The Merchant of Venice Free Essays

Parent-Child Relationship Between Jessica and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice After reading The Merchant of Venice, we should ask ourselves if Shylock, who many people perceive as tragedy stricken and victimized, is in fact so hard done by after all. When it comes to family matters, I believe that Shylock is the ultimate cause behind his awful relationship with Jessica. In this play, Shakespeare portrays an old fashioned child-parent relationship in which the child feels inferior to the parent. We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice or any similar topic only for you Order Now Shylock and Jessica lack trustworthiness, care, love, and consideration for one another. Their horrible relationship, which is a huge attribute to the play, is not due to conflicting personalities as commonly believed, but rather to the fact that Shylock is a terrible father. Over the course of the novel, Shylock and Jessica have numerous disagreements on certain issues, and Shylock is too stubborn to compromise. Firstly, when it comes to issues regarding religion, the two dispute because Jessica is ashamed to be Jewish while Shylock takes pride in it. Jessica clearly shows how upset she is to be Jewish when she says, â€Å"Alack, what heinous sin it is in me to be asham’d to be my father’s child! But though I am a daughter to his blood, I am not to his manners† (2. 3. 18). When Jessica is speaking to Launcelot, she essentially says that she would never act like she a Jew, which displays the lack of pride and hatred she has towards this â€Å"flaw† of hers. Secondly, Shylock persistently will not give Jessica any more freedom, and the ability to make her own decisions. Before the party that Shylock decides to attend, he says to Jessica: †¦ Hear you me, Jessica. Lock up my doors, and when you hear the drum and the vile squealing of the wry-necked fife, clamber not you up to the casements then, nor thrust your head into the public street, to gaze on Christian fools with varnished faces. But stop my house’s ears—I mean my casements—let not the sound of shallow foppery enter my sober house (2. 5. 27-35). Shylock gives strict instructions to Jessica to lock up the house, not reveal her face to anyone outside and not participate part in the Christian activities taking place, showing his lack of trust in her and demonstrating the restriction that Jessica is under. In many novels and other literature, not only are characters able to overcome conflicting personalities but in some cases, those are the characters that compliment each other best. Therefore, Shylock is simply stubborn preventing his relationship from progressing with Jessica. Throughout the novel, it becomes apparent that Shylock values materialistic things, putting them before Jessica. Firstly, when Jessica escapes home and her well being is questionable, Shylock’s concern lies in his possessions that she had taken with her. While speaking to Tubal, Shlock says, â€Å"I would my daughter were dead at my food and the jewels in her ear! Would she were hearsed at my foot and the ducats in her coffin! †¦ The thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief—and no satisfaction, no revenge†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (3. 1. 79-84). This shows that Shylock is a very materialistic person and considers his daughter to be of less importance than his goods. He even goes to the extent of wishing that she was dead in front of his feet so he could take all of his precious jewels back. Secondly, throughout Venice, Shylock is known as the ‘greedy money lender’ and we see him live up to his name on a few occasions. Shylock speaks to Jessica and says, â€Å"There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest, for I did dream of money bags tonight† (2. 5. 17-18). This tells us that he knows things aren’t going in his favor because he had dreamt of money bags previously and therefor he lives up to his name of being greedy and money-oriented. As a parent, Shylock should set his priorities straight and put Jessica before material possessions and money. Shylock is uninvolved in Jessica’s life and doesn’t invest enough effort or consideration into her. Firstly, Jessica is in love with Lorenzo, a christian, but Shylock resists stubbornly. Jessica says, â€Å"O Lorenzo, if thou keep promise, I shall end this strife, become a Christian and thy loving wife† (2. 4. 18-20). Jessica is basically admitting that life with Shylock is unpleasant and if all goes according to plan, she can marry Lorenzo and leave. Shylock is restricting her from doing this. Secondly, Shylock spends too much time worrying about his own issues in the book such as interacting with Lancelot, moneylending to Bassanio as well as others, and seeing through his promise for a pound of Antonio’s flesh. In act three, we can see a segment of Shylock’s busy life when he says: I’ll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak; I’ll have my bond, and therefore speak no more I’ll not be made a soft and dull-eyed fool, To shake the head, relent, and sigh, and yield To Christian intercessors. Follow not! I’ll have no speaking, I will have my bond (3. 3. 12-17). This is one of many examples of Shylock seeking Antonio’s flesh intently. As a caregiver, Shylocks priorities need to be in his children but it is apparent that his time is consumed adversely. Shylock is a terrible father because he does not involve himself in Jessica’s life enough and make time for her. Wether it’s in being too busy to take interest in Jessica, persistently restricting her, cringing at the thought of his inheritance to go to her, or being extremely money orientated, Shylock is most definitely the source of the poor father-daughter relationship between himself and Jessica. At numerous points within the novel, we can see Shylock’s lack of care, acceptance, involvement, love and trust that he has in Jessica. These are all essential behavioral traits that a caregiver and role model should have. In conclusion, Shylock is an inadequate father to Jessica and therefore, he is more of a villain than a victim. How to cite The Merchant of Venice, Papers The Merchant of Venice Free Essays The Merchant of Venice The play The Merchant of Venice is a comedy about a man named Bassanio who wants to travel to Belmont to try and win the love of a rich, beautiful and intelligent heiress, names Portia. Bassanio has his friend Antonio borrow money from a Jewish money lender for him so that he could travel to Belmont. The Merchant of Venice has many different themes, including the two themes; revenge love and friendship. We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice or any similar topic only for you Order Now The first theme in the play The Merchant of Venice is revenge. In the beginning of the play, Shylock (the Jewish money lender) tells the audience of his hatred for Antonio. Shylock hated Antonio for many reasons. Antonio had disgraced him, hindered him half a million, laughed at his losses, mocked his success, scorned his nationality, and more, but Antonio was in need of money to help out his friend Bassanio. Bassanio had asked Antonio for the money, but Antonio could not give it to him. He told Bassanio that he could borrow from a money lender, in his credit and he would pay the money back. Even though Shylock disliked Antonio, he agreed to lend the money on one condition, If the money was not paid on time, Shylock was entitled to one pound of flesh from anywhere on Antonio’s body. Antonio agreed and signed the bond because he knew that he had ships with money and they would be back before the bond was up. Shylock made his dislike of Antonio very clear, and that he would have his revenge if the money was not paid. The second example of revenge shown in the play was during the trial scene. Antonio had gotten news of his ships crashing before their returns. Antonio was not able to pay the bond off. Shylock had him arrested and taken to court. During the trial, Bassanio and Portia (dressed as a lawyer) tried to convince Shylock to take two, three, or even four times the amount of the bond. Shylock refused, he was set o his revenge on Antonio. Shylock had no mercy for Antonio. Portia however convinced the duke that Shylock was not allowed to draw blood with with pound of flesh, making his condition impossible. The duke realized that Shylock would show no mercy, so he would not get his revenge. That is how the play The Merchant of Venice shows the theme of revenge. The second theme is Love and Friendship. There are many friendships and relationships in The Merchant of Venice. Antonio and Bassanio have a strong friendship. Antonio risked his life by signing the bond that said if he did not pay the money on time, Shylock was entitled to one pound of his flesh. He did this so that his best friend Bassanio could go to Belmont to win the love of Portia. Antonio must have really valued the friendship they had to risk his own life for Bassanio. Bassanio and Antonio’s friendship helped build the main romantic relationship between Portia and Bassanio. Portia was an heiress whose father passed away and had written in his will that Portia would marry the man who could correctly choose the portrait of Portia from one of three caskets. This is why Bassanio wanted to go to Belmont for Portia. He was confident that he would be the one of all the suitors who attempted to choose the correct casket. In the end, Bassanio chose the correct casket and won Portia’s love. They got married and had a happy ending. In conclusion, I believe that the two main themes showed in The Merchant of Venice, are revenge love and romance. How to cite The Merchant of Venice, Papers The Merchant of Venice Free Essays The Merchant of Venice is a comedy by William Shakespeare, but it is the serious themes within the play that are most striking for readers and audiences alike.   