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Merchant of Venice
Original title Merchant of Venice
Author Linda Wendler
Language English
Characters Antonio, Shylock, Portia, Bassanio, JessicaShylock, Antonio, Portia, Jessica
Published 1596
ISBN 978-0-7434-7276-9
Book Summary
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The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare. The play is set in Venice and revolves around the character of Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. Shylock loans money to Antonio, a Christian merchant, and when Antonio is unable to repay the loan, Shylock demands a pound of Antonio’s flesh.
The play is a commentary on anti-Semitism, and the character of Shylock is often seen as a symbol of Jewish persecution.

  • 1Feminism in The Merchant of Venice: Radical Feminist Perspective
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    Music sound while he doth make his choice. Let us all ring fancy's knell I'll begin it- Ding, Dong, bell. Ding, Dong, bell'. Apparently, the situation correlates with the comprehensive patriarchy and its power. Portia however, appeared to work against the oppressive agreement she was bound to and chart the itinerary of the selection of her husband. In addition to the creation of a balance in her destiny by manipulating father's will, both Portia and Nerissa are able to show…
    Gender
  • 2Trade And Religion Issues in Merchant of Venice
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    Explore and analyse the ways in which ideas and language often associated with trade and religion are used by William Shakespeare in the early scenes of his play ‘The Merchant of Venice’. The trades first apparent in the early scenes of The Merchant of Venice begin with Antonio and Bassanio’s relationship. In effect, Antonio buys his time with the man he loves, who uses this money in turn for a very different trade, yet one very much concerned with ‘love’…
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  • 3The Merchant Of Venice By Shakespeare
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    The Merchant of Venice offers many different perspectives from which it could be read. Should this play be read as a Tragedy because of Shylock’s expirience as a cultural outsider? Or should this be read as a comedy because of Portia’s movement from being a powerless women to a powerful woman? This play should ultimately be read as a problem play because of all the problems each of the characters experience: Portia vs. her dad’s tradition, Antonio vs. his duplicity…
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  • 4Summary: Feminism Aspects In Shakespeare’s Plays
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    Feminism is a women’s rights movement that has been practiced for centuries and it pursues equal opportunities for men and woman. The global idea of feminism is the acceptance that woman and men both deserve equal treatment, respect, and social rights. It focuses on political and social movements and a feminists’ goal is to achieve political, economic, personal and social equality of all sexes. Although feminism was not in the spotlight during the 1500’s and 1600’s, Shakespeare still incorporated many…
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  • 5Main Features Of Antagonist Shylock
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    The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, is a play about Antonio, a wealthy merchant, who takes a loan from a Jewish usurer named Shylock in 16th-Century Venice. Antonio uses the money to furnish a trip to Belmont, to assist his close friend Bassanio in seeking to marry Portia, the daughter of a wealthy aristocrat. As the most prominent Jewish character in the play, Shylock is subjected to cruel treatment from Antonio and numerous others, variously being spat on, called…
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  • 6The Merchant Of Venice In light Of Post-Colonialism
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    This research aimed to identify play The Merchant of Venice in light of post-colonialism. As the post colonial theory deals with the questioning of racial identity, ethnicity and social structures likewise, the paper will investigate the existence of post- colonial elements within Shakespeare’s play written way before the development of the concept of colonizer and colonized.A comprehensive investigation of William Shakespeare plays reveal the doctrine of societal construct which was new and common during 1600s. Shakespeare’s plays elucidate the streaks…
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  • 7Different Ways Of Mercy in Titus Andronicus And The Merchant of Venice
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    Mercy in Shakespeare Throughout Shakespeare’s plays, characters are often presented with opportunities to have mercy on others, but this is not always the case. In both Titus Andronicus and The Merchant of Venice, Tamora and Portia view mercy in different ways yet cannot stay true to them when given the opportunity. Tamora views mercy as a godlike attribute which could have been a ploy to inflate Titus’ ego in an attempt to save her son. Contrastingly Portia sees mercy as…
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  • 8Happiness and Sadness in The Merchant of Venice
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    The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare is a play that contains a bizarre blend of happiness and sadness. The main characters experience conflicting emotions that change quickly from one scene to another. This essay will discuss this strange mixture. The play starts with the merchant of Venice, Antonio, discussing his melancholy with his friends Solanio and Salarino. This sadness seems to haunt him throughout the play, as he is always presented as rather morose and is even resigned to…
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  • 9Gender Roles in The Merchant of Venice
