William Shakespeares Merchant of Venice - 2271 Words

William Shakespeares Merchant of Venice 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†¦show more content†¦Portia quickly arranges a speedy wedding and then sends the two husbands back to Venice with an offer of several times the Original loan. Lorenzo and Jessica are left to look after the house as Portia and Nerissa pretend to go to a religious retreat to pray for the success of their husbands. In reality, they are going to Venice, with Lawyers robes and Legal advice from one of Portias cousins, Bellario. Antonio has been allowed to visit Shylock from gaol to try and persuade him to be lenient. Shylock, however, is having none of it as he is bent on having his revenge. In court, Antonio casts a sorry figure, he makes it clear that there is no way that Shylock will change his mind and has psychologically resigned himself to his fate. He knows that the law cannot be altered for one mans convenience. After appealing in vain to Shylock, Portia confirms the law. Shylock has all of his apparatus with him and ready prepared. At the last moment just before he is about to kill Antonio, Portia points out that he is not to spill any blood, and that he must take only a pound of flesh, no more, no less. If he breaks this rule then Shylock must die. Also, he has tried to kill a Venetian citizen, so half of his goods must go to his intended victim and the other half of his goods to the state. The Duke now has control over whether Shylock lives orShow MoreRelated Responsibilities in William Shakespeares Merchant of Venice1212 Words   |  5 PagesResponsibilities in William Shakespeares Merchant of Venice The small and seemingly insignificant details in a story often hold together an entire theme of the work. This phenomenon is recognizable in the plays of William Shakespeare, as a speech or incident with a minor character can point the audience to a much larger truth about the work as a whole. The Merchant of Venice contains such a minor character, Lancelot, whose story gives a clue to the reader about the roles of the other charactersRead More Homosexuality in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice1474 Words   |  6 PagesHomosexuality in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice With every great story line comes a theme. William Shakespeare created an art of intertwining often unrecognizable themes within his plays. In Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice, one hidden theme is the idea of homosexuality. This theme might not have even been noticed until modern Shakespeare fans discovered them. According to Alan Bray’s book, Homosexuality in Renaissance England, â€Å"the modern image of ‘the homosexual’Read MoreShylock in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice1694 Words   |  7 PagesShylock in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice Introduction One of the most interesting and dramatic characters in ‘The Merchant of Venice’ is the rich, despised money-lending Jew Shylock. It is impossible to judge Shylock’s character by our own modern Standards, simple because Shakespeare wrote this play for play goers in Elizabethan times. This was very different to modern times for two reasons. Firstly, people watching the play would not find itRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice Essay1262 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare features, Shylock a very controversial character due to his religion, profession and personal traits. Professionally Shylock lends money to people in debt, in order to gain interest and profit. Although, this is very much central to our modern way of life, in the Elizabethan period, money lending was not accepted as an acceptable profession. Throughout The Merchant of VeniceRead MoreShylock in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice1401 Words   |  6 PagesShylock in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice The play begins in Venice where the wealthy merchant Antonio is talking to his young friends about the reasons for the depression. Antonio claims not to understand himself his sad nature. Bassanio arrives with the news that he wishes to court a wealthy, beautiful heiress named Portia. In order to present himself to Portia he wants to borrow 3000 ducats. Bassanio is in terrible debt and he sees marriage to PortiaRead MoreShylock in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice1385 Words   |  6 PagesShylock in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice Through time there have been many successful individuals in literature writers, poets, and play writers. But many would argue that one individuals work and character has stood out from the rest and this special illustrious person being William Shakespeare. In the many dramatic pieces of theatrical production written and the diverse individuality he ahs been able to write about many characters created through greatRead MoreRelationships in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice3131 Words   |  13 PagesRelationships in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeares most popular plays and Act 1 Scene 3 is a key scene. There are three characters involved in the scene and these are: Antonio, Bassanio and Shylock. Shakespeare portrays their characters effectively as well as the contrasting relationships between them. He uses various themes, his language and style and the plot of the bond to achieve this. Before I lookRead MoreEssay William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice2277 Words   |  10 PagesWilliam Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice Introduction The three versions of the Merchant of Venice which I have watched are: 1. Channel 4 television version for their Schools Broadcasting Programmes 2. Trevor Nunns version 3. National Theatre Company version directed by Jonathan Miller and starring Laurence Olivier as Shylock Act IV scene 1 is an intense scene in the play where we see many of the plays main themes such as justice and mercyRead MoreShylock in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice Essay1128 Words   |  5 PagesShylock in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice I am a Jew a famous saying from Shylock in Merchant of Venice that clarifies the merchant brotherhood of a wealthy city. Merchant of Venice contains rascals and heroes. The audiences will soon realise that Shylock, the Jewish money lender, is shown as a villain within the wealthy city. Is this really what Shakespeare had intended? This testimony given proposes that Shylock is more of a deceitful character Read More Mens Control in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice1437 Words   |  6 PagesControl in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice In Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, the scene opens to reveal a society controlled by men. Men, who live in the foreground of Venetian society, wield their power in business, government, and family life. In the background, women conduct their lives quietly. They are subservient to their husbands and fathers and are regarded as helpless and in need of male guidance in areas of decision making. Though in Shakespeare’s time such a