Merchant Of Venice Critical Analysis Essay - 1001 Words

The Merchant Of Venice is structured partly on the contrast between idealistic and realistic opinions about society and relationships. The play tells us mercy is preferable to revenge. Shylock chose revenge over mercy against Antonio and how his choices affected him. The Court of Venice begging mercy of Shylock. Finally, Portia forgiving Bassanio for giving away his wedding band. Shakespeare characterised Shylock in such way that he highlights the inequalities of him, them being ungrateful, vengeful, and religious intolerance. As each is explored Shylock is directed towards a harmful act to deem his vengeance upon his greatest rival, Antonio. Shakespeare’s idea in the play tells us mercy is preferable to revenge. In Act 1, Scene 3†¦show more content†¦Disguised as young lawyer Balthazar, who speaks with heightened eloquence to beg Shylock to show mercy. Portia’s speech about the quality of mercy is wasted to Shylock. Its almost as if Shylock got his way, reveng e. After all these years it is time for him to complete his deed. His deed to eliminate Antonio. As his moment arrives it is all dismantled by the intelligence of Portia. Portia turns Shylock’s greatest weapon-the law-against him, Portia delivers once last chance of mercy to Shylock. Shylock is warned if even a drop of blood is spilled he will be accused of conspiring a life against another Venetian citizen all of his land and goods will be confiscated by the state. Shylock agrees to take thrice the sum. Shylock drops the case, but Portia deems him guilty for threatening another Venetian citizen. Half his property and land shall go to Antonio and the other half to the state. â€Å"I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.† The Duke of Venice demonstrates mercy even after what the Jew had committed. The court could have acted on revenge against Shylock but they knew mercy was far greater than revenge. Shakespeare urges mercy is preferable than revenge. He tells us that even those who have wronged deserve mercy. Acting towards revenge will not prosper but mercy can be replenishing. Shakespeare shows us one can show mercy and that it is not forced. After the ordeal with the court the falling action takes place transitioning into the denouement.Show MoreRelatedLiterary Theories And Literary Criticism1318 Words   |  6 Pagesauthor’s settings affected their work and how the literary work reflects on the author. †¢ Recognizes current cultural contexts, which helps critic’s to come to their conclusions about the literary work at hand. 2. †¢ Literary context/work: The Merchant of Venice. †¢ One wanted to know if the play written by Shakespeare, was anti-Semitic. †¢ One could not simply answer yes/no. Research needed to be done and the text needed to be studied and analysed. †¢ You needed to look into the cultural history of theRead More Conflict and Harmony in The Tempest Essay1390 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeares First Folio of works (Hirst 36).   Historically, this play is different from Shakespeares later plays in that he divides it into acts and scenes and leaves the island nameless (Hirst 36).   In other plays such as Twelfth Night and Merchant of Venice, where the same natural harmony is ultimately created and in some aspects at the expense of one least one character   (Malvolio and Shylock), Shakespeare reveals the exact location of action.   However, in The Tempest, Shakespeare never givesRead MorePorn and Censorship15240 Words   |  61 Pagespornography as sexually explicit material that is bad, although they differ as to the relevant source of its badness and so about what material is pornographic. A particularly dominant approach has been to define pornography in terms of obscenity. (For critical discussions of this approach see Schauer 1982, Feinberg 1987, MacKinnon 1987.) The obscenity might be taken to be intrinsic to the content of the material itself (for example, that it depicts deviant sexual acts that are immoral in themselves) orRead MoreA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 PagesRitter and Martin Plessner, London, The Warburg Institute, University of London, 1962 French B. Bakhouche, F. Fauquier, B. Pà ©rez-Jean: Picatrix Un traità © de magie mà ©dià ©val. 388 p., 130 x 210 mm, 2003, Paperback ISBN 2-503-51068-X, EUR 37.91. Newest critical edition. French S. Matton, La magie arabe traditionelle, Paris, 1977 (incomplete) Latin Picatrix: The Latin Version of the Ghà ¢yat Al-Hakà ®m, ed. David Pingree (London, Warburg Institute, 1986). Spanish Abul-Casim Maslama ben Ahmad: Picatrix (El