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    16th century men and women were often confined to certain gender roles within society. This was often upheld in literature and plays during this time. Men were portrayed as independent, brave and strong- the heroes of the text, while women were expected to be weak, submissive and vulnerable. Throughout The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare actively appears to challenge these stereotypes that were deeply rooted in Elizabethan society. Throughout this essay I will be discussing how this was achieved and to…
    Gender Roles
  • 10Formalistic, Sociological, And Psychological Analysis Of The Merchant Of Venice By William Shakespeare
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    If you give something out of care, someone will also care for you. The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare is an inspiring play that gives spectators a lesson timely needed. The play is about a young, penny-less man, Bossanio and his merchant friend, Antonio. The play shows a magnificent story of friendships and how they fought side by side against all odds without shedding blood. It also disports idea that, when you have a true friend, you know you…
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  • 11Exploring Portia and Bassanio’s Connection
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    IntroductionThe relationship between Portia and Bassanio in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" is a captivating portrayal of love, sacrifice, and personal growth. Their connection is layered with complexity, reflecting the themes of loyalty, identity, and the power of love. This essay delves deeper into the intricacies of their relationship, analyzing their interactions and the impact they have on the play's narrative and themes.Love Amidst UncertaintyTheir relationship begins with an element of uncertainty: Bassanio's Financial Dilemma: Bassanio's financial situation drives him…
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  • 12The Merchant Of Venice: a Brief Play Summary
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    Antonio, a Venetian businessperson, whose friend Bassanio is urgently in want of cash to present himself Portia, a rich mistress who lives within the town of Belmont. Bassanio asks Antonio for a loan so as to travel in vogue to Portia's estate. Antonio accepts but could not find the loan himself because his trade ships that are still at sea. Antonio suggests that Bassanio to get the loan from one among the city's moneylenders and name Antonio as the loan's…
  • 13Shylock’s Hatred in The Merchant Of Venice By William Shakespeare
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    Shylock’s character in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice is essentially evil; he is meant to be hated by the reader. He is portrayed as a devil-like being throughout the entire play, someone purely just evil. However, it can be argued that maybe Shylock’s behavior and his personality is justified. It can be said that he is just a sad man who later became angry. It is clear throughout the play that Shylock is hated by the Venetian society.…
  • 14For or Against Anti-Semitism
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    Another completely opposite reading of Shylock portrays him as a victim of harsh oppression. When Shylock responds to Salerio, “If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge,” he continues on to say, “[Antonio] hath disgraced me, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation.” While Shylock’s clear memory of every misdeed Antonio ever committed against him can be read as calculated and vindictive, the fact that he does not act the way he does…
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  • 15The Point of Comedy in Plays
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    That will ask some tears in the true performing of it. If I do it, let the audience look to their eyes. I will move storms. I will condole in some measure.—To the rest.—Yet my chief humor is for a tyrant. I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in to make all split. The raging rocks And shivering shocks Shall break the locks Of prison gates. And Phoebus' car Shall shine from far And make…
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  • 16Punch Line of Characters in Plays
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    Ruskin begins with Shakespearean plays and how it has no heroes or entirely heroic figure except Henry V who was overexaggerated and Valentine in the two gentle men on vernona. Othello is the only character that would fit the heroic type if he wasn’t shown to be oversimplified and a prey. Coriolanus, Caesar and Anthony had flawed strength and eventually fell due to their pride. Hamlet was lazy, Romeo was impatient, The Merchant of Venice gave in too submissively to…
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  • 17Shylock from Merchant of Venice
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    One of the most unforgettable characters in all of Shakespeare’s plays is Shylock from Merchant of Venice. The question at hand is who Shylock really is and where Shakespeare got the idea to write this character. While many critics like to argue that Shakespeare did not write an anti-sematic piece, it is undeniable, looking at the text, that he indeed painted a greedy and money-hungry usurer. However, Jews had been expelled in England for over three hundred years by the…
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  • 18Love in The Merchant of Venice
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    Love is a complicated aspect of human nature that defines the character of an individual and their values, as demonstrated in many of the works of William Shakespeare. In Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, the loving relationships that are formed, or in some cases not formed, among many of the characters create both accord and conflict in Venice. The love that Antonio and Bassanio have for each other is crucial to the development of the plot and creates repercussions for…
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  • 19Is Shylock Absolutely Villain?
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    In the Dukes opinion (Act iv, Sc.1) Shylock is "... an inhuman wretch." Do you agree? Do you feel that Shylock receives, "justice" at the end of the play? The Merchant of Venice was written by William Shakespeare, between 1596 and 1598. It was first published in 1600. Although this play is described as a romantic comedy, there is an underlying plot of moral dimension in the development of Shylocks character. Shylock is a Jew and at this time Jews…
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  • 20Shylock as a Victim and as a Villain
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    Shylock is sometimes a victim and sometimes a villain although his punishment, in my opinion, was not completely deserved. He first appears in Act 1, Scene 3, when Bassanio and Antonio ask him for the loan of 3,000 ducats. Shylock is plotting his revenge on Antonio, he clearly hates Antonio "for he is a Christian" and because he lends money without charging interest and so, brings down the rate of interest in the money lending business. Shylock is reluctant to…
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  • 21The Enigma of Shylock: Unveiling Villainy Beyond Religious Veils
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    In William Shakespeare's renowned play, "The Merchant of Venice," the character of Shylock emerges as a complex and intriguing figure. Often, the assumption that religious beliefs inherently dictate one's moral character is challenged. Shylock's portrayal offers a nuanced exploration of the relationship between faith and morality. This essay delves into Shylock's multifaceted personality, dissecting his actions, relationships, and motivations to reveal a character whose villainous traits extend beyond religious differences. The Facade of Goodness Shakespeare artfully constructs Shylock as a…
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  • 22Two Central Themes of The Merchant of Venice
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    In the play, The Merchant of Venice, there are two central themes, Vengeance and Mercy. Shylock is the king of vengeance. The contract he has Antonio sign show us his crude sense of revenge. “Go with me to a notary, seal m there your single bond and In a merry sport, if you repay me not on such a day, in such a place, such sum or sums ars are expressed in the condition let the forfeit be nominated for…
  • 23The Merchant of Venice: Is Shylock a Villain?
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    Unlike Shakespeare’s other villains, Shylock is not depicted as a clear-cut villain. Which makes us wonder, is he really a villain? Throughout the story, Shylock has been portrayed in numerous ways. A father, a moneylender, and a faithful Jew. Different instances in the play force us to form an opinion on his character. This opinion keeps changing with the change of scenes and events. So the question arises- Is Shylock a villain or a victim throughout this play? When Shylock…
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  • 24Shylock The Paradox Villain And Victim English Literature Essay
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    In `` The Merchant of Venice '' , Shakespeare portrays Shylock as a self-contradictory character since he is a selfish, heartless, and money-grubbing stereotyped Jew of the clip who experiences persecution by the Venetian citizens. Although Shylock is represented as a cruel and unusual monster there is concluding to his maliciousness due to the fortunes he 's been dealt with by populating in an antisemitism community. The transition, `` I have possessed your grace of what I purpose, '' (…
    English Language
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  • 25Merchant of Venice – Shakespeare’s Style
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    Shakespeare's style and language are very unique, elegant, and are quite complicated to understand for readers nowadays. Even though it is quite tricky, people nowadays are still interested in all of Shakespeare's plays. Shakespeare didn't write his plays in a particular way to make it difficult or to be clever. Like every writer, he writes so that people can enjoy his stories. He created a particular style to try to make his stories more enjoyable. This is the same as…
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  • 26Christainity in “The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare
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    The Christain characters in The Merchant of Venice displayed extreme prejudice towards Shylock and his daughter. The Venice society seemed to create separation between charistians and jews by calling the jews 'others' and by doing so it a shared bond that all of the christians had. This can be seen when even the clown Launcelot left Shylock to serve Bassanio. I believe Shakespeare himself shares his characters’ certainty that the Jews are inferior to Christians because of Shylock's refusal to…
    Religion
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  • 27Jessica’s Presentation and Major Themes in the Play
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    Portia is generally considered as the heroine of William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, while the play's second-most prominent female character, Shylock's daughter, Jessica, is largely ignored in lots of feminist criticisms of the play. This might be due to Portia's more evident adherence that Shakespeare used in his comedies to create the class of characters we now view as modern feminist ideals: she is witty, confident, brave, and altruistic, and Jessica is none of those things. Portia is…
    ChristianityLight
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  • 28Shylock: Victim or Villain?