Among all the other themes in The Merchant of Venice, Anti-Semitism is the most notable and controversial. In the play, William Shakespeare illustrated Anti-Semitism through the character of Shylock, the Jewish moneylender. We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice or any similar topic only for you Order Now    He was portrayed as greedy, vengeful, and full of hatred.   These characteristics made Shylock the most unforgettable character, even overshadowing the play’s protagonist Antonio.   It was Shakespeare’s depiction of Shylock that established the Anti-Semitic perception of the play, as it clearly painted a negative picture of Jewish people. Within the first three acts of the play, Anti-Semitism is conveyed through Shylock’s interaction with the other characters, and his response toward them.   One example of this is found in Act 1 Scene 3: [Aside] How like a fawning publican he looks! I hate him for he is a Christian, But more for that in low simplicity (Shakespeare 15) This is Shylock’s reaction upon the arrival of Antonio, who comes to borrow â€Å"three thousand ducats† from him (Shakespeare 16).   First, Shylock comments on Antonio’s appearance.  Ã‚   He then directly states his hatred, which is based on Antonio’s religion.   Through his use of Shylock as example, Shakespeare had shown the aversion of Jews to Christians. In Act 3 Scene 1, Shylock begins by explaining how Jews and Christians are alike.   However, he ends his statement with the justification of his wrongdoings toward Christians:  If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility?  Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance  be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villany you teach me,  I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the  instruction (Shakespeare 51). Shylock explains that his actions are merely responses to the cruelty of Christians towards him.   Thus, he will repay them with revenge more cruel than the way they have treated him.   In this way, Shakespeare portrays Jews as vengeful. Another display of anti-semitism is expressed through Shylock’s love of money over the love for his daughter.   When his daughter Jessica eloped with her Christian lover Lorenzo, she took some of his jewels and gold.   Shylock was enraged, not because of his daughter’s departure, but because of his gold and jewels: Two thousand ducats in  that; and other precious, precious jewels. I would my daughter  were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear; would she were  hearsed at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin! (Shakespeare 52) In this statement, Shylock’s concern for his jewels and ducats are obvious.   On the other hand, he expresses anger towards his daughter, whom he wished was dead.   Hence, Shakespeare depicts Jews as those who value material wealth over family. In conclusion, the play The Merchant of Venice carries the theme of Anti-Semitism.   It is considered as Anti-Semitic because of William Shakespeare’s depiction of Jews as despicable.   He casts a negative light on Jews through his character Shylock.   He is depicted as vengeful, greedy, full of hatred towards Christians, and one who values material wealth over family.   These are the characteristics by which Jews are identified.   In the end, it is the theme of Anti-Semitism that best identifies the play. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. â€Å"The Merchant of Venice.† Campus Bookstore. 31 Jan 2008 How to cite The Merchant of Venice, Essay examples The Merchant Of Venice Free Essays Portia is also manipulative, using silent humor as to not embarrass herself, having discussed with Inertias her displeasure in the choice of suitors, she cleverly replies, ‘Yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fair as any comer I have looked on yet for my affection. ‘ (Act 2, Scene 1, Line 20) this demonstrates the use of her words as not to cause embarrassment, whilst being honest and telling Inertias he literally that he had no chance. The language Shakespeare uses for Portia and Shylock is different, both Portia and Shylock are very formal in the way they speak. We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant Of Venice or any similar topic only for you Order Now Shylock is formal in a polite way in the judgment scene out of respect, ‘your grace’ (Act 4, Scene 1 Line 35). As a sign of nobility Portia is formal in the way that she speaks, mostly she uses verse in more important scenes such as the judgment scene, which further emphasizes her portrayal as a formal male character. However, Portion’s language is far more informal when she speaks to Inertias ‘You know I say nothing to him, for he hath neither Latin, French nor Italian’ this clearly accentuates their relationship as close; Portia speaks to Inertias in prose. Shylock on the other hand speaks predominantly in prose showing his lower status, particularly in his conversation with Tuba, ‘How now, Tuba, what news from Genoa? Hast thou found my daughter? ‘ (Act 3, Scene 1, Line 71), enhancing the informality of the conversation, and also the lower social status of Shylock as a Jew and Tuba as a Christian. In contrast to the majority of the play where Shylock speaks mostly in prose, in the judgment scene Shylock starts his opening speech with verse, ‘l have possessed your grace of what I purpose†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. .. As losing suit against him. Are you answered? ‘ ( Act 4, Scene 1, Line 35-63) this indicates the formality of where they are and this particular occasion, towards the end of the judgment Shylock language changes to prose making it less formal, when he no longer has the upper hand, ‘ take this offer then. Pay the bond thrice and let the Christian go. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1 r Line 31 6) Portia however, maintains her style of language throughout the scene which reinforces her position and the formality of the situation they are in. In the beginning Of the scene, Shylock is very in control using lengthy paragraphs and verse. He is knowledgeable about the law, ‘If you deny me, fie upon your law: There is no force in the decrees of Venice. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 101 ) and adamant that he will succeed in the debt being paid, ‘The pound of flesh which I demand of him is dearly bought; ‘its mine and I will have it. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 99) However, Portia is also both very knowledgeable of the law and very cleverly using a literal interpretation of the law to undermine Shylock case ‘The bond doth give thee here no jot of blood. The words expressly are’ a pound of flesh’. ‘(ACTA, Scene 1, Line 304) going on to say ‘One rope of Christian blood†¦ Are by the laws of Venice confiscate. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 308) The difference between Portia and Shylock is that Portia maintains her control. Throughout this process Shylock responses become much shorter as his confidence diminishes. By literally interpreting the words Portia manipulates Shylock to a point were he becomes submissive, ‘l pray you give me leave to go from hence; I am not well. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 3, Line 97) Portia, even she though is portraying a man still has a higher stature than Shylock even as a woman. Shylock is refereed to as ‘the Jew an insult and a means of singling IM out as a lower class of person. By calling him ‘Jew’ throughout the scene the Christians are putting him in his place. By Portion’s reference to Christian blood being shed as being ‘By the laws of Venice confiscate’ she is indicating that Christians are more special in the eyes of the law. However, Shylock shows a similar prejudice towards Christians as they do toward Jews, by addressing Antonio as the Christian, And let the Christian go. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 31 7) Shylock shows no mercy, at any point during this scene, even when he realizes he may not get everything he desires ‘Is that the law? Act 4, Scene 1, Line 312) he still continues to try to get the best deal he can ‘l take this offer then. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 31 6) Portia begins to contradict herself when she appeals to Shylock with her The quality of Mercy’ speech (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 182) as throughout the scene she in fact shows no mercy, ‘Soft. The Jew shall have all justice; soft, no haste; He shall have nothing but the penalty. ‘ (ACTA, Scene 1, Line 31 8) Portia then manipulates the concept of mercy, by asking the criminal what mercy he desires towards Shylock, leaving him with nothing, not even his faith. How to cite The Merchant Of Venice, Papers The Merchant of Venice Free Essays In â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† by William Shakespeare, Shylock is always portrayed as the villain of the play. However, a study of his strengths and weaknesses reveals how hard it is to tell whether he is a villain or a victim. ‘The Merchant of Venice’ written by William Shakespeare is two stories; the flesh blond tale and the love caskets tale. We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice or any similar topic only for you Order Now An important character that portrays these two stories is Shylock, an arrogant Jewish merchant. Shylock is an old man who is wealthy by lending money and charging interest e. g. 3000 ducats with Antonio. Shylock has a deep hatred for Christians and he has many strengths and weaknesses. Shylock is sadly always portrayed as the villain of the play. In ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare Shylock is always made known that he is the villain. This is because people stereotype him on his religion and what he acts like. Shylock is portrayed as the villain just because he is a Jew and holds grudges. We are first introduced to Shylock in Act One, Scene Three where we learn of his usury. In this scene we hear of his hatred for Antonio. â€Å"How like a fawning publican he looks! I hate him for he is a Christian† (1, 3, 37-38). This statement shows that Shylock hates Antonio. Shylock hates him because he has different beliefs than him and he hates Christians because of past abuse. Shylock also shows signs of ferociousness in his refusal to forgive 3 the Christians. â€Å"If I can catch him once upon the hip, I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him† (1, 3, 43). Everybody despises Shylock because he is devious and very cunning. He shows this when naive Antonio accepts the bond of taking a pound of flesh if 3000 ducats is not paid in three months. Although Shylock performs evil he should be treated like everyone else, not like an animal such as in Act Four, Scene One. In â€Å"The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare, Shylock has many strengths, even though he is pictured to be a cold hearted, selfish, revenge-seeking, parochial, unmerciful, stubborn, and naive man. In fact, Shylock has more strengths than weaknesses but they are very hard to point out. People put him down just because he is a Jew – which equals prejudism. Shylock is an extremely successful business man by lending money and charging interest, such as in Act One, Scene Two with Antonio and Bassanio. Shylock is also very optimistic and is never hurt by what other people say or think of him. I suppose you could say he is naive then. I mean, it is just a human flaw to want revenge so why should Shylock suffer the pain and teasing? Another strength that Shylock has is that he is very cunning. Some people believe this is a weakness; it is not because through this he earns money and starts friendships. In â€Å"The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare, Shylock has many weaknesses, these are easier to point out because he has so many of them and they are very obvious. First of all, Shylock is a very cold hearted man, especially with his treatment of his daughter Jessica. 4 â€Å"Hear you me, Jessica lock up my doors: and when you hear the drum†¦ Nor thrust your head into the public street†¦ but stop my house’s ears†¦ Let not the sound of shallow foppery enter my sober house† (1, 5). This is when Shylock is telling Jessica to stay locked up inside and look after his house- therefore he is overprotective. Shylock is also very naive, he doesn’t realise the strange behaviour between Jessica and Lorenzo. This is showing that he isn’t an attentive father. It also shows that he is greedy and wrapped up in his own little world because he is more preoccupied in his wealth than his daughter. Another weakness that Shylock carries is that he is very revenge-seeking. Especially when he hates Antonio because of past insultment and he is a Christian. He shows this when he lends money to Antonio with an unusual bond that he know will work because Antonio’s wealth is at sea. Shylock is also very materialistic and thinks money buys happiness/life. In ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare, Shylock is the most noteworthy figure and it is hard to tell whether he is a victim or a villain. He is portrayed as a greedy, naive, and cold hearted man. But people don’t see that, on the inside he is a good person, instead they just stereotype him on his religion and personal traits. I guess his greediness overpowers his personality. How to cite The Merchant of Venice, Essay examples The Merchant of Venice Free Essays How is your prescribed text made memorable through the interaction of ideas and the ways these ideas are represented? â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† by William Shakespeare contains many memorable themes. Through the use of techniques ideas are represented. These ideas are the power of money, conflict/prejudice between Jews and Christians and the role of women. We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice or any similar topic only for you Order Now The memorable ideas represented throughout the play are extremely important to â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† and is the reason why it is called a ‘problem play’. Shylock is often classed as the stereotypical miserably Jew, and some use his repetition of â€Å"Three thousand ducats† to show how his life is dominated and ruled by money. Shylock is obsessed with money this becomes clear in Act 2, Scene 8 as Solanio mimics Shylock’s anguished cries of repetition â€Å"My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter†. In Act 3 Scene 1 as Tubal notifies Shylock of Jessica spending â€Å"fourscore ducats† in one night, Shylocks reaction supports the fact that he is obsessed with money, â€Å"I shall never see my gold again†. Christians and anti-Semitism are extremely important to â€Å"The Merchant of Venice†. Shylock who is constantly vilified and ridiculed by the Christians throughout the play portrays the Elizabethan era of which the play was written, and it is no coincidence that the heroes in the play are Christians and the villain is Jewish. The society, which is mostly Christians, degrades and ostracises the Jews because of the different ways of life and beliefs. Hence, the idea of anti-Semitism is brought into the play. Shylock is frequently called â€Å"the devil† (Lancelot 2:2) or linked with dehumanising imagery â€Å"cut-throat dog, this is evident in Act 1 Scene 3 as Shylock is in conversation with Antonio. Antonio thinks of the Jew when he calls Shylock a â€Å"misbeliever† and â€Å"spat upon his Jewish gabardine†. Consequently Shylock displays the same hatred and disrespect for Antonio as he publicly expresses that he â€Å"hates him for he is Christian†. The use of rhetorical questions is a vivid dramatic change, climaxing in his taunting lines: â€Å" Hath a dog money? In this play, we can see that religious prejudices outweigh justice. In the trial scene (4:1), the way in which they address Shylock as â€Å"the Jew† implies the hearing is unfavorable towards Shylock. Portia argues that there must be â€Å"no jot of blood†¦ in the cutting it†. Though this reasoning is flawed in the actual context, it is done to save a fellow Christian from a Jew. The Duke also tries to defend Antonio and ask Shylock to â€Å"forgive a moiety of the principal†. However, when Shylock is undone by Portia’s interpretation of the law, none of them show â€Å"mercy† to the losses he suffers. He loses â€Å"one half of his good† to the state â€Å"the other half† to Lorenzo and Jessica upon his death and most significantly he loses his religion. The Christians put on a veil of â€Å"justice† by stating that â€Å"the Jew shall have all justice†. However, for the state of Venice to take away one’s religion unwillingly to be christened shows that the rule of law is in fact, one-sided and does not serve justice for the Jews. Conclusively, it seems evident that prejudice prevails over justice. The role of women is also explored in the trial scene (4:1). The traditional idea of men and women has been subverted as Portia dresses as a man. Portia’s intellectual qualities are highlighted in the trial scene, where she illustrates her ability to reason with a legal approach â€Å"this bond is forfeit†. Portia also shows her wit and intellect as she comments on Bassanio’s will to sacrifice his wife to save Antonio, â€Å" your wife would give you little thanks for that, if she were by to hear you make the offer. Thus Portia can be regarded as the ideal compound of intellect and romance, who blots her copybook only once, and that is in her catlike playing with Shylock. Based on the play, Shakespeare exploits the themes of power of money; the role of women and the prejudice between Christians and Jew. These memorable ideas are represented primarily through the characters of Shylock and Portia , whom give us an accurate idea of Christians and Jews during the Elizabethan era. How to cite The Merchant of Venice, Papers The Merchant of Venice Free Essays he MMabelMartin Professor Valencic, Adam ENGL 200 Dec 16, 2012 Dear Prof. Valencic: In exploring â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† by William Shakespeare while trying to classify it, as it is a troublesome play to classify in the usual Shakespearean categories of comedy, history or tragedy, I came to the conclusion that the ultimate view of this drama is neither simply a comedy or a tragedy, but a combination of both. In the book it was stated that, â€Å"Coinciding with the reduction in the stature of characters in tragedy has come a hybrid form that has come to be known as tragicomedy, that is, works of drama that combine the tragic and comic together† (277). We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice or any similar topic only for you Order Now With this in mind, after reading this troublesome play, I’d have to argue that it be considered a â€Å"Tragicomedy†. So now I ask professor, would this qualify as such, although originally this drama has been titled, The Comical History of the Merchant of Venice, or Otherwise Called the Jew of Venice, originally I did not see the comedy within it, but I can see some now, but I also wouldn’t call it a complete tragedy, being that there was conflict, it ultimately never ended in a complete tragedy to call it that either. I appreciate any feedback to the matter, whether it still corresponds to the original question? Is my understanding of the term applied correctly in my opinion towards this drama? I look forward to gaining more knowledge towards this assignment which I enjoyed analyzing. Sincerely, Mabel Martin MabelMartin Professor Valencic, Adam ENGL 200 Dec 16, 2012 The Merchant of Venice â€Å"The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction† (324). When analyzing this line from â€Å"The Merchant of Venice†, it does not seem as though this drama would be considered a comedy, but rather a tragedy. We all have read and studied the variety of works of the great writer William Shakespeare, most of his plays can be categorized into comedy, history, or tragedy. However, this specific plays full name is originally ,The Comical History of the Merchant of Venice, or Otherwise Called the Jew of Venice, but although the title contemplates that it be considered a comedy, after reviewing and summarizing the complete drama, I disagree and view this plays classification to be different. Considering the above mentioned quote directly from the drama, one would assume it may then be a tragedy, which for a while, I almost believed it to be. But after discovering the final outcome, and looking at the drama as it whole, I would not even consider it a tragedy either. Nevertheless, I found there to be direct correlation to both classifications within the play as a whole. Earlier through my studies of Drama throughout the chapter, however, I came across a new term; one that I believe would best suit the classification for this particular drama. â€Å"Coinciding with the reduction in the stature of characters in tragedy has come a hybrid form that has come to be known as tragicomedy, that is, works of drama that combine the tragic and comic together† (277). This definition led me to the conclusion that this is what I would base my classification for William Shakespeare’s â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† This drama is not only a tragedy, because although a character does seem to express characteristics of those of a villain, â€Å"The pound of flesh which I demand of him is dearly bought, ’tis mine, and I will have it†, there is more background to his experiences, (personal, psychological, emotional, social and even moral) which are explained, for why he is the way he is, and also the final outcome does not go as he had hoped as one would expect from a tragedy. Although tragedies are not always followed with death, there are many other points that come across that are aspects of a comedy. As far as being a comedy, it also displays, not only laughing moments, which are not what a true comedy was actually based on in drama, it displayed for some a happy ending, where there are weddings, and another shot at living for Antonio. This play even displays what I think to be to an extent, in a religious view, an anthropological approach, which honestly is a key factor in this play, where a main character, Shylock’s, believes in religion, those of a Jew, compose a major role for the development in this play, to the point in the end he is even forced to convert into Christianity, which in turn the villains tragic plot, becomes tragic for him as it turns back on him, and all else continue with their lives, to include his daughter, happy, in this complicated compilation of drama classifications that change throughout the story. Ultimately, this intended comedy, is in fact a comedy, but can also be viewed as a tragedy, because of the villain, although the final tragedy ends over him. With this in mind, Shakespeare seems to want the reader to gain sympathy for the so called villain, as it has been his difficult life that has took led him there. Coming from that point of view, it is a tragedy, that he loses his daughter, his agreement misunderstanding, and ultimately his religion, which is forced, and for anyone that would be tragic, to be treated as such all your life for your beliefs, and then ultimately forced to change them. So depending on one’s standpoint, and the relationship you develop with the characters, this story can be viewed differently, as either simply a comedy or for some, who may understand what that is like be seen as a tragedy. However, as it was defined earlier, I conclude that the best suited classification for this play overall would be tragicomedy. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. â€Å"The Merchant of Venice. †Ã‚  ENGL200: Composition and Literature. New York: McGraw-Hill 2011: 308-339. Web. 16 December 2012. ENGL200: Composition and Literature. New York: McGraw-Hill 2011: 275-289. Web. 30 November 2012. How to cite The Merchant of Venice, Essay examples