. His will says that everyone who wishes to marry her must choose between a casket of gold, silver or lead. Portia must accept the man who chooses the "correct" casket. Also, the suitors must take an oath never to marry if they fail in this contest. Half a dozen totally unsuitable young men leave rather than taking their chances. The next candidate up to choose
In 'The Merchant of Venice' in Act 1 Scene 3, Shylock is described as being 'the devil' by Antonio. To what extent do you agree that he is the villain in the play?
In 'The Merchant of Venice' in Act 1 Scene 3, Shylock is described as being 'the devil' by Antonio. To what extent do you agree that he is the villain in the play? Shylock's character in Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice' has long been a controversial subject- more so now than it was when the play was written in the late 16th Century. First performed in 1605, it seemingly conforms to the anti-semitic stereotypes towards Jews and their conduct but, unlike Shakespeare's rival's work ('The Jew of Malta) by Christopher Marlowe, the main Jewish character is attributed not only the negative traits associated with Jews at the time, but also a side that sees to show humanity. Therefore, in this essay, it is my aim to explore whether calling Shylock the villain in the play is justified or not based on his actions and those of the characters surrounding him (to see if there is evidence of provocation), and placing this into the context of Elizabethan England and thus coming to conclusions abut whether views towards the extent of his villainy have remained the same. The one single action in the play which seems most convictive of Shylock is his argument with argument over the lending of 3,000 ducats-and the penalty fixed in case of its late return in Act 3 scene 1. The very notion of imposing such a brutal penalty seems to us shocking in its severity and absurdity, but, of course,