Manipulation In The Merchant Of Venice

Improved Essays
Donald Trump cheats his way into power and manipulates people into voting for him. Similar the this in the play, The Merchant Of Venice (M.O.V) written by William Shakespeare; Prince Morocco, Prince Arragon. and Bassanio are manipulated by Portia. In M.O.V Portia demonstrates that there can be justice without mercy through her actions and her manipulations with her suitors.

Portia is as a teacher is with students. She can manipulate them into believing anything she has to say; whether or not she is wrong or right does not matter; she has the ability to influence others decisions. When Prince Morocco chooses which casket he will pick to see if he is to marry Portia, she leads the Prince on explaining, “ Yourself, renowned prince, then stood
…show more content…
In M.O.V Portia lets the Prince into her home and slowly persuades and leads Arragon into choosing the silver casket. Once Prince Arragon opens the incorrect silver casket he reads a note and rants, “ Who chooseth me shall have as much as he deserves. Did I deserve no more than a fool’s head? Is that my prize? Are my deserts no better?” (II.IX.60-63). The Prince is furious that Portia leads him towards the silver casket and he is questioning his own worth. When a woman can manipulate a man into questioning his own worth, she has the power of manipulation and the power to influence anyone she wishes. Furthermore, Portia feels no guilt and no regret in kicking him out, Portia attacks men when she blusters, “ Thus hath the candle singed the moth. O, these deliberate fools! When they do choose, they have the wisdom by their wit to lose.” (II,IX.82-84). Portia calls men “deliberate fools!” this is proof that Portia has no mercy towards the Prince as she insults his intelligence, and is insulting his wits explaining that he loses it. Portia insults the Prince, therefore indirectly she is showing she has no mercy towards him. Portia manipulates the two Princes however with Bassanio it is different because of the fact that she loves

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Manipulation is a popular trope used in various amounts of literature; titles from William Shakespeare are an example. Many of Shakespeare’s works involves scheming and thorough plans to take someone out or betray someone for personal gain. There are numerous cases of this in Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth. In Macbeth, there are certain characters who either are manipulative in their own way to get what they want or bring everything back to its natural order. This manipulation in Macbeth is portrayed through the characters Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Malcolm.…

    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Right from the start, Lady Macbeth displays a lack of humanity due to her burning passion to become queen. Through dramatic irony, readers are able to see through her amicability towards King Duncan, characterized by letting him into her own home with open arms, and ultimately, not displaying her true intentions. This passion only becomes stronger and stronger over time as she persuades Macbeth to commit murder, even going as far as questioning his “lack of courage” (Jamieson). Once there is an opportunity for Lady Macbeth to take on a role of power, she jumps at the opportunity, even going as far as convincing her husband to help her take part in gaining power (Jamieson). Based off of the actions and decisions that she made throughout the…

    • 1299 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Donald Trump appears to be nice on the outside but is really selfish and ignorant on the inside. Like real like in Hamlet there are many people who fake who they really are and act like someone else behind closed doors. The book is filled with all types of characters and they all have a few things in common. The similarity’s is that they all have some part of them where they act like they are one way, but in reality they feel another. The people in the play appear to be something their not, but are really something…

    • 100 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This further instills the idea that women do not handle power well. She explains to the knight that while she is poor and ugly it makes her a more patient person. Ultimately she chooses to be fair and good, thus pleasing her husband. This reinforces the idea that when given power, a women cannot hold onto it. She will do everything she can to please her…

    • 944 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In the Shakespearean play “Hamlet”, the character Ophelia is viewed and treated in different ways by her lover, Hamlet, and the authoritative figures in her life, Polonius and Laertes. Society 's expectations of a young woman at the time and the treatment she receives from the male characters of the play are the factors that influence her submissive and obedient character. Ophelia is forced, because of an oppressive society and a "traditional" family structure, to repress her own opinions, be unconditionally obedient and behave as a woman in her society is expected to behave. Family structure is a crucial factor to observe, especially because of how women were viewed and treated inside a family environment. Dreher expands on this idea by examining…

