1 day ago · Essay writing on value of reading books, explain the purpose of persuasive essay the bad effect of fast food essay as on the essay merchant venice a romantic of comedy an Write, sat essay 5 pdf my birthday celebration essay in marathi, survey case study examples how to use persuasive techniques in an essay: your hobby essay words Feb 04, · SOURCE: Graham, Cary B. “Standards of Value in The Merchant of Venice.” Shakespeare Quarterly 4, no. 2 (April ): [In the following essay, Graham maintains that shifting standards Take our free The Merchant of Venice quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge. Determine which chapters, themes and styles you already know and what you need to study for your upcoming essay, midterm, or final exam. Take the free quiz now! Directions: Click on the correct answer. Questions of 25
Write an essay on the merchant of venice as a romantic comedy
Antoniomerchant of venice critical essay, a merchant, is in a melancholic state of mind and unable to find a reason for his depression. His friends Salerio and Solanio attempt to cheer him up by telling him that he is only worried about his ships returning safely to port.
Antonio, however, merchant of venice critical essay, denies that he is worried about his ships and remains depressed. His two friends leave after BassanioGraziano and Lorenzo arrive. Graziano and Lorenzo remark that Antonio does not look well before exiting, leaving Bassanio alone with Antonio. Bassanio informs Antonio that he has been prodigal with his money and that he currently has accumulated substantial debts.
Bassanio reveals that he has come up with a plan to pay off his obligations by marrying Portiaa wealthy heiress in Belmont, merchant of venice critical essay.
However, in order to woo Portia, Bassanio needs to borrow enough money so that he can act like a true nobleman. Antonio tells him merchant of venice critical essay all his money is invested in ships at sea, but offers to borrow money for merchant of venice critical essay. Portia, the wealthy heiress, merchant of venice critical essay, discusses her many suitors with her noblewoman Nerissa.
She points out the faults that each of them has, often stereotyping each suitor according to the country from which he has arrived. Nerissa, a gentlewoman who works for Portia, asks her if she remembers a soldier who stayed at Belmont several years before. Portia recalls the man, and says, "Yes, yes, it was Bassanio" 1. Portia's servingman then arrives with news that four of her suitors are leaving, but another, the Prince of Moroccohas arrived. Bassanio in engaged in conversation with Shylocka Jew who makes his living as a moneylender.
Bassanio has asked him for a loan of three thousand ducats, a very large sum at the time, for a period of three months. He further tells Shylock that Antonio is to "be bound," meaning that Antonio will be responsible for repaying the loan. Shylock knows Antonio's reputation well, and agrees to consider the contract. He asks Bassanio if he may speak with Antonio first, and Bassanio invites Shylock to dinner, merchant of venice critical essay. Shylock responds that he will never eat with a Christian.
Antonio arrives at that moment and Bassanio takes him aside. Shylock addresses the audience and informs them that he despises Antonio, merchant of venice critical essay.
He bears an old grudge against Antonio which is not explained, but Shylock is further upset that Antonio lends out money without charging interest, thereby lowering the amount he is able to charge for lending out his own money. Shylock turns to Antonio and tells him why interest is allowed in the Hebrew faith by quoting a biblical passage in which Jacob receives all the striped lambs from his father-in-law.
Antonio asks him if the passage was inserted into the bible to defend interest charges. Shylock replies that, "I cannot tell.
Merchant of venice critical essay make it breed as fast" 1. Antonio is upset that Shylock is considering charging him interest on the loan, and asks Shylock to loan the money without any interest. Shylock tells him that, "I would be friends with you, and have your love" 1. He offers to seal the bond, "in a merry sport" 1. Antonio thinks Shylock is only joking about the pound of flesh, and is happy to seal the contract.
He remarks that, "The Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind" 1. The Merchant of Venicelike so many of Shakespeare's plays, opens with a depressed and melancholy character. The depression of Antonio at merchant of venice critical essay beginning, for which he can give no explanation, is much like Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors.
Portia, the wealthy Belmont heiress, is likewise a depressed and unhappy character merchant of venice critical essay the opening scenes. The reasons for their melancholy, although never directly expressed, are due to their self-absorption. And as with Antipholus in The Comedy of Errors, it is only by taking a huge risk or both that they will be able to overcome their depression.
For Portia, this risk taking can be seen in her love for Bassanio, which will require her to risk her entire inheritance in order for her to win him. For Antonio, the risk is even greater; namely a pound of flesh, representing his very life.
Bassanio represents the gambler who cannot lose. He is the sort of character that will risk everything, and having lost everything, will risk what he does not have. He has often been compared to Jason in the Quest for the Golden Fleece, namely a risk-taker, merchant of venice critical essay. Portia as a character is an odd mixture of various traits.
She is first presented as the ruler of Belmont, clearly in charge of both herself and those around her. However, we soon discover that she is not in charge, indeed it is "the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father" 1. Portia's reliance on the wishes of her dead father therefore contradicts the image of her as Belmont's ruler. Indeed, like many of the women in Shakespeare's plays, she will be unable to alter the plot around her as long as she is a woman. It is only later in the play, by dressing as Balthasara man, that she will finally be able to really command events and manipulate the play.
