Does Shakespeare Allow You To Have Sympathy For Shylock In The Play Of A Merchant From Venice? English Essay

879 words - 4 pages

The Merchant of Venice – Exam Essay
Act 4 Scene 1: Does Shakespeare make it possible for you to have any sympathy for Shylock at this moment in the play?
The audience’s sympathy for the character of Shylock is likely to fluctuate during the course of the play. Whilst a modern audience would be shocked by the anti-Semitism evident throughout the play, Shylock’s stubborn pursuit of his “bond” can make him an unsympathetic character. Comment by St Clair-Ford, Tess: Introduction responds to the essay question
The Duke is a powerful figure in the Venetian court and would be seated on stage in a way that would convey his authority. He speaks for everyone when he says “the world thinks” that Shylock will show “mercy and remorse”. Whilst this may be hyperbolic, it suggests that the audience should be included in expecting Shylock to show mercy. This may influence the audience’s reaction to Shylock. In the Duke’s speech, Shakespeare employs a semantic field of compassion with adjectives and abstract nouns such as “tender”, “gentleness”, “love” and “pity”. He may be showing bias towards Antonio by personifying “his losses, / That have of late so huddled on his back”. This continues to the presentation, throughout the play, of Antonio as noble and innocent, suggesting that Shakespeare wants the audience to pity Antonio and side with him. The Duke’s final line here – “We all expect a gentle answer, Jew” – again uses the inclusive “we” to implicate the audience in his view. It could be performed as a veiled threat because as we see later in this scene, the state of Venice is willing to destroy Shylock as its enemy. Referring to Shylock as “Jew” and the pun of “gentle”/ Gentile reminds the audience of the anti-Semitic context in which the ‘correct’ response is seen as a Christian one; alienating Shylock and perhaps engaging the audience’s sympathy. Comment by St Clair-Ford, Tess: Discusses stagecraft, treating this as a performed piece of theatre/ Comment by St Clair-Ford, Tess: Uses technical terms to discuss features of Shakespeare’s language, supported by a quotation. Comment by St Clair-Ford, Tess: Refers to the audience (to answer the question and show that this is a piece of theatre) Comment by St Clair-Ford, Tess: Shows knowledge of the play and its context. Comment by St Clair-Ford, Tess: Refers back to the essay question at the end of the paragraph.
Shylock’s speech is bold and uncharacteristically poetic. Unlike much of his speech elsewhere in the play, this is in verse and full of rhetorical flourishes, suggesting that here is Shylock at his most confident. He would be alone on stage facing a potentially hostile Christian courtroom and yet is strident...

How does Shakespeare maintain the balance between seriousness and comedy in the play "Much ado about nothing"?

357 words - 2 pages his comrades interrogate Conrade and Borachio. The comedy in this scene mainly comes through Dogberry especially after Conrad labels him "an ass". Dogberry wants this naming of him to be recorded so that Conrad will get a worse punishment. These two points show that the balance between seriousness and comedy is maintained by the use of both these points in conjunction with each other.The various types of characters in the play allow for different

'Is justice served in the Merchant of Venice' - English Lit. - essay

1821 words - 8 pages Is Justice Served in ‘The Merchant of Venice’? By: Emilija Jakovlevaite In this play ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare, situations occur which seem to prove the theory that doing the right thing does not always seem to be the most straight forward thing to do. Technically, the correct thing to do is to follow and obey justice and the law. However, in this case, justice means taking a man’s life for revenge. In my opinion, justice

Merchant of Venice English essay - McLaughlin Grade 10 - Essay

1156 words - 5 pages The Correct Victim in The Merchant of Venice Shylock is by far one of the most fascinating, greedy, jealous and debated characters in the play The Merchant of Venice. He can be seen as both the victim and the villain. Shylock was humiliated and abused but he was also merciless and crude. Shylock is the victim rather than the villain. From the harsh abuse from the Christian’s, the utter betrayal of his only daughter and the complete humiliation

The Merchant of Venice Essay Compare and Contrast - English class - Essay

1147 words - 5 pages attribute to awe and majesty Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings, But mercy is above this sceptered sway.” Portia mentioned her marriage, relationship and the consternation of being a joyful woman. The Merchant of Venice is visually presented a tremendous understanding of a Shakespeare writing technique. Shakespeare told what this can be done in different formats and includes different out-standing struggles during the play. While you are

The Merchant of Venice Essay: Good Copy - Grade Nine AP English - Essay

1224 words - 5 pages her character and shows us another side of her who is very opinionated and is an acquired taste . “I had rather be married to a death’s-head with a bone than either of these” (1.2.50-52). Portia does manage to stick to her society’s rules, mostly, but gives a little twist every now and then when it is necessary. The Merchant of Venice written by William Shakespeare, has integrated a strong belladonna who goes against the rules that society put in

Money In The Merchant Of Venice

1021 words - 5 pages go forth;  Try what my credit can in Venice do" (I.I.177-80). These lines from Antonio show what good of a friend he is to Bassanio. Although he does not have any money to give Bassanio, Antonio still gives Bassanio his permission to borrow money from Shylock on behalf of his good credit, despite the fact that a pound of his own flesh is being used as collateral if the bond is not paid on time.Another obstacle in the play in which money is

This is the final essay for the class. You have to write an essay over a specific word - English Composition II, Palm Beach Atlantic University - Final Essay

1735 words - 7 pages being happy, and comes to the ultimate conclusion that being rich truly cannot give someone the kind of happiness that they are truly looking for. While reading this, I was very intrigued by his findings in his studies and I really came to agree with what he says about how being rich cannot truly make you happy. Actually, I have to

How does Dickens create sympathy for Scrooge in A Christmas Carol - Year 11 - Essay

1315 words - 6 pages 190703 How does Dickens create Sympathy for Scrooge in ‘A Christmas Carol’? In the novella ‘A Christmas Carol’, Dickens creates sympathy for Scrooge by showing the reader who he used to be, who he could have been, and how people really feel about him. He does this by structuring the novella to show Scrooge’s past, present and future, so Scrooge’s character can learn to be a better man by reflecting on his mistakes in life. In the extract

How does fate play a role in Oedpis - AP English - Essay

809 words - 4 pages Robert Clark AP Lit Sept 25 2018 Oedipus Title Blindness in Oedipus the King It is very possible that people can be blind to the truth. For what they have been asking for or wanting to know could be sitting right in front of them, but they can’t see the answer. They were blind to the truth, they couldn’t see it. Similarities have been found between being enlightened and being blind. It is said that a blind person can see invisible things. They

Book Cover Assessment For Shakespeare's Plays - "A Midsummer Night's Dream" And "Merchant Of Venice"

591 words - 3 pages In "Merchant of Venice", the problem towards Antonio occurs due to bad weather at the sea which eventually causes his ships to be delayed which allowed him to exceed the limit of three months to pay his debts back to Shylock. Antonio, whose money and other properties are in different ships as a trader, has to give a pound of his flesh to Shylock. As in the harbor in the picture, the setting of the play is well represented. For instance, the

Narrative, a story I made for English and If you want it you can have it - Palo verde - Essay

720 words - 3 pages Tijarhee Davis Mrs. Tilden English P.6 23 October 2018 FINALLY FOUND 13 years ago there was this 10 year old girl named Zoe whose parents went missing on a hiking trip. Her parents, Tiffany and Zack were talking about going on this trip for a few days. Before they could go Zoe had fallen ill and they were going to postpone the trip, With a red nose and small cough Zoe said ” You can go momma and pappa aunt J can take care of me.” Even though

In The Merchant Of Venice, Shylock Is More A Victim Than A Villain. Discuss. English Essay

779 words - 4 pages daughter running away from home to marry a Christian, taking some of his money and jewels with her. What is perhaps worst of all is the fact that Shylock is forced to become a Christian himself. It is through these events that we can truly see that Shylock is nothing more than a helpless victim. In The Merchant of Venice, Jessica, Shylock’s only daughter, decides to run away to marry a Christian, taking some of Shylock’s jewels and riches with

Shylock As A Victim In Merchant Of Venice English Grade 10 Academic Essay

948 words - 4 pages because of hatred. In the play, The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, a complex character named Shylock is an example of this. Shylock is a Jewish man who is portrayed to be rude and bitter, who also hates every Christian. But as the play unravels, it is revealed that he is a hateful and villainous man, only because he experienced so much hatred and villainy himself. It is seen that Shylock faces religious discrimination for the reason

Analysis Of Shylock In Shakespeare’s Merchant Of Venice

511 words - 3 pages In Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice the antagonist of theplay is Shylock. Shylock is a wealthy Jewish moneylender.Shylock is probably the most memorable character in the playbecause of Shakespeare's excellent characterization of him.Shylock is the antagonist in the play because he stands inthe way of love, but this does not necessarily make him thevillain of the play. Shylock can be seen as both thevillain of the play and as a man who is very

"Romeo & Juliet" By William Shakespeare. How Does The Character Of Romeo Change Throughout The Course Of The Play?

1310 words - 6 pages -absorbed sympathy for all the terrible hardships he fancies he faces. Yet his reaction to killing two men and his wife dying is the same as his reaction to a woman he doesn't know telling him she doesn't love him - he sees no difference between the false hardships of his imagination to real life tragedies. His frequent thoughts of suicide, eventually successful, show he is as selfish as he always was, and has learnt nothing from his experiences.So I don't think Romeo's character changes in the play though his situation changes to indulge his weaknesses even more.