Merchant of venice Essay Example For Students

Merchant of venice Essay The Trial Scene From Shakespeares PlayThe Merchant Of VeniceAccording to many people Shakespeare was the greatest playwright who ever lived. And I am inclined to agree. Even today his plays are still performed all over the world and have been translated into many languages. It is said that Shakespeares genius is universal and ever fresh. He wrote a great many plays but only thirty-seven were ever published. During Elizabethan times the audience would have come to watch one of Shakespeares plays and received it differently to a modern day audience. The Elizabethan audience would have been noisy and more involved with the performance, whereas now a days the audience would go the theatre and treat it as an almost spiritual thing, we would dress up and be silent throughout the performance showing a general respect for the actors and those involved with the play, whether we liked it or not. Where as if the performance was disliked by an Elizabethan audience they would shout and often through things at the actors. Shakespeares plays were attended by all standards of people varying from the rich to the lower middle class. Much like todays theatre the more you pay the better the seat. For Shakespeares outdoor plays the lower middle class paid one penny for admittance to the yard (like a playground outside a school building.) They had no seats and had to stand for the entire performance. These people were called the groundlings. The upper middle class paid two pennys and sat at eye level in the lower galleries. And the rich paid three pennies to sit in the upper balconies, which had a far better view. If I were directing a Shakespearian play for a modern day audience I would do it differently to how I would do it if it were for an Elizabethan audience. Beginning with having the women played by women and not boys below thirteen. I admire the way Shakespeare portrayed each of his characters and managed to keep any of the anti-Semitic feelings he may have felt out of the performance. I think he created 3D characters and I would think that when the play was performed in front of what was probably a anti-Semitic audience in Elizabethan times the sympathies would have lay solely on Antonio, where as now a days I think they also lie with Shylock ;#8211; Pitying him for the way the Christians treat him, the loss of his daughter and his money. Act 4 Scene 1 p115The Dukes palace in VeniceIn this scene there are seven characters. To begin with it is Duke, Antonio and Salario, Shylock enters later. In the beginning and throughout the scene all of the characters except Shylock feel sorry for Antonio and think Shylock is being unfair. Duke describes Shylock as an inhuman wretch, incapable of pity, void and empty from any dram of mercy. I think that Shylock is much more complex than that but I will come to that later. When Duke questions Shylock as to why he is holding such a bond, Shylock gives no answer and is very evasive in his speech. I feel that this is not because he doesnt want to explain but because emotionally he cant, he feels anger for Antonio not just because Antonio is Antonio but because he feels resentment for a great number of things including the Christian faith to which Antonio is a part. Shylock is extremely angry and claims that no amount of money will deter him from wanting his bond. He claims he will feel no regret as he states to Duke what judgement shall I dread doing no wrong. Then he starts scapegoating you have among you many a purchased slave. Line 90 page 119. Sheila changes after the inspector(TM)s visit EssayHe (Duke) did not take his life for attempting to take the life of Antonio. Shylock tries to show that mercy and justice are not linked; he believes this because he is a Jew. Portia speaks to Shylock about Justice without mercy. She says that mercy is not only a part of justice but is the main aspect to God because God shows mercy in his justice- it is an attribute to God himself. She reminds Shylock that no one deserves salvation and would never receive it without Gods mercy therefore if we hope to receive mercy we should render it to others, but Shylock continues to demand for justice. Portia informs Shylock that he has violated Venetian law by seeking the life of a citizen . Therefore his property now belongs to the state. Shylock is being punished for his paganism and evil action because he is not a Christian. She asks him if he is contented and he says I am content. I think Shylock doesnt mean it. He is ashamed because he has been stripped of his wealth and pride. He doesnt know what to do and becomes very hopeless as he tells them I am not well. He cant imagine himself in the position of not having any property and worst of all loosing his identification, which is his Jewish religion. In my own opinion, I dont think Shakespeare intended to be anti-Semitic. He wanted to show the attitudes towards the Jews through the way Shylock was abused verbally and physically; therefore he used Shylock as a mouthpiece to speak out against racist attitudes. Shakespeare also wants to show the importance of being merciful. If Shylock were merciful to Antonio he would not have lost his property and religion. I think Shylocks behaviour is justifiable because the Christians have mentally and physically abused him and he has been used because they wanted his money but still rendered abuses on him. Therefore, his behaviour towards Antonio is a way of vengeance for the abuses he has suffered. Shylocks behaviour can be condemned because he could have forgiven Antonio instead of insisting on taking Antonios life, but he ended up loosing his property. Shakespeare used this to show the importance of forgiveness and educate people about different cultures because at the time of Shakespeare the population were not accustomed to foreigners.