Free Essays on The Merchant Of Venice Character Analysis

  1. The Merchant of Venice--Summary and Analysis--Act 1 Scene 1-Act 2 Scene 4

    The Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare Act I, scenes i–ii Summary: Act I, scene i Antonio, a Venetian merchant, complains to his friends, Salerio and Solanio, that a sadness has overtaken him and dulled his faculties, although he is at a loss to explain why. Salerio and Solanio...

  2. Character Analysis in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice

    as Portia however Portia and her loyal serving girl Nerissa, use a great amount of dramatic irony. Even though the audience knows that both these characters are actually Balthazaar and his apprentice, Bassanio, Antonio and Shylock don't. This creates a brilliant effect and also helps to build up tension...

  3. Original Sources the Merchant of Venice

    Original Sources of The Merchant of Venice Though Shakespeare’s name is world renowned for its success as a playwright, most of his stories main ideas can be found elsewhere throughout the course of literary history. In II Pecorone by Giovanni Fiorentino, one can see that Shakespeare found his inspiration...

  4. The Merchant of Venice

    Book Review Title: The Merchant of Venice Author of the Book: William Shakespeare First published in year: 1597 Genre of the Book: Play One of Shakespeare “short” and “easier to understand” plays. The language is comparatively easy than most of his plays. The play is basically put under the category...

  5. Merchant of Venice

    - A Jewish moneylender in Venice. Angered by his mistreatment at the hands of Venice’s Christians, particularly Antonio, Shylock schemes to eke out his revenge by ruthlessly demanding as payment a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Although seen by the rest of the play’s characters as an inhuman monster, Shylock...

  6. The Merchant of Venice Film Study

    Music Dialogue Lighting Costumes Special Effects In the movie The Merchant of Venice, directed by Michael Radford, an important idea is hypocrisy and duplicity. There was a lot of hypocrisy and duplicity in olden day Venice, which is where most of the film is set. The idea of hypocrisy and duplicity...

  7. Act 4 Scene 1 in Merchant of Venice

    In The Merchant of Venice, Act 4 Scene 1 is the climax of the play and is one of longest dramatic scene to ever been written by Shakespeare; it is filled with tension, suspense, irony, sarcasm and power. Shakespeare achieves this by using different writing skills such as setting, location (the switch...

  8. Merchant of Venice

    Merchant of Venice Essay Kayla Baker The Merchant of Venice is a play written by William Shakespeare and is set in Venice around the time 1956. The three main characters are named Antonio, Shylock and Bassanio. The title character is the leading merchant...

  9. Merchant of Venice- Portia

    The Merchant of Venice is a play set in a very male and Christian dominated society where other religions and women rights weren’t very well accepted by the community. However Portia, a rich woman who had previously been controlled by men, triumphs as she manipulates tricks and saves the lives of the...

  10. Literature Merchant of Vence

    The Merchants of Venice How does Shakespeare’s writing causes you to both admire and despise Antonio? Antonio, one of the prime characters in Shakespeare’s drama The Merchants of Venice is a complex character. Shakespeare portrays him to be generous and a wise successful...

  11. Merchant of Venice Film

    An important idea in the text Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare is prejudice affects the course of justice. Prejudice is a judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge of someone; and it occurred quite often in this play. Whether it was the racist relationship between Shylock and...

  12. Discuss the Moral Issues Raised in ‘the Merchant of Venice’

    Discuss the moral issues raised in ‘the merchant of Venice’ In William Shakespeare’s ‘the merchant of Venice’ the passage taken from IV.i, outlines three moral issues that are running themes throughout the play. The scene takes place immediately after the dukes appeal to shylock to withdraw his bond...

  13. The Merchant of Venice

    In this essay I will discuss whether “The Merchant of Venice” still deserves to be classed as a comedy. I found parts of this play far from amusing, although I can understand why Elizabethans would find this comedy entertainment. An audience in Elizabethan times also would have a very different attitude...

  14. Pieces of Idea on the Merchant of Venice

    PIECES OF IDEA ON THE MERCHANT OF VENICE      Author: ilpleut   Supervisor:***      Pieces of Idea on the Merchant of Venice      Key words: Shakespeare, Anti-Semitism, Shylock         Outline:   The History of Jews in England and the Prejudice against Them   The Jews had been discriminated...

