Religious Discrimination in The Merchant of Venice Essay

Skylar Ittner Professor Morris ENLT 215 B November 16, 2016 Religious Discrimination in The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare. The main plot involves a Jewish moneylender and his Christian debtor. Because of religious differences and discrimination, the story becomes violent and somewhat dark. Analyzing the tension between Jews and Christians in The Merchant of Venice reveals an important warning for modern society. Characters and Plot Shylock is a Jewish moneylender. Jewish people during the period of the play are mistreated by the larger Christian community. Jews in Venice (and many other European cities) are forced to live in ghettos. They are locked in after dark, and have to distinguish…

Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Merchant Of Venice by William Shakespeare are filled with prejudice and people being treated differently because of stereotypes. To Kill A Mockingbird is filled with a variety of characters, Jem, Atticus, and Scout Finch are a family in which part of the novel revolves around. Then there is Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell, who are the two battling in court. The Merchant Of Venice also has a large assortment of characters. The play revolves around Portia, a…

As a crucial center of trade among the major cities of the world, Venice came to be known as a land of indulgence and debauchery. Trading with considerable frequency is one reason that the Venetians gained such a unique reputation. For example, gambling was a natural and frequent occurrence in Venice and the city contained an estimated amount of 20,000 courtesans during the Elizabethan era. Despite the constant promiscuous actions, a large portion of the Venetians were religious, Roman Catholic…

At the surface, The Merchant of Venice and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone may seem like to completely unrelated works. The Merchant of Venice was written in the late 16th century and explores the role of antisemitism while Joe Turner’s Come and Gone was written in 1987 and portrays the life of characters living during the great migration. However, William Shakespeare and August Wilson both intentionally incorporate contrasting characters within their work. The contrasting characters have a…

The Merchant of Venice, written around 1594, was, continues to be, and always will be a highly discussed book in many academic communities. It is known to many as a play but for those who have studied it, the book is a political statement. It’s a revolutionary work meant to influence the minds of thousands. But what opinion was Shakespeare trying to plant in the minds of those who would experience his writing first hand? Could it have been one of anti-Semitism like many believe? Was he possibly…

Ignorance is the parent of hatred. And while the modern world has progressed in leaps and bounds since the Elizabethan period, hatred and intolerance still plague the planet. An example of contemporary religious intolerance is the fearful situation in Myanmar. In fact, Buddhists are currently discriminating against several religious minorities. An incident involving the burning of a Muslim man in March of 2013 during a riot further illustrates the somber situation in Myanmar. Terrifying…

countered by pessimistic characters such as Martin and Cacambo. They see no good in the cruel world they live in. Candide started out a blind optimist but shifts towards pessimism after he spends time with Martin. Voltaire uses corrupt, hypocritical religious leaders to satirize religion in his novel. The first religious leader that Candide encounters is a Protestant orator who believes that the Pope is the antichrist. Candide gets banished for not believing that the Pope is the antichrist. The…

century: The crusading army not only disputed over Holy Land they engaged in a dispute over the succession to the Byzantine throne. The crusaders sacked the Constantinople and created a New Latin Empire of Constantinople. From the fifth Crusades, this was the first time the crusade took place without the papal support. Respective impacts on European history : According to the textbook, the exchange between two cultures , especially the interaction of Christian Europe with the Muslim world.…