The Roles of Portia and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice...

Stereotypes for every different religion, ethnicity, culture, and gender exist among the minds of the human race. These typecasts have ruled this world for as long as there has been diversity among people. In Shakespeare’s comedic tragedy, The Merchant of Venice, one prejudice is very central to the theme. The play is dominantly set in Venice, one of the most liberal cities of the Renaissance era. In this place and time period, anti-Semitism is very much in force. The Jewish people are discriminated against and treated terribly by the Christians living in Venice. Shylock, a wealthy Jew, is mercilessly spurned many times by men like Antonio, a Venetian merchant. In contrast to this blind hatred is the longing and lust associated with†¦show more content†¦I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes?† (III.i.53-58). He is making it clear that Antonio has committed multiple acts of cruelty against Shylock merely because of his religion. Shylock goes on to portray that Jews are exactly like Christians except in their beliefs, and that there is no justified reason for their contempt for Jewish people. Although he is a usurer, which is considered an undignified position for anyone to be in, as a Jew, Shylock is the target of a great amount of derision. In Wheeler’s truthful depiction of the play, he states, â€Å"Above all, [Shylock] is a Jew. In his most famous speech he asserts the fundamental humanity of his nation, but the Christians persist in calling him ‘the Jew’ and the laws of Venice make him an alien.† Conversely, Portia is a well respected Christian woman living in the nearby city of Belmont. As a Christian, she is not discriminated against because of her religion and she enjoys many rights and privileges that Shylock and the Jewish people do not. Merely the fact that she is Christian allows her more freedom than Shylock could ever dream to achieve. She, not unlike the rest of the Christian people, believe that they have the right to judge Jews and others that they deem are beneath them. For instance, when Morocco, a player in Portia’s â€Å"marriage lottery†, leaves after picking the wrong casket, Portia says, â€Å"A gentle riddance! DrawShow MoreRelatedThe Theme Of Revenge In The Merchant Of Venice1118 Words   |  5 PagesRevenge is the central theme of The Merchant of Venice as the plot is centred around the theme of revenge, vengefulness is one of the main character traits present in a sizable number of characters and the main moral message is that revenge is a poor choice. While other themes in the play are present in the plot and moral message and the themes of love and friendship are more prevalent in the majority of the characters, revenge plays a more significant role in the play. These factors lead to a playRead MoreThe Merchant Of Venice As A Tragedy1363 Words   |  6 PagesThe Merchant of Venice is a tragedy Jean Racine, a French dramatist of the 17th century France, states, â€Å"Life is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel† (Goodreads). In the early days of its staging, the play The Merchant of Venice written by William Shakespeare is considered to be a comedy, but as the world develops there is controversy as whether to believe that the play is actually a tragedy. The play is centered on two main plots: the bond plot and the casket plot. The bondRead More 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 characters in theRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Portia 1535 Words   |  7 Pagesof the play revolves. By this test, Portia is also the protagonist, as without her, very little in the play would have remained the same. Had Bassanio not been in love with Portia, he never would have asked Antonio for the money to woo her and Antonio would not have entered into the bond with Shylock. Similarly, had the laws in the Court of Justice been interpreted by any other lawyer, it I likely that Antonio would have lost his life. At 588 lines, Portia also has more lines than any other character;Read MoreThe Three Plots of The Merchant of Venice779 Words   |  4 Pages Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is a simple story line with three distinct plot lines incorporated into each other intricately. These three plot lines are the bond plot, the casket plot, and the ring plot, each equally vital to the meaning and conclusion of the play. In this essay, I will discuss the roles of the characters in the plot, the symbols, images, and rhetorical figures central to each plot, and finally how the events of the three plots are intertwined. The first sign that the threeRead MoreThe Merchant of Venice938 Words   |  4 PagesHate The Merchant of Venice a play written by the famous poet and play writer, William Shakespeare, in the year 1596 - 1598. It is based on both love and hate. Shakespeare demonstrates the themes of love and hate clearly through various character. The friendship love is shown through Antonio towards Bassanio, romantic love is shown through Portia and Bassanio and self love is shown through shylock. However Shakespeare also illustrates hates during the play through the characters shylock and AntonioRead MoreThe Merchant Of Venice : Tragedy, Comedy Or Tragicomedy1363 Words   |  6 PagesProfessor Silva English 200 13 January 2017 The Merchant of Venice: Tragedy, Comedy or Tragicomedy Can time and historical events affect the categorization of a literary piece? William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is a play that is difficult to classify in a specific genre. It is often referred to as one of his problem plays. This means that it does not easily fall into a single category. Most literary sources categorize The Merchant of Venice as a comedy because it fits the description byRead MoreThe Rings of Power: Symbolic Exchange in the Merchant of Venice1595 Words   |  7 PagesThe Rings of Power: Symbolic Exchange in The Merchant of Venice Rings are significant to the narrative of The Merchant of Venice for several reasons. Firstly, as symbols of love, wealth and power. Secondly, as a means through which Portia gives and then regains control of herself, her weath and power and finally, the theft and sale of Leahs turquoise ring acts as a source of sympathy towards Shylock and allows him to parallel the Christian husbands, Bassanio and Graziano. A ring is, in andRead MoreMerchant Of Venice Character Analysis1027 Words   |  5 PagesThe characters in The Merchant of Venice teeter between the roles of protagonist and antagonist as Antonio, Shylock, and Portia contend among the unstable lines between that of victim, villain, and hero as the characters reveal their tendencies of schadenfreude behavior which discloses on their true nature -- are they innately evil or are they justly moral? Antonio, the regarded protagonist of the play, and the merchant that is named in the title of The Merchant of Venice is shown as a characterRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Merchant Of Venice 1189 Words   |  5 PagesThe Merchant of Venice, is the hostile relationship between Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, and Antonio, a Christian trader. The two gentlemen have a deep history of hatred due to personal injuries and Antonio’s refusal to collect interest on loans. This hatred comes to a climax when Antonio’s friend, Bassanio wishes to borrow three thousands ducats from Antonio so he can travel to Belmont and win over the beautiful Portia. Lacking money to loan Bassanio, Antonio borrows the money from Shylock. Knowing