A Study of Anti-Semitism in The Merchant of Venice Essay

A Study of Anti-Semitism in The Merchant of Venice ‘The Merchant of Venice’ was written by Shakespeare in 1596 and appeals to both audiences of comedy and tragedy. The play features anti-Semitism which is a response to 1500’s Britain as well as other literature of the time. Anti-Semitism is the term used to describe discrimination towards Jews and Judaism. ‘The Merchant of Venice’ has received both positive and negative comments over the centuries and throughout this essay I will look at some of these. I will also look at reasons why Shakespeare wrote an anti-Semitic play and what other similar literature there was at the time of writing. At the time of writing Queen Elizabeth the First was in†¦show more content†¦Shakespeare’s inspiration for ‘The Merchant of Venice’ is believed to have come from other plays and literature which were circulating at the time. The two main influences are ‘The Jew of Malta’ written by Christopher Marlowe and ‘Il Pecorone’ written by Giovanni Fiorentino. ‘The Jew of Malta’ is very similar to ‘The Merchant of Venice.’ The Jew is called Barabas and he poisons the nuns when his daughter runs away and becomes a nun. The main themes of ‘The Jew of Malta’ are racial tensions, religious conflict and political unrest which are very similar to the themes of ‘The Merchant of Venice’. Barabas is a stereotypical Jew of the time because he is hated, violent and cruel. One of the main differences between the two plays is that Shakespeare’s Jew, Shylock, is more of a man than Barabas bec ause Shylock did not kill people. The plot to ‘Il Pecorone’ is the same as ‘The Merchant of Venice’ and Shylock is based upon the Jew from ‘Il Pecorone’. The story in ‘Il Pecorone’ tells of a wealthy woman of Belmont who marries an upstanding young gentleman. Her husband needs money and his friend, desperate to help, goes to a money-lender to borrow the required cash for his friend. The money-lender, who is also a Jew in ‘Il Pecorone’, demands aShow MoreRelated Hath Not a Jew Eyes? The Identity of Shylock and Purpose of Anti-Semitism in The Merchant of Venice1992 Words   |  8 PagesShakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice continues to receive criticism because of the many controversial topics integrated within an already debatable plot. One such reproach is whether the play demonstrates factors of anti-Semitism or persists as a criticism of the anti-Sematic tendencies of Christians during Shakespeare’s tim e. The factor of genre plays an essential role in how the play is interpreted when regarding anti-Semitism, particularly when viewed as either a romantic comedy or a genre thatRead More Merchant of Venice Essay: Shylock - Antagonist or Victim?988 Words   |  4 PagesThe Merchant of Venice: Shylock - Antagonist or Victim?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   In The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, there appears Shylock - a Jew. As the play unfolds Shylock is seen to be the villain and is portrayed as being cold, unbending, and evil.   Shylock can easily be assumed to be the antagonist in this play or, after careful research and study, he can also be viewed as persecuted individual who resorts to revenge as a last resort after he has been pushed too far.    Read MoreStereotypes and The Merchant of Venice1611 Words   |  7 Pagesisolation from the currents of the era including these stereotypes. All these attitudes of ethnocentrism and xenophobia was skillfully interpreted through literature in general and drama in particular. One example of this is Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice which is about a miser money-lender Jew. Portrayal of the Jews was a long-standing tradