Ismail Merchant

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    historians believe that she has been an innocent woman, wrongfully reprimanded for her family, who killed nobles with the poison la cantarella. The idea of who is victimized by society, is evident, especially in William Shakespeare’s “comedy,” The Merchant of Venice. Through the play, he characters pertain to their predicaments as if everything in the world revolves around them. However, there is only one true victim, Shylock, the Jewish moneylender, while characters such as Antonio, and Portia…

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    sacrificing one 's self for his or her loved ones. When one truly cares and loves a person, they take risky actions and decisions for them blindly. This idea of taking great risks for one 's precious ones is often explored through literature. In the play, Merchant Of Venice, the playwright William Shakespeare, utilizes powerful characterization to suggest that taking risks for the people one loves, blinds one of the consequences that may arise. Portia is a kind woman…

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    Shakespeare is noble for even including Shylock’s perspective into his play. Though Shakespeare does not definitively promote equality, I personally believe that he is critiquing the people of his time period for their blatant racism with his work The Merchant of Venice. Therefore, Shakespeare makes an effort to challenge the typical racial biases of his time period. While Shakespeare rejects prejudices, Milton actively enforces gender stereotypes. Eve, the only female character in Paradise…

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    In an incident involving dehumanization and hatred, in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, a Christian merchant, Antonio, consistently animalizes the Jewish merchant, Shylock for his religion and business in usury. From the daily condescension, Shylock results to exact vengeance on Antonio to attain peace for Antonio’s abuse towards him. And the Jew becomes Antonio’s foil. In dehumanization, one treats another individual less than human. Usually, people dehumanize others through bullying and…

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    back three thousand ducants in time, simply because he “hates him for he is a Christian” and because Antonio “lends out money gratis, and brings down/ The rate of usance here with us in Venice” (1.3.38-40). Basically, Antonio is bad business for merchants like Shylock and a pound of his flesh would “feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him” (1.3.43). This solidifies Shylocks greedy nature, or how Shylock “embodies the evil side of the power of money” (Barber 190). Shylock is then the perfect…

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    and misfortune like a tragedy. By this definition, The Merchant of Venice is a comedy; yet, many skeptics question this claim due to their analysis of the trial. They consider Shylock’s loss in the trial to be the downfall of a poor protagonist, suggesting that Merchant is a tragedy. However, these skeptics blame it on the Christian defendants in court. Shakespeare portrays Shylock as a self-destructive character, affirming that The Merchant of Venice is a comedic play, and reinforces its…

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    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. Although reluctant at first, Shylock agrees to make a bond with him but…

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    jeopardy. It is an inescapable labyrinth that plagues the lives of all ever since the dawn of humanity. Yet its double-edged sword like characteristics of also providing opportunities and gains keeps many enthralled in it. In William Shakespeare 's The Merchant of Venice, Antonio, a protagonist, gives himself over to a life-threatening contract with the villain, Shylock the Jew, in order to provide the means for one of Antonio’s friends to woo a lady. Over the course of the play, various risky…

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    Is The Merchant of Venice promoting or criticising anti-Semitism? Shakespeare passionately portrays characters in the Merchant of Venice that exhibit his conflicting perceptions towards anti-semitism in which he both advocates, condemns and remains neutral towards. Shakespeare can be seen to promote anti-semitic behaviour predominantly but not exclusively through the Jewish moneylender- Shylock. Who falls short to the many accounts of bigotry noted and directed towards him in the play.…

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    Robinson Crusoe Literary Criticism Essay Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is a tale based on the real survival of a Scottish merchant marooned on a Caribbean island during the early 1700s. In Expanding Empires, Expanding Selves : Colonialism, the novel and Robinson Crusoe by, Brett C. McInelly (2003 John Hopkins University Press). Brett C. McInelly, talks about British and European colonialism of the era, religious conversion, expansion of trade, and the mastering of oneself and destiny In…

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