    • 1362 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dramatic Significance Exposed by Risk in The Merchant of Venice Risk is the exposure to danger. Taking risks are necessary because risk reveals experience to an individual. Hazard has both malevolent and benevolent outcomes, which can affect the overall atmosphere in a play. The content of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice includes many scenarios of risk-taking among the relationships between characters.…

    • 1246 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    government the majority chooses, its first act is to set up a legislative government in power which is supreme and it can’t be changed unless the whole government is dissolved. The legislative power while supreme within the common wealth cannot be arbitrary, it cannot deprive someone of life, liberty, or a state. If the legislative power did deprive people of life, liberty, or the state no individual would have voluntarily left the natural condition. What has been given to government is the law to enforce nature, so that is what we give up to government when we create a government from within political society. We give it the right to enforce the law of nature.…

    • 1011 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, Claudius establishes himself as responsible for the death and destruction of many characters through the heinous act of murdering his brother, King Hamlet. Early in the play, a ghost, who resembles the dead King, appears to Hamlet and tells him the truth about his death. He was in fact murdered by Claudius. Hamlet becomes vengeful and begins to take on an act of lunacy. After Hamlet discovers the truth of his father’s death, his need for revenge escalates and causes a chain of events that influence many of the character’s actions and behaviors all leading back to Claudius.…

    • 1990 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The True Villain of The Merchant of Venice In many pieces of literature, the villain plays just as an important part as the hero. The Merchant of Venice is a play written by William Shakespeare that takes place in Venice during the time of anti-Semitism. The play revolves around a Christian character named Antonio and a Jewish moneylender named Shylock. At the beginning of the play, Antonio asks Shylock to loan him money.…

    • 1189 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hamlet Sympathy For Hamlet

    • 1143 Words
    • 5 Pages

    An audience would sympathize with Hamlet after learning of his father’s brutal death. It would be heartbreaking for Hamlet to see his mother married to his father’s murderer. It would also be dangerous for Hamlet to confide in others because his plans for revenge could be tampered with. “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears the crown” (1.5.44-45) Hamlet learns about the truth to his father’s death and his uncle’s deception that allowed him to become king.…

    • 1143 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Othello and The Merchant of Venice were written by William Shakespeare. The two plays were based on the same period of time and took place in the same area, which was Venice, Italy. Shakespeare likes make his plays have similarities to each other. Not only to have similar situations but to have similar characteristics of that situation.…

    • 1392 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Marrying someone with no freedom of choice is a substantial risk that Portia chooses to take for the love of her father. Moreover, Portia risks her inheritance and her life when she gives Bassanio, her new husband, a ring that grants him everything she owns. This is apparent when Portia tells Bassanio "this house, these servants, and this myself are yours" while rendering him the ring that symbolizes Portia and her love for Bassanio. Giving him a ring that contains this much importance is a peril, taking into consideration Bassanio could be a swindler that would take all of Portia 's money and then leave her. However, Portia takes this risk because she loves Bassanio.…

    • 1346 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    By Iago being the puppet master of the play he reveals the inhuman side of people and how they react to manipulation and deception. In the book Othello by Shakespeare we have what I see as a masterful puppeteer. He should be in Sesame Street if you ask me. The puppet masters name is Iago.…

    • 1593 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    You can decide your fate. This general idea is carried out through the story of WIlliam Shakespeare 's comedy playwright, The Merchant of Venice. Mainly by the character who could be considered unmerciful, Shylock, who is a jewish merchant. Even though Shylock was discriminated by the christians, Shylock’s fate could have been avoided if he had a more positive attitude towards Christians, if his relationship with his daughter was better, and if he was more thorough in his bond.…

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Appearance and Reality in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice There are many things in the world which appear to be something but are complete opposites in reality. In the same manner, Shakespeare has used appearance and reality in his play as a major theme. Various characters in the play are shown as giving examples of appearance and reality. Moreover, they betray as well as are betrayed many times because of their inability to differentiate between reality and appearance. The characters in the play are dual faced because they hide their reality and appear to be different from what they actually are in reality.…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays