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The merchant of venice by shakespeare

A comedy is a play, movie etc, of light witty characters with a happy or cheerful ending. In Shakespeare’s time people would find things funny such as women dressing up as men and a person being tortured slightly not extremely. In this play there is a part when characters are in the court where the Jew has given up and taken the money just before that Gratiano had said “ O upright Judge! Mark Jew: O learned Judge! ” This shows him mocking Shylock as he said it before because he knew h was winning but at his loss he is mocked and this is also repeated again by Gratiano when Portia sentences the Jew to nothing but the penalty.

This would be shown as comedy in the Shakespearean audience because a person is getting mocked and put in his place which would be considered funny in Shakespearean times. Venice is a place where there is much hatred and people went against the Jews because of the religion they practiced. When a Jew is talked to he would be talked to like a pathetic person incapable of anything. “ You call me a misbeliever, cut throat dog and spit upon my Jewish gabardine” This shows that the Christians really hated the Jews and believed it it their hearts that they practised the wrong faith and the one they do practice is a joke causing racial discrimination.

The language used when torturing the Jew is very harsh to show how much hatred there is for that specific person. Anger is shown very well in the play as when the Christian cannot tolerate the Jew any more he is spat upon. In this part of the play the 2 characters Antonio and Bassanio relate very well together as they are after the same thing which is the money that is needed at that moment. They become even closer when Antonio agrees to Shylocks bond which is the pound of flesh which is over the top.

Belmont is the feminine place of peace the total opposite of Venice because it is dominated by a woman. Venice is more about romances because the leading lady Portia loves the Bassanio who is trying to win her love thus leading to him having to take the money from Shylock. Nerissa also falls in love with Gratiano. Nerissa is Portia’s lady in waiting.

Belmont stands for a calm place where as Venice shows a world of business and Belmont also shows the way of doing the right things. When Portia has been told to marry the person who chooses the right casket and she follow’s it through. The quote to support this is when she is with the prince Morocco “ Go draw aside the curtains and discover the several caskets to this noble prince no make your choice” This shows she went through her fathers wishes. Belmont is full of peace and harmony whereas in Venice it’s tense and a world of business. Belmont stands for a calm place which shows the right ways of doing things. When Portia has been told to marry whoever picks the right casket which is her father’s wishes she follows it through to the end.

The quote supporting this is when she with Prince Morocco. Go draw aside the curtains and discover the several caskets to this no0ble prince, now make your choice” This shows she went through with her father’s wishes. In Venice the characters are ruled by harsh realities of life whereas in Belmont the difficulties tend to go away like in a fairy tale . Lancelot has been made so at Elizabethan times people would have a clown. You laugh as much at him as with him in this play. When gobbo comes in he tries having fun at his father’s expense.

He tells his father he’s not his son then at the end admits it. This type of teasing and baffling the older people is traditionally comic. When Bassanio enters Launcelot is made as much of a fool as his father. His appearance is described in his name Gobbo which in Italian means hunchbacked.

When talking to Bassanio Launcelot acts idiotic, swapping words e. g. when he says: “ Indeed, the short and the long is” This quote shows some comic parts to it using confusion. When Shakespeare was writing this play he used word play for this another example of this is: “ I hope, an old man, shall frutify unto you. ” Fruitify is bear fruit Lancelot is really meant to say notify. This is again word play.

Lancelot and Gobbo can relate to each other as they are both the only comedians of this Lancelot is seen as the comedian of the play. His moments of amusements lead away from tense or romantic scenes. There is a part when Lancelot’s father is blind and comes to meet Lancelot but mockingly says to his father “ Do I look like a cudgel or a hovel-post a staff or a prop? Do you not know me, father? ” This quote would be seen as funny by the audience in Shakespearean time because he treats his father with scorn, he knows he’s blind but makes a fool out of him. Portia does show stereotypical views about6 her suitors but in humorous ways which could seem offensive to a modern audience.

Most things she says has a negative influence because she knows it’s wrong but still mocks them. She’s making judgments of people when they hardly talk with each other. When Nerissa goes through the people who arrive and Portia dismisses them with contempt. (No respect)This would be seen as offensive because those people have come to see her and she just looks past them rudely.

Her character changes in this scene from nice calm to a mocker. Could be presented as a stereotype because he says in Act 1 scene to Antonio. I hate him for he is a Christian” This shows he hates him not for any other reason but his faith. Shylock has never spoken to him properly before but judges him already showing stereotypical thoughts. This quote is shown in Act 2 scene 5.

“ The prodigal Christian” Grouping all the Christians together and saying they’re too willing to waste money, time or energy. He has implied this about every Christian living which shows stereotypical views. He just assumed every single Christian is wasteful saying the PRODIGAL Christian. The audience could sympathize with Shylock because of the life he’s led.

He’s a Jew and his faith has led him to be undermined by others. His only way of making money is usury which is frowned upon by Christians. “ The devil can cite scripture for his purpose” Just before Antonio said this in Act 1 scene 3 Shylock had told a story from his faith. Antonio referred to him as a devil who can quote anything for himself. The audience would sympathize with him because3 they’re calling him a devil due to his religious speech.

Shylock is always made the fool in conversations especially since his daughter ran away, he’s characterised as a devil yet again. He becomes the joke Act 3 scene 1 when he’s talking with Solanio and Salerio They tease him so much in this scene about the loss of Jessica. When he says that his daughter is his own ‘ flesh and blood’ Salerio says Jessica and Shylock have very little in common. ‘ There is more difference between thy flesh and hers than between jet and ivory. He’s mocked over and over mercilessly by Salerio and Solanio.

Act 5 does provide a happy ending the concepts of justice and law are analysed in this scene Shylock is defeated but fairly as Portia gives him a lot of opportunities to just take the money and go but he didn’t take it.

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