The Structure Of The Merchant Venice English Literature Essay

The Structure Of The merchant Venice English Literature EssayThe Merchant of Venice is set in 16th century Venice. Venice became a trade meaning as it is located on the coast, surrounded by a sizeable mass of water because of this structure, distribution of goods was easy as it was very tender to surrounding countries. It is the perfect setting for discrimination towards the Jews to occur as they had to tolerate in a ghetto, separated from Christian kind. Being a Jew, noteslender had very few career choices with the only real option universe a money lender. moneylender shows both characteristics of victim and annoyance, this is shown domainy shipway during the play when loan shark has been mis breeded and is out to use up revenge. An example of this would be when shylock is angered by his mistreatment from the Christian Antonio, and then later(a)r schemes to get revenge by the formulation of the bond, demanding for a flummox of Antonios flesh as a forfeit of the loan. lo an shark is often a victimised man in The Merchant of Venice. The Oxford dictionary defines the battle cry victim as soulfulness or something which has been impairment, damaged or killed or has suffered, either because of the actions of someone or something else, or because of illness or chance This is certainly the case with moneylender when the Christians, especially the merchant Antonio treats shylock cruelly and mercilessly on a daily basis, You forecast me misbeliever, cut-throat cut through, And you spit upon my Jewish gabardine, The words spit and dog show that he is completely disrespected and receives a gigantic essence of clapperclaw which a modern audience would find distasteful and I tint very sympathetic about what shylock would pee gone through.not only did Shylock get mistreated by Christians, he was withal a victim of theft by his own daughter, here establish this casket. Furthermore, when she stole the jewels, Jessica abandoned her own father when she eloped with Lorenzo and then deepened her pietism to Christianity, showing that Shylock is really a victim of circumstance. Shylock, a truly broken man tangs alike a part of him is missing and turns to tubal who is a very close friend of his. To add insult to injury, Shylock discovers that Jessica traded his most prized possession, a turquoise ring which was a present from his late wife, for a monkey. I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor I would not hurl given it for a wilderness of monkeys. The word wilderness shows that he would not declare traded the ring for several thousand monkeys, let altogether one monkey. The ring was the only piece of Leah he had left. Although I feel very sympathetic towards Shylock at this point in the story, an Elizabethan audience would find the attitude towards a Jewish man sidesplitting and would laugh at Shylocks despair.I find Shylock as a man with a plea for equality, as he gets treated like an animal, locked up in ghetto where he has to sleep, separated from the Christians and continually creation called call on a daily basis. In the bible, Jesus teaches us to treat each other fairly with respect and love You shall love your neighbor as yourself however the Christians in The Merchant of Venice go against everything their own religions have taught them, making Shylock a victim, a broken man with barely anything or anyone to turn to. I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyeball? Hath not a Jew hands, organs dimensions, senses affections, passions fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons? In this speech Shylock is distraught, I consume him as a man who just wants justice and wants all faiths to be equal. In this speech, Shylock asks rhetorical questions repeatedly for emphasis in what he is saying. We see shylock becoming a broken man at the attempt scene this becomes evident when they address him as Jew instead of his name. Go on, and call the Jew into the court Shylock is being called by his religion as a s ign of disrespect. Then once again for being victimised for being a Jew, Shylock suffers from hubris in the court scene when Portia brings his hopes up for win with the bond, she then crashes them back down, resulting in Shylock having to change his religion to Christianity. We see him as a truly broken man, a social shipwreck survivor in the eyes of the Jews.Although constantly victimised, Shylock excessively shows a great deal of iniquity. The Oxford dictionary defines the word villain as a individual who is guilty or capable of a crime or darkness a wrongdoer a character in a tonic or play whose deplorable actions or motives are important to the plot. Shylock is predominately a villain. This is most obvious with the formulation of the bond, Let the forfeit be nominated for an equal shell of your fair flesh, to be cut out and taken In what part of your body pleaseth me This quotation shows the price which Antonio has to sacrifice if he fails to return the money, I see th is as an opportunity for Shylock to be a revenge seeking villain, with the intention to kill Antonio. The word pleaseth shows that Shylock gets to decide which part of the body the flesh comes from, this becomes nearest the touchwood which shows the hunger he truly has for Antonios flesh.Furthermore, Shylocks mistreatment of Jessica shows that he is an irresponsible and uncaring father. He imprisons her from the world he chose to live in. Lock up my doors and when you hear the gun barrel ..But stop my houses ears-I mean casements. Let not the sound of shallow foppry move in My sober house. Shylock is portrayed as a villain as he orders Jessica about, almost like a slave. The phrase Lock up my doors shows that Shylock has no respect for his own daughter and just commands her to do as he says. In addition, Shylock seems to value his ducats more than the personnel casualty of his daughter, O my daughter Fled with a Christian Only Christian ducatsShylock shows that he is a heartless villain when he finds out from tubal that Antonios ships are lost at see. Shylock and Tubal were discussing the merchants shipwreck from capital of Libya and Shylock openly said I thank thee, good Tubal. fair news, good news Ha, ha Heard in Genoa? Later in their discussion Tubal tells Shylock of Antonios bankruptcy and again Shylock is sunny as he knows as he can extract the pound of flesh I am very glad of it Ill pest him Ill torture him I am glad of it. The words kindle and torture show that Shylock is thirsty for Antonios flesh and is showing villainy and greed.Shylocks hunger for Antonios flesh becomes more apparent in the trial scene, why dost thou whet thy spit so gravely? Shylock sharpens his knife to prepare to cut the pound of flesh out of Antonios body. The word earnestly shows he has serious intent on killing Antonio. Shylock has no intention on leaving the court without the pound of flesh, Ill have my bond speak not against my bond I have blaspheme an oath that I will have my bondIll have my bond.Ill have my bond Shylock repeats the phrase Ill have my bond for emphasis that he is completely confident in receiving a pound of Antonios flesh, which is closest to the heart. Not only did Shylock insist on getting his bond he also refused thrice the sum of money of the original loan. And lawfully by this the Jew may claim A pound of flesh, to be by him cut off Nearest the merchants heart. Be gentle Take thrice thy money bid me tear the bond. Shylock refused mercy, which shows greed, villainy and that he is a truly evil man, with the intention to kill. Shylock also said that he would not accept ten times oer the amount of money, mainly because he wants the bond instead of the money which shows that evil view is dominant in his mind.In conclusion Shylock is a villain, evil is dominant in his thought, largely due to his mistreatment by the Christians. Even though he has been mistreated by Christians, it does not justify taking someones life. Shylo ck gets his retribution at the end of the play when he is forced to convert his religion to Christianity, resulting in him becoming a social outcast, in the eyes of his family, the Jews and the Christians. Shakespeares plays speak to a modern audience, outlining right from wrong. I feel that antisemitism and prejudice are big themes in this play, as they speak to the reader regarding these issues as much today as they did in the past.