  15. Timeless Elements in the Merchant of Venice

    William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice contains many themes and elements that could be considered timeless. The first major theme in the play is the Christian majority's prejudice against the Jewish minority. The second and possibly most important theme of the play is the romance and the loyalty...

  16. Reaction Paper in the Movie: the Merchant of Venice

    Reaction Paper In The Movie “The Merchant of Venice” Reginald P.Mayang III-Sodium Mr.Borromeo In The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, there appears Shylock. He is a Jew, that much we are told in the cast list. But, as the play unfolds Shylock is seen to be the villian. He is protrayed...

  17. Shylock Mechant of Venice

    An interesting character in the play “Merchant Of Venice” by Shakespeare is Shylock. Shylock is a successful Jewish moneylender. He’s an interesting character in the play because he is a character that people are debating about. On one hand he is described as the Stereotypical evil Jewish and on the...

  18. Shakespeare's the Merchant of Venice

    In the play The Merchant of Venice two fathers attempt to impose strict rules on their daughters. The characters that were affected by their fathers’, Shylock and Portia father were Jessica and Portia. Both daughters had two different personalities in terms of their behavior patterns. In contrast, Portia...

  19. Merchant of Venice

    The Merchant of Venice does portray a prejudiced message. This is first evident in Act one when Shylock openly says to himself, "I hate him because he is a Christian....May my people be cursed if I forgive him!" All throughout the book the Christians are battling with the Jews and neither of them...

  20. A Not-Quite Happy Ending: Hazard and Love in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice

    A Not-Quite Happy Ending: Hazard and Love in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice By Hubert Ahn William Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice begins on a note of melancholy. Antonio, the eponymous merchant, pronounces “In sooth, I know not why I am so sad” (1.1.1). His friends offer possible reasons...

  21. merchant ov

    Shakespeare has been in constructing close relationships in Act 1 scene 1 The theme of friendship if used as a foundation stone in the play Merchant of Venice. One of Shakespeare’s success in constructing close relationships in Act 1 Scene 1 is the fellowship between Antonio’s friends and himself. Antonio...

  22. Merchant of Venice - Casting directors book merchant of venice

    Casting directors book merchant of venice Shylock – In the novel Shylock is portrayed as a greedy Jewish Money lender. He is the father to Jessica and the enemy to Antonio. In act two it is clear that money is very important to Shylock. When Shylock hears about Jessica’s elopement it seems to be that...

  23. resde

    ays on Prejudice In The Merchant Of Venice SEARCH Documents 31 - 60 of 1,000 « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ... 34 » Merchant of Venice Lghggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg- gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg- gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg-...

  24. nisrin

    The Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare Key Facts full title  ·  The Comical History of the Merchant of Venice, or Otherwise Called the Jew of Venice author  · William Shakespeare type of work  · Play genre  · Comedy language  · English time and place written  ·  1598; London, England date...

  25. The Merchant of Venice

    SYNOPSIS: he play opens in Venice, where the merchant Antonio tells his friends, "I know not why I am so sad." His friends—Salerio and Salanio, and then Lorenzo and Gratiano—try to cheer him up, but with no success. Antonio’s close friend Bassanio informs him that he intends to seek an heiress’s...

  26. Shakespeare the Merchant of Venice

    between 1596 and 1598, The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare is classified as an early Shakespearean comedy. It is a work in which good triumphs over evil, but some serious themes are examined and some issues remained unresolved. The usury theme in The Merchant of Venice can be traced to the historical...

  27. Merchant of Venice

    settings for The Merchant of Venice. Venice, as in Shakespeare's time, is the city of commerce where wealth flows in and out with each visiting ship. Venice is also a cosmopolitan city at the frontier of Christendom, beyond which lies Asia, Africa, and the Ottoman Empire. Society in Venice is a predominantly...

  28. Merchant of Venice

    The Merchant of Venice is a play written in 1796 by William Shakespeare (!). Though it was included in the Comedies category of Shakespeare’s First Folio, there are some dramatic scenes that might make us doubt of this labelization. A cinematographic adaptation directed by Michael Radford was released...

  29. The Merchant of Venice 12

    The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice is a play written by William Shakespeare. It is a classic play, but has quite a few modern themes. This wasn’t uncommon of Shakespeare, in almost all of his literature we can relate it to things that are happening in our society today. In this particular...

