Is Shylock a Villain or a Victim? In William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice‚ Shylock‚ a Jewish money-lender‚ is portrayed as the cold-blooded‚ greedy antagonist of the story. Some people may see him as the villain of the story – and in some ways he is – but‚ really‚ this is a result of the stereotypes associated with Jews. He is quite a peculiar character and his role in the story is indefinite because he has traits of both a villain and a victim. A villain is ‘a wicked person or criminal’
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Shylock is a man more to be pitied then condemned. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Be sure to refer to details of the play in your response. In the historic play “The Merchant of Venice” written by William Shakespeare‚ Shylock is one of the main characters who I have great pity for. Therefore I agree with the above statement that Shylock should be more pitied than condemned. Throughout the play we see Shylock involved in many different incidences and it is unknown whether he is
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Jessica Wiede & Gabrielle Hartman AP World‚ Per.7 9-24-12 Compare & Contrast Essay Thought the world there are new civilizations growing and becoming prosperous every day. From now till back in 1500 B.C.E. the world has been forever changing. In the Middle East and China new events take place every day that can alter the civilization from a grand impact to the littlest thing. Each civilization has something that sets it apart from the rest‚ but also has numerous things in common
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Jessica in The Merchant of Venice In The Merchant of Venice‚ Shakespeare introduces his audience to the multi dimensional character of Jessica. Jessica is identified as the daughter of a Jewish Merchant but the audience learns she is much more than that. As the play moves along and Jessica marries a Christian man‚ Jessica’s identity as a Jewish woman is challenged. Although a minor character in the play‚ she is important because she makes the audience question what it means to be Jewish and therefore
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Throughout the play‚ The Merchant of Venice‚ Shakespeare cultivates the idea of “Shylock the Jew” being both a villain and a victim each depending on the reader’s interpretation of the play. 16th century Venice was largely Roman Catholic and Christian. I think in correctly interpreting the play‚ we have to take a look at what influences Shakespeare may have had in devising Shylock’s character. In 16th century Europe‚ there was a massive revolt called the Reformation led by Saxon Monk named
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Venice In The Merchant of Venice‚ William Shakespeare portrays Shylock as a covetous Jew. Shylock charges interest to those who borrow money from him when they are in need. Shylock is mercenary. Shylock’s love for objects overweighs his love for his own daughter. This character trait shows that in Venetian times‚ it was a time of greed and selfishness. In The Merchant of Venice‚ Antonio discriminates against Shylock because he is a Jew. Shylock shows us his human moments –this embodies that he is as much
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Writing an essay Question: Are Shylock’s reasons for revenge justified? Discuss The purpose of a discussion-style essay is to explore an issue by presenting both sides of the argument. Formal‚ academic voice is still required‚ as is a wide vocabulary and standard English with ambitious vocabulary choices. (Do NOT use first person “I think…”) Introduction (4-6 sentences) Begin with an opening statement addressing the question. Next‚ write supporting sentences to introduce each point
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Is Shylock’s Revenge Justified? Shylock is a major character in the play‚ most people consider him a villain. He is a wealthy‚ moneylending Jew who practices usury. He’s revenge is justified for many reasons‚ these reasons include him being abused for being a Jew and a moneylender at the same time. Another reason is that Antonio prevents him from doing business as he loans money interest free. Shylock was a victim of an unjust trial which leaves Shylock’s will to live demolished as he is bloodthirsty
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can be often become a normal part of everyday life‚ and can be difficult to eradicate and extinguish. In William Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice‚ the idea of the “normality” of everyday prejudices comes across in interactions and the portrayal of Shylock‚ a Jewish moneylender in Venice. Through Shylock’s character‚ Shakespeare provides a commentary on how his society has viewed Judaism in a dehumanizing way for many generations‚ but also expresses how difficult and not in a playwright’s place to change
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Jessica Mitford’s Question To All Mortals What do all human beings have in common? Mortality‚ because everyone will die‚ everyone’s bodies will be subjected to burial. The question is‚ do people really want themselves exposed to embalming? Do they really wish for some stranger to tamper with their bodies‚ pinning their lips together creating angel like expressions? Do people really want their bodies being cut open for vanity purposes? The truth is most people are not aware of what goes behind those
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