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    'The Merchant of Venice' is a play composed by William Shakespeare between 1594-1597, it is stated to be his most suspenseful comedy. It's rumoured that sources of inspiration for this play are a story called 'The Simpleton by Giovanni Fiorentino and Christopher Marlowe's play, 'The Jew of Malta' in 1589. Although, 'The Merchant of Venice' was composed during Elizabeth Is reign as Queen, there is no evidence it was carried out up until the reign of James I, when it…
    Villains
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  • 29Shylock in the Merchant of Venice
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    J. R Brown writes in his introduction to "The Merchant of Venice" that as modern readers we "carry our knowledge of the holocaust throughout the text. " Due to the atrocities of the Nazi regime, modern readers are quick to sympathise with the play's Jewish character Shylock and pity his isolation and rejection by Christian society. However when examining Shylock, we must distance ourselves from current, more enlightened attitudes towards the Jewish people and closely analyse the use of language…
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  • 30Merchant of Venice Essay Outline
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    I. INTRODUCTION: A. Is Shylock a man "more sinned against than sinning,” or does he take his revenge too far in the pursuit of his pound of flesh? B. The wrongs against Shylock climax in the courtroom scene. He has lost his ducats, daughter, and now his religion. C. Thesis: The absolute epitome of selfishness can be described from within Shylock’s character; that selfishness is what prevents any would-be sympathizers from being able to fully commit themselves to Shylock’s case.…
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  • 31Relation Between “Jew of Malta” and “The Merchant of Venice”
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    The two novels, Christopher Marlowe’s ‘The Jew of Malta’ and William Shakespeare’s ‘The Merchant of Venice’, the main characters are Jews, a characteristic that makes the comparison of the books easier. However, the way the characters are presented has made the two stories have deep and active anti-Semitic notions and messages. Right from the beginning of the play, we can see some clear negative stereotypes towards Jews. Barabbas is undoubtedly portrayed as a man who loves money to an extent…
    PrejudiceRacism
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  • 32Properties of Friendship in The Merchant of Venice
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    From ancient times, through to the Renaissance, friendship between two men was regarded as the highest form of social relationship, even surpassing that between a man and a woman in matrimony. This is portrayed through “The Merchant of Venice”, written by William Shakespeare which was written between 1556 and 1558. This platonic natured friendship is still portrayed in modern literature, but due to changed opinions because of the society in which it was written it is more subtle in expressions…
    Friendship
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  • 33The Merchant of Venice: Analysis of Portia
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    “Oh, me, the word ‘choose’! I may neither choose who I would nor refuse who I dislike; so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father. Is it not hard, Nerissa, that I cannot choose one nor refuse none? (Act 1 Scene 2 lines 22~25) “In terms of choice I am not solely led by nice direction of a maiden’s eyes. Besides, the lott’ry of my destiny bars me the right of voluntary…
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  • 34The Merchant of Venice Shylock
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    In the play The Merchant of Venice Shylock, a rich Jewish moneylender in Venice agrees to loan Bassanio three thousand ducats on Antonio’s guarantee. Shylock is made to be the villain in the Merchant of Venice because of some of the things he does. But even though he may not have been the only one in the wrong, he is still guilty of the deadly sins of, avarice, envy, and wrath. Shylock is guilty of avarice for these reasons; for…
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  • 35Theme of Discrimination in Merchant of Venice
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    “The tragic feeling is invoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life, if need be, to secure one thing, his sense of personal dignity” – Arthur Miller. Leading up to Shylock’s trial he undergoes a lot of struggle with regards to his bond with Antonio where. Antonio deceives Shylock when he doesn’t pay him and escapes the clause of the bond (pound of flesh). Shylock At the same time…
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  • 36Analysis on “The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare
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    In life, things are not always what they seem. People may appear to be one way but turn out to be an entirely different. The romantic-comedy, The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, shows the deliberate use of deception by the characters. Deception is a tool that is used for many purposes. The purposes can be harmful, protective or for personal gain. In The Merchant of Venice, Portia, Jessica, and Shylock are all characters who use deception to carry out…
    Deception
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  • 37“A Merchant of Venice” Essay
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    In the play The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare reveals Portia's character in a variety of different ways. She seems to have multiple personalities, and it is very difficult for one to conclude whether she is kind or cruel. For example, she could be said to be prejudiced and sly, while also very caring. Portia is quick to judge others on appearances and first impressions. In scene II, when Portia is discussing her suitors with Nerissa, she explains all of the…
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  • 38“The Merchant of Venice” as a Tragicomedy
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    Consider the play as a tragicomedy Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice' is a comedy with a difference. It was written almost certainly between 1596 & 1598. The play is classed as one of the 16 comedy plays but it is also a 'problem' play due to the tragic elements woven throughout the intricate plot. The play concludes with a harmonious ending but all through the plot, reoccurring themes of sadness and tragedy are included. In terms of dramatic structure, "The…
    Mistaken Identity
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  • 39Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice Analysis
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    One of the most central issues in 'The Merchant of Venice' is that of the antagonism between the Jews and the Christians. The unconscious, inborn dislike of cultures which jeopardise our way of life. Ever since people have left their homelands to settle in other places there has been conflict between different cultures. So, in the play, Antonio, Bassanio, Gratiano and many more of the Christians feel resentment towards Shylock the 'alien'. This is partly because of the trap that…
    Paper Type:2000 Word Essay Examples
  • 40Women in “Merchant of Venice”
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    In Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, there are many controversies over religion and friendship, but the idea of the play that interested me the most was the role of women. The two women that are in this play take on the role of the saviors of the men who seem helpless and hopeless compared to them. Influences of the Radical Feminist Perspective in The Merchant of Venice Angela Caravella 2006 Role that women play within many Shakespearian plays The role…
    Women
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