  30. nothing

    euros. Our agreement was if Antonia couldn’t pay the 3000 euros that she would pay me with a pound... 558 Words | 3 Pages The Merchant of Venice Merchant of Venice - Antonio and Shylock Antonio's friend, needs money to pursue his love. They seek a loan from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender in...

  31. Things Fall Apart: Analysis

    created to show that they ultimately deserved their fate (Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth); exceptions were created (Shylock in Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”) to trigger sympathy from the audience. In addition, violence onstage played a very huge part in entertaining the audience, and often, the traditional...

  32. shakespeare plays

    fool characters and some times the names of the characters identify their personality. William Shakespeare plays demonstrate great examples of comedy. Firstly, many plays by Shakespeare contain the character misusing words that creates humor to the play. For example, in the play The Merchant of Venice...

  33. Friendship and Loyalty

    When the theme Friendship and Loyalty is mentioned in the play The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, people think of the strong relationship between two very important characters. In The Merchant of Venice, there are many characters that show friendship and loyalty, but the most commented on or...

  34. Shylock

    The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare Historical background William Shakespeare wrote The Merchant of Venice around 1596-1598, during the Elizabethan Era. Many Elizabethans held a number of prejudices about Jewish people which were widely accepted/tolerated.  Read the following statements...

  35. An Analysis of “the Rocking Horse Winner”

    Rodney Yates Academic English 11, Period 2 Mrs. Marianne Deitche 15 May 2009 An Analysis of “The Rocking Horse Winner” Through an analysis of its literary elements, it is clear that “The Rocking Horse Winner” is a classic American short story, I. Author Background Lawrence D.H....

  36. Brief Summaries of the Merchant of Venice Plots

    Summaries of different Plots The Bond Bassanio Wishes to borrow 3000 ducats from Antonio, but all of Antonio’s wealth is on the sea in his merchant ships, so Antonio suggests borrowing the money from Jew with Antonio’s name as guarantor. Bassanio visits Shylock and asks about the deal and Shylock...

  37. Contract Analysis

     Contracts Analysis Case Study Evita Pruna Legal Issues in Business Professor Martin November 10, 2015 Contracts Analysis Case Study In order to continue doing business with Marshall I would first, consult my lawyer to discuss the legalities of...

  38. hello

    five thousand years. In William Shakespeare's “The Merchant of Venice”, we find that one of the characters is the subject and expression of anti-Semitic attitude that is persistent in Elizabethan society. William Shakespeare's “The Merchant of Venice” contains many examples that insult Jewish heritage...

  39. jessica n shylock

    Familial Love (Jessica and Shylock) 1) What forms the foundation of the relationship between the two characters your group has been assigned? (Think about the ties they have with one another, how are they drawn to one another etc.) There is familial love between Jessica and Shylock but Jessica...

  40. Analysis of Act 2 Scene 3 Merchant of Venice

    The Merchant of Venice is an insightful play, which captivates viewers with the intense human relationships that are portrayed onstage. Act 2 Scene 3 is particularly dramatic, when Jessica bids goodbye to Lancelot. Jessica concludes the scene with a soliloquy, as she reflects on the fact that she is...

  41. Candide Summary with Analysis

    native American and European languages, and deals capably with both the Jesuits and the Biglugs suffers fewer gross misfortunes than any other character, less out of luck than because of his sharp wits, and he lives up to Candide’s trust when Candide sends him to fetch Cunégonde. he is no optimist...

  42. Deterioration of the Character Othello

    Deterioration of the character Othello A pioneer of Literacy, William Shakespeare’s works have stood the test of time, and this is by no means due to coincidence. The masterful application of language techniques throughout his plays to portray idea’s and intentions are what set him aside from other...

  43. nothing

    condemns. While Shylock is no saint, his resolve to collect his debt only seems to strengthen beyond 1. Discuss Shylock’s dramatic function in The Merchant of Venice. What do critics mean when they suggest that Shylock is “too large” for the play? Does he fulfill or exceed his role? In order to ensure that...

  44. Villain or Victim

    Traynor Robert Polko Villain or Victim Shylock is a character from William Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice. Shylock is a Jew and through the middle ages Jews were shunned and removed from Venice, some Jews stayed in Venice as moneylenders that made money through interest. Although...

  45. The 16th Century Europe

    independence might have contributed to the personality of his lady characters such as Lady Macbeth from Macbeth who is brave and strong, Katharine from The Taming of the Shrew who was hot tempered and spirited and Portia from the Merchant of Venice who is courageous enough to dress as a male lawyer. Religion...

