Act IV, Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice - 1662 Words

Act IV, Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice In Shakespeare’s day, Jews were banned from England, in fact Jews had been banned since 1290 ad. The only Jews allowed to stay were the ones who would convert to Christianity. When the Jews moved away from Israel in the third century BC, they refused to mix with non-Jews who they referred to as gentiles. They also refused to change their beliefs and way of life. Non-Jews soon became resentful of the Jews as they became successful in business and this hatred only grew. (In 1584 when the Queen’s doctor was executed for treason, many suspected him of being Jewish. So much anti-Semitism was widely accepted in that period of history.) On the stage the†¦show more content†¦As the protagonist enters he is jostled, hissed at and most probably verbally abused. When he reaches the Duke, the Duke makes it clear to Shylock that he is against him when he says ‘Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so to...’ He is told the world expects a ‘gentle answer’ from him. Shylock is then compared to a ‘stubborn Turk’ but it has no impact on him as he is used to a lot worse from the other Christians. When Shylock refuses to explain his reasons for wanting Antonio dead, it makes him sound unreasonable; he says if his house is troubled by a rat, he can kill it. It makes him look vicious. He says he has ‘a lodged hate and a certain loathing’ towards Antonio. He is saying he has a deep hatred for Antonio. As the play moves on the protagonist refuses to change his decision. Shylock shows us again his lack of mercy, as he did when he heard news of his daughter running away in act 3, scene 1. Shakespeare uses this episode to build tension as the audience grows to believe that Antonio is actually going to be killed. The playwright also foreshadows the future when the Duke says ‘how can thou hope for mercy, rendering none?’ Some of the Modern and Elizabethan audience may pick up on this and realize that the tables may turn later in the scene. At this point the ElizabethanShow MoreRelatedThe Scene Act Iv Scene 1 Of William Shakespeare s Merchant Of Venice 1175 Words   |  5 Pages‘Divine Quality of Mercy’, in Merchant of Venice , Shakespeare demonstrates the significance of performance through the unified concept that kingship and law is fragile, easily broken and used for deceptive purposes. This essay will specifically look at the Duel Scene (Act I, Scene I II) and the Mirror Scene (Act IV, Scene I) in King Richard the second (Richard II). Also, look into Shylock’s Trial (Act IV, Scene I) and the Casket Game (Act II, Scene IX) in Merchant of Venice (MOV). To which this easyRead More The Charater of Shylock in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice1583 Words   |  7 PagesThe Charater of Shylock in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice In his chapter â€Å"Shakespeare and Dissident Reading,† Alan Sinfield argues that viewing Shylock as anything but an evil villain is â€Å"achieved only by leaning, tendentiously, on the text† (Sinfield 1994, 6). This is an oversimplification of Shylock’s character as portrayed in The Merchant of Venice. Sinfield portrays Shylock as static and unchanging. However, emotions and portrayal of Shylock are not as forward as Sinfield claims. ConstantlyRead More Merchant of Venice Essay: Antonios Love for Bassanio1721 Words   |  7 PagesAntonios Love for Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Antonio feels closer to Bassanio than any other character in The Merchant of Venice. 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They are not a fond of his angry mannerisms, despiseRead MoreEssay about Witchcraft, Murder and Ghosts in Macbeth1142 Words   |  5 PagesWitchcraft, Murder and Ghosts in Macbeth       A notable point within Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is the use of the three witches in the opening scene.   The number of witches for a contemporary audience can go unnoticed.   However in the time that Shakespeare the symbolic meaning of the number three was important, as it symbolized unluckiness and when remembering the fear of the unnatural and being unlucky (epitomized by such historical events as the rage of witch trials within Britain).   ThisRead MoreEssay William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice2277 Words   |  10 PagesWilliam Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice Introduction The three versions of the Merchant of Venice which I have watched are: 1. Channel 4 television version for their Schools Broadcasting Programmes 2. Trevor Nunns version 3. National Theatre Company version directed by Jonathan Miller and starring Laurence Olivier as Shylock Act IV scene 1 is an intense scene in the play where we see many of the plays main themes such as justice and mercyRead MoreEssay about The Many Symbols in Shakespeares Macbeth1723 Words   |  7 Pagesloose about him, like a giants robe Upon a dwarfish thief. Blood as a symbol in the play assumes many different meanings as the story progresses, ranging from virtuous honour to the guilt of murder. The first reference to blood occurs in (I,ii,1) when Duncan meets the bleeding sergeant and remarks, What bloody man is that? The man is bleeding after having fought to protect the noble Malcolm, which makes the blood a symbol of honour. Blood symbolizes another virtuous trait when it appears againRead MoreHi Im Cool2335 Words   |  10 PagesFabian Mora Ms. Welch English Honors 1 March 20 2012 The Merchant of Venice Act III, i 1.) Salerio and Solanio are designed to reflect Venetian society at large because they show what is happening to inform the audience. They are also very nosey and hate Jews like the entire Venetians do. 2.) It is such a crisis for Shylock that his daughter converted and married a Christian because when Jessica left she stole a lot of his precious jewels and money. Tubal claims that she is spending