Comedies and Tragedies
William Shakespeare is known all over the world for his dramatic literature. His plays are most commonly known as comedies and tragedies. Originally The Merchant of Venice was placed with other comedies, but since then, critics have been speculating on whether or not it should be classified as a tragedy instead (Fendt). A comedic drama is defined as being humorous and generally having a happy ending, whereas a tragedy involves suffering of the main or several characters and contains darker elements within the story (Conner). Critics often argue over how The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, should be classified. The Merchant of Venice can be classified as both a comedy and a tragedy because of the juxtaposition of dark elements mixed …show more content…
Jessica is in love with a Christian man and since they are Jewish, her father does not agree with this. The play displays tragic elements when Jessica runs away from her father with her lover Lorenzo and steals money and precious jewels from him. A dark element in the play is when Shylock wishes that his daughter were dead for stealing from him and running away with a Christian man. “SHYLOCK. Two thousand ducats in that, and other precious, precious jewels. I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear; would she were hears’d at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin!” (310). Since Shylock is considered one of the main characters, the loss of his daughter, as well as some of his wealth, is one example of his demise in this play. While Shylock’s suffering is an example of a tragedy, there is still an argument that this scene shows signs of a comedy as well. Jessica was able to run away from her unloving father and take money and jewels. The fact that Jessica and Lorenzo were able to get married shows that for her and Lorenzo, this story has a happy ending
William Shakespeare is known all over the world for his dramatic literature. His plays are most commonly known as comedies and tragedies. Originally The Merchant of Venice was placed with other comedies, but since then, critics have been speculating on whether or not it should be classified as a tragedy instead (Fendt). A comedic drama is defined as being humorous and generally having a happy ending, whereas a tragedy involves suffering of the main or several characters and contains darker elements within the story (Conner). Critics often argue over how The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, should be classified. The Merchant of Venice can be classified as both a comedy and a tragedy because of the juxtaposition of dark elements mixed …show more content…
Jessica is in love with a Christian man and since they are Jewish, her father does not agree with this. The play displays tragic elements when Jessica runs away from her father with her lover Lorenzo and steals money and precious jewels from him. A dark element in the play is when Shylock wishes that his daughter were dead for stealing from him and running away with a Christian man. “SHYLOCK. Two thousand ducats in that, and other precious, precious jewels. I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear; would she were hears’d at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin!” (310). Since Shylock is considered one of the main characters, the loss of his daughter, as well as some of his wealth, is one example of his demise in this play. While Shylock’s suffering is an example of a tragedy, there is still an argument that this scene shows signs of a comedy as well. Jessica was able to run away from her unloving father and take money and jewels. The fact that Jessica and Lorenzo were able to get married shows that for her and Lorenzo, this story has a happy ending