It is necessary to focus on the conflict between the Christians and the Jews throughout this play. Although the twentieth century has altered the way western civilization portrays the Jew in The Merchant of Venice, the compelling character of Shylock still disturbs and entices his audience.
Shylock has historically been portrayed as a comic character, and in Shakespeare's day would have dressed quite differently from the other characters in order to distinguish himself from the Christians.
The image of Shylock changed rapidly over the years, first making him a villain in the s, a man to be pitied in merchant of venice critical essay, and finally a tragic character in Although Shylock is accused of representing much of what the Christians hate, it is through his conflict with Antonio in particular that Shakespeare pokes holes in merchant of venice critical essay accusations of the Christian men.
The most common error is to assume that the merchant referred to in the title is in fact Shylock himself. This is not the case, since Shylock is only a moneylender. Indeed, the merchant indicated is Antonio, merchant of venice critical essay.
This confusion surrounding Antonio and Shylock is purposeful, for it shows the audience how the Christians are in many ways as awful as the Jews they mock. It also sets the stage for misinterpretation. For example, Shylock states, "Antonio is a good man" 1. Bassanio takes this statement at face value, and agrees that Antonio is a nice man.
The seriousness of the Christian misunderstanding can be seen when Shylock makes the bond with Antonio:. Now Antonio repeats the same mistake made by Bassanio, thinking that Shylock is being "kind" when he agrees to loan the money without interest.
Antonio merchant of venice critical essay "The Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind" 1. Antonio is so convinced that he will be able to repay his debts that Shylock's request for a pound of his flesh as collateral strikes him as a joke, and therefore is not taken at all seriously.
Shylock's willingness to waive the interest payment brings to light an entirely new set of conflicts within the play. Shakespeare draws on Francis Bacon's statement, "It is against nature, for money to beget money," when he portrays the Christians as unselfish givers of all they have. Shylock defends his taking of interest by quoting the passage where Jacob is given the striped lambs. This scene further focuses our attention on the use of sheep imagery in connection to money and breeding. Here Shakespeare plays on the words "use", "usury", and "ewes", all of which will be punned throughout the play.
All the sheep imagery is on Shylock's side throughout, for he is fleecing the Christians, breeding the ewes. He therefore mentions Jacob as his defense for taking interest, and we can note later that Shylock's wife is named Leah, the same name that Jacob's first wife had.
Shylock is also able to make his money breed like sheep through the charging of interest. On the other hand, the Christians have Jason and the Golden Fleece. This image is used in connection with Bassanio, merchant of venice critical essay, the risk-taker, who risks everything to gain everything. The same image will figure later with Antonio, who is represented as a wether, a castrated sheep, merchant of venice critical essay.
Thus the concept is reinforced that Antonio does not make his money breed because he refuses to charge interest. The Question and Answer section for Merchant of Venice is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. Act 2, Scene 2. Gobbo means to say affection, not infection. what causes do salerio and solanio suggest for antonio"s melancholy. Antonio's friends Salerio and Solanio attempt to cheer him up by telling him that he is only worried about his ships returning safely to port.
Solanio suggests Antonio is sad over love but Antonio rejects this idea. What is Gratiano's philosophy to overcome sadness? Gratiano is telling Antonio to "chill out" and have some fun. He says it is better to get laugh lines all over his face than wrinkles from worrying. He would rather overload his liver with alcohol that deny himself a good time:. Merchant of Venice study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, merchant of venice critical essay, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
Merchant of Venice literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Merchant merchant of venice critical essay Venice. Remember me. Forgot your password? Buy Study Guide. One example of malapropism would be He hath a great infection, sir, as one would say, to serve.
He would rather overload his liver with alcohol that deny himself a good time: With mirth and Study Guide for Merchant of Venice Merchant of Venice study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. About Merchant of Venice Merchant of Venice Summary Merchant of Venice Video Character List Act 1 Summary and Analysis Read the Study Guide for Merchant of Venice….
Essays for Merchant of Venice Merchant of Venice literature essays are academic essays for citation. The Victorious Woman in Measure for Measure and The Merchant of Venice Father-Daughter Relationships in The Merchant of Venice Mercy and the Masquerade: Trial and Performance in The Merchant of Venice Christianity and Judaism in The Merchant of Venice: Imperfect Faith The Anti-Semitic Question in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice View our essays for Merchant of Venice….
Story of The Merchant of Venice, critical analysis, William Shakespeare,
, time: 13:35Othello critical essay
Take our free The Merchant of Venice quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge. Determine which chapters, themes and styles you already know and what you need to study for your upcoming essay, midterm, or final exam. Take the free quiz now! Directions: Click on the correct answer. Questions of 25 1 day ago · Essay writing on value of reading books, explain the purpose of persuasive essay the bad effect of fast food essay as on the essay merchant venice a romantic of comedy an Write, sat essay 5 pdf my birthday celebration essay in marathi, survey case study examples how to use persuasive techniques in an essay: your hobby essay words Antonio, a leading merchant of Venice, is a wealthy, respected, and popular man. Among his many friends is a young man named Bassanio, who owes Antonio a good deal of money. Bassanio would like to repay his friend, but so far he has been unable to do so. However, he now feels that he may have found a way — but he will again need a loan from
No comments:
Post a Comment