The view of justice that William Shakespeare presents in Macbeth differs from the one he presents in The Merchant of Venice. In Macbeth Shakespeare unfolds justice through Macduff in using his hands to revenge Macbeth’s killing his wife and children, leaving him without his beloveds. While in The Merchant of Venice, Shylock, seeks justice from the Duke of Venice in requests that he enforces Shylock’s contract with Antonio. Shylock, in contrast to Macduff, seeks justice through the superior power of the court. Unfortunately, Shylock does not foresee that even in the court he feels prejudice for his religion, which leaves him without justice. In their respective plays, Shakespeare explicitly presents two different views of how justice functions
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He is enraged when he learns that his wife and children have been slaughtered which, in his mind, leaves him no alternative but to kill Macbeth through his own sword (4.3.207-10). This leads Macduff to, first, fall into a stage of suffering, for a few minutes, then after Malcolm encourages Macduff to “dispute it like a man,” he turns his suffering into anger to revenge Macbeth (4.1.226). This leaves Macduff in the stage of rage and the urge to kill Macbeth at once: “Cut short all intermission. Front to front Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself (4.3.239-40). Here, Macduff speaks of seeking justice for the killing of his wife and children. Thus, not only is he determined to seek justice through the means of his own hands, but Malcolm, the King of Scotland, advices him that his route of justice is the proper manner to “dispute” it (4.3.243-4). This is another approach in how the collective society is also part of defining what and how justice should be approached. Shakespeare shows one representation version of justice through Macduff’s revenge by his own body and hands. Thus, in Edgar Lawrence Doctorow, author of “False Documents” states how there is only narrative of stories that we create for ourselves and for those around
He is enraged when he learns that his wife and children have been slaughtered which, in his mind, leaves him no alternative but to kill Macbeth through his own sword (4.3.207-10). This leads Macduff to, first, fall into a stage of suffering, for a few minutes, then after Malcolm encourages Macduff to “dispute it like a man,” he turns his suffering into anger to revenge Macbeth (4.1.226). This leaves Macduff in the stage of rage and the urge to kill Macbeth at once: “Cut short all intermission. Front to front Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself (4.3.239-40). Here, Macduff speaks of seeking justice for the killing of his wife and children. Thus, not only is he determined to seek justice through the means of his own hands, but Malcolm, the King of Scotland, advices him that his route of justice is the proper manner to “dispute” it (4.3.243-4). This is another approach in how the collective society is also part of defining what and how justice should be approached. Shakespeare shows one representation version of justice through Macduff’s revenge by his own body and hands. Thus, in Edgar Lawrence Doctorow, author of “False Documents” states how there is only narrative of stories that we create for ourselves and for those around