The Tragedy of Shylock - Mike M As with Richard III, one of the main things that stood out in my mind about The Merchant of Venice was the genre. In order to achieve this, Jessica steals from her father Shylock, using m ercenary language " gild myself with some more ducats" , which by framing her as a prize, symbolically represents the unstable financial world intruding into the romantic world. However, Shylock is offered three times his money back and he still demands his pound of flesh; this moves him into the realms of villainy. The comparison of co medy and tragedy can be observed in one play. All of my familiarity with the play was based on hearsay, and for some reason I got the idea in my heads that it was a tragedy. Antonio chooses in the end to deprive Shylock of his religion among other things. THE (COMIC) TRAGEDY OF FORMALISM IN SHAKESPEARE’S THE MERCHANT OF VENICE JOSH NISKER ABSTRACT William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice addresses various legal issues and themes, with perhaps none being so pronounced as the struggle between formal positivism and Natural Law. So do I. Subthemes Covered in The Play . In the play, the character of Shylock is being described as a negative one as he has no compassion for others and considers money to be his highest priority in life. Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice provides a dramatic setting for thinking about the relationship of mercy to justice, a topic of great concern to contemporary ethical and political thought. Shylock, a vengeful character, feels joy upon hearing of Antonio’s misfortunes. Shylock has been compelled to accept the Christian faith and so will have two godfathers, but Gratiano says that if he had been judge, he would have sent Shylock before a jury of the usual twelve, who would have condemned him to be hanged. The “font” is a bowl on a raised platform or pedestal, containing holy water for the, ceremony of baptism. However, tragedy rises to a point and then comic things happen in the drama. The Tragedy of Shylock W. Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice comes to a gripping climax in the first scene of the penultimate act where the main protagonists are gathered in a Venetian Court of Justice. Shylock loses his case in the court and he is punished for plotting against an innocent Christian. He had amassed an immense fortune by lending money at a great interest rate to christen merchants. Jessica was able to run away from her unloving father and take money and jewels. I thought that Shylock_did_ receive a pound of flesh from Antonio, but that it was just skin removed from his back. All of my familiarity with the play was based on hearsay, and for some reason I got the idea in my heads that it was a tragedy. The moneylender, Shylock, is extremely strong-willed about getting his bond; he must get three times as much as he lent the merchants, or he will cut off a pound of Antonio’s flesh. This instability foreshadows the failure of their relationship, leading to the presence of tragedy in Belmont at the end of the play. Shylock, the much maligned Jewish moneylender stands ready to claim his ‘pound of flesh’, as his bond with the merchant Antonio has been forfeited. . It is the same word as “fountain”. Raymond Schmit PAGE * MERGEFORMAT 6 Shakespeare The Tragedy of Shylock I had not read the _Merchant of Venice_ before this class. Comedy Checklist . Initially, fast reading without taking notes and underlines should be done. The contract mentions that he can have a pound of flesh but not a pint of blood from Antonio's body. Certainly, Shylock is the play’s antagonist, and he is menacing enough to seriously imperil the happiness of Venice’s businessmen and young lovers alike. He was a usurer by profession. Shylock, the Jew lived in Venice. Shylock is stereotypically described as “costumed in a recognizably Jewish way in a long gown of gabardine, probably black, with a red beard and/or wing like that of Judas, and a hooked putty nose or bottle nose” (Charney, p. 41). With its intricate triple plot—the Shylock-Antonio bond, the Portia-Bassanio romance, and the ring trick—this play is an already complicated story which turns on our understanding of the relationships of mercy to justice and love to honesty. Shakespeare’s the _Merchant of Venice_ has experienced for this very long because of the amazing character of Shylock. It depends on his portrayal as to how much an audience has sympathy for his position and character as to how much he is judged at the end of the play. Shylock, in the hands of John Turnbull, becomes irrepressibly enjoyable to watch, and his delight at the prospect of vengeance is contagious. Either he's got a time machine, or he wishes I were writing about Shylock instead of Antonio. His ill treatment of Shylock makes him a rather dark hero. The dramatic form one chooses provides a structure or an outline from which the play can take shape. Sort of. There are many people disputing over whether The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare is a tragedy or a comedy. I've mentioned the Michael Radford film, which stars Jeremy Irons (Antonio), Joseph … STEP 2: Reading The The Tragedy Of Shylock Harvard Case Study: To have a complete understanding of the case, one should focus on case reading. Shylock’s life is tragic because of a choice he makes. Being a hard-hearted man, he exacted the payment of the money he lent with such severity that he was much disliked by all good men. However, Shylock shows a glimpse of sentimentality in valuing the turquoise ring simply because it was a gift from his wife. . All of my familiarity with the play was based on hearsay, and for some reason I got the idea in my heads that it was a tragedy. But as land and labour were transforming into commodities, which could be traded, distribution was happening before production took place. i see the play as a tragedy the resulting from systemic antisemitism in the same vein as Romero & Juliet is to blood feuds. The Tragedy of Shylock, a Critical essay on Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. So, all these thoughts and actions are only around money and wealth. * Revenge is a theme of tragedy Revenge is dark and hateful and particularly in this play Shylock is consumed with it. She disobeyed him and their religion and stole money from him. Initial reading is to get a rough idea of what information is provided for the analyses. Under feudalism the distribution of surpluses had occurred after the harvest was in. Get an answer for 'How does The Merchant of Venice end as a tragedy for Shylock?' All of this can get a little confusing, so let's take a look at our Shakespearean comedy checklist to see how and why the play fits into the genre. He was a usurer by profession. The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare Thus, at the outset of this play, we are introduced to the melancholic Antonio, who “hold[s] the world but as the world, . Ostensibly, The Merchant of Venice dramatizes the dangers of rigid adherence to formalism and … The Tragedy of Shylock I had not read the _Merchant of Venice_ before this class. Shylock is the antagonist and a tragic character in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Shylock is a tragic character, but he represents more than that to various audiences. Traditionally classified as among Shakespeare’s comedies, the play can also be analyzed as a tragedy in which Shylock is the protagonist. ” Shylock is a main character and succumbs to the tragic flaws he possesses. I thought that Shylockdid receive a pound of flesh from Antonio, but that it was just skin removed from his back. He had amassed an … By Riga, Frank P. Read preview. ALTHOUGH THE MERCHANT OF VENICE HAS BEEN one of Shakespeare's most performed plays, until 2004, it had never been made into a major film feature during the sound era. This is the tragedy of Shylock’s character. Because of what Shylock was desperately trying to convey in the entirety of the play—that he is a Jew, that Antonio has “wronged” him because he is a Jew, and he will have his revenge for such ill-treatment—is what triumphantly makes him a hero of a tragedy. Light, humorous tone: Check. (Shylock's desire for a pound of flesh is pretty intense, wouldn't you say? The conversion of Shylock breaks the normative expectations of the audience and the audience’s desire for retribution; it also exposes the venomous shortcoming of the audience in how it would have wanted to deal with Shylock due to its own bigotry and prejudices. I had not read the Merchant of Venice before this class. It lets me look at _The Merchant of Venice_ not only as a Funny of the Vendor, but as the Tragedy of Shylock. The two plots, the one involving Portia and her . RE4: The Tragedy of Shylock, Merchant of Venice Actually, the Olivier Merchant of Venice I saw so long ago was not the film, but a live performance in Regent's Park. The Tragedy of Shylock. The bond he signs with Shylock is unromantically explicit about the three-month term and the consequences of forfeiture. So … One last foray into the world of Merchant of Venice productions. Shylock is offered three times the value of the loan but demands his pound of flesh and the tragedy of the play culminates in the courtroom in Act IV Scene I. The only difference is Romero & Juliet were pure victims. The duke presiding over the court and Shylock dispute Shylock’s legal rights and his duty to show mercy. The Tragedy of Shylock and Antonio. And the way Shylock is treated by the Christian characters is pretty sickening and, well, tragic.) At the same time, Shylock feels distraught about Jessica’s use of his money, clearly more concerned about not getting his money back than his daughter’s well-being. Prejudice is a dominant theme in The Merchant of Venice, most notably taking the form of anti-Semitism. Rethinking Shylock's Tragedy: Radford's Critique of Anti-Semitism in the Merchant of Venice . Shylock & Antonio are both victims and collaborators. The power backing it was therefore visible. A dictionary meaning of a tragedy is, “a drama or similar work, in which the main character is brought to ruin or otherwise suffers the extreme consequences of some tragic flaw or weakness of character. The Tragedy of Shylock, the Merchant of Venice Team Shakespeare Awesome, Ernst credits me with e-mails I haven't written yet. A Jewish merchant living in a Christian city, he comes across as greedy, jealous and vengeful. It is said that case should be read two times. Shylock: And by our holy Sabbath have I sworn While Shylock’s suffering is an example of a tragedy, there is still an argument that this scene shows signs of a comedy as well. Since Shylock is considered one of the main characters, the loss of his daughter, as well as some of his wealth, is one example of his demise in this play. His mysterious sadness & his apparent willingness to die to prove his love for Bassanio suggest the world of tragedy. 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