compare and contrast between the character of Antonio and Shylock
Answers
Answered by
5

Page
1
2
3
4
5

Level: GCSE
Subject: English
Word count: 4610
Save
View my saved documents
Submit similar document
Share this
Get Full Access Now
Merchant of Venice - Comparing and Contrasting Antonio and Shylock
Extracts from this document...
Introduction
Comparing and Contrasting Antonio and Shylock The play is mostly built on racism against Jews around 1290 when Jews were expelled from England. "The Merchant of Venice" is one of Shakespeare's most accessible plays. The play is a comedy, however a modern audience consider it a tragic-comedy, and the play has an underlying plot of considerable moral dimension. This is because a Shakespearean audience would have believed that prejudice against Jews was acceptable, and would have believed "The Merchant of Venice" to be funny, a Jew who seems to have everything and at the end looses everything. Today, however it would believed to be a tragic-comedy because anti-Semitism is not acceptable and jokes against Jews would not be considered as funny. There are three main characters, portrayed in ways uncharacteristic of Elizabethan times: Antonio the wealthy merchant, Shylock the greedy usurer and the heiress Portia. Antonio is an ideal friend and is idolised within the community he is a wealthy man. He also lends money but does not charge interest. Antonio hates Shylock but not purely because he is a Jew. He disagrees with Antonio's money lending to make interest. He irritates Shylock because he helps people pay off their debts to Shylock before they have to have a forfeit. Shylock, on the other hand, is a money obsessed usurer. He charges great amounts of interest and if it is not paid off by the due date he demands forfeits. He is portrayed in three different lights. The first as a villain, secondly a victim of racial taunts and third as a comedian laughing back at the Christians. Shylock's character was based on Barabas, the main character in Marlowe's 'Jew of Malta'. Some critics say that Shakespeare copied his idea. Shylock however is a money obsessed usurer. He charges vast amounts of interest and if it is not paid off in time then Shylock will charge forfeits
Page
1
2
3
4
5

Level: GCSE
Subject: English
Word count: 4610
Save
View my saved documents
Submit similar document
Share this
Get Full Access Now
Merchant of Venice - Comparing and Contrasting Antonio and Shylock
Extracts from this document...
Introduction
Comparing and Contrasting Antonio and Shylock The play is mostly built on racism against Jews around 1290 when Jews were expelled from England. "The Merchant of Venice" is one of Shakespeare's most accessible plays. The play is a comedy, however a modern audience consider it a tragic-comedy, and the play has an underlying plot of considerable moral dimension. This is because a Shakespearean audience would have believed that prejudice against Jews was acceptable, and would have believed "The Merchant of Venice" to be funny, a Jew who seems to have everything and at the end looses everything. Today, however it would believed to be a tragic-comedy because anti-Semitism is not acceptable and jokes against Jews would not be considered as funny. There are three main characters, portrayed in ways uncharacteristic of Elizabethan times: Antonio the wealthy merchant, Shylock the greedy usurer and the heiress Portia. Antonio is an ideal friend and is idolised within the community he is a wealthy man. He also lends money but does not charge interest. Antonio hates Shylock but not purely because he is a Jew. He disagrees with Antonio's money lending to make interest. He irritates Shylock because he helps people pay off their debts to Shylock before they have to have a forfeit. Shylock, on the other hand, is a money obsessed usurer. He charges great amounts of interest and if it is not paid off by the due date he demands forfeits. He is portrayed in three different lights. The first as a villain, secondly a victim of racial taunts and third as a comedian laughing back at the Christians. Shylock's character was based on Barabas, the main character in Marlowe's 'Jew of Malta'. Some critics say that Shakespeare copied his idea. Shylock however is a money obsessed usurer. He charges vast amounts of interest and if it is not paid off in time then Shylock will charge forfeits
Similar questions