Question

Compare and contrast the characters of Shylock and Antonio from the 'Drama Merchant of venice'

Answer 1

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Explanation:

Comparing and Contrasting Antonio and Shylock The play is mostly built on racism against Jews 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.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.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.

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