  46. Villian or Victim?

    In ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare, the character Shylock is portrayed as a victim and villain. In order to find out which one of these suits Shylock best, it is necessary to examine him further. Many people are villainous in the way they behave. Their acts maybe contribute towards their...

  47. All the World's a Stage

    melancholy to his friends. Gratiano has just opined that this sadness is linked to his worries about worldly possessions, a charge which Antonio (the Merchant in this play) vehemently denies. For his part, Gratiano states that his own role on the stage of life is as a fool, always laughing and chattering...

  48. The Relationship Between Antonio and Shylock

    Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice, two of the main players, Antonio and Shylock, have an unexplainable hatred for one another. There are many speculations to why these characters despise one another such as religion (Christian vs. Jew), social status (Jew vs. merchant), cultural differences (Vincian...

  49. Friendship as a Foundation Stone

    friendship is used as a foundation stone in the play Merchant of Venice. How successful do you think Shakespeare has been in constructing close relationships in Act 1 scene 1 The theme of friendship if used as a foundation stone in the play Merchant of Venice. One of Shakespeare’s success in constructing...

  50. The Love of Money Is the Root of All Evil

    root of all evil is the case in the Merchant of Venice where the main characters act like monsters due to their love of money. Shylock rejoices when Antonio’s ships are rumored to be wrecked at sea, as he intends to get back at Antonio for making him and other merchants suffer in the past. Even after...

  51. Venice

    The play The Merchant of Venice shows how people were back then, compared to how they are now. This means that a simple play can show how much our society has changed. Ways such as racism, for example, the hatred the Jews and the Christians had for each other. Also, how money can effect the way you...

  52. Much Ado

    Nothing, like Sylvia Townsend Warner, praise Beatrice for being "free and uninhibited" ("Women as Writers," Warner, 272). Beatrice is a strong female character who marries only after asserting her disapproval for the traditionally voiceless role of women in marriage and courtship relationships of the 16th...

  53. Othello- A Tortured Soul

    “tortured soul,” most people think of a man who is being tortured without any way to relieve the pain. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, the Moor of Venice, Othello is a torture soul. Othello experienced that sort of pain as he attempted to assimilate into Venetian society by marketing himself as a supreme...

  54. Commedia Dell'Arte

    the audience won’t laugh. Characters are generally the same, but include the following. Pantalone is a merchant from Venice who is greedy and rich. Gratiano is usually a lawyer. Pantalone and Gratiano are referred to as the "vecchi", which is Italian for old male characters. Pedrolino and Arlecchino...

  55. The Circle of Life: How the Ancients Begot Shakespeare, Who Begot Disney

    classic beloved by parents and children alike, The Lion King. The Lion King loosely parallels Hamlet in its plot, themes, and, most importantly, characters. The backstabbing Claudius becomes the sneering Scar, the comic relief of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern become the slapstick Timon and Pumbaa, the...

  56. Antonio

    Antonio is the title character of the play. He appears to be a middle-aged bachelor and a businessman who is beloved by most of his acquaintance. He has been doing business in Venice and his financial interests are in overseas ships at the beginning of the play. Knowing his shipments are overseas...

  57. The Feud Between Antonio Shylock

    In this essay I will aim to explore how Shakespeare has expressed the feud between Shylock and Antonio in the Merchant of Venice. From the character list we can identify factors that will affect how the feud between Shylock and Antonio is portrayed as we learn that Antonio is of the Christian faith and...

  58. Shylock - Villain vs Victim

    I agree to an extent. In the "Merchant of Venice", Shylock is portrayed as both a victim and a villain. Christians looked down on him, and he suffered humiliation and prejudice because of his job as a usurer and his race. However, he is also vengeful and cunning, and jumps as every chance to take revenge...

  59. Jessica and Portia

    Jessica and Portia- two female characters portrayed in Merchant of Venice Jessica is Shylock’s daughter but hates living with him. Since Shylock and his daughter are Jews, he carries a huge amount of hatred for all Christians and his hatred for them causes Jessica to have hate for her own father since...

  60. Mr Evans

    Shakespeare has written many plays. Merchant of Venice is a play he has written. It was set in the Elizabethan era. It is a comedy because there are many plots and themes. Shylock is one of the main characters in this play. In this essay I will discuss and contrast both sides whether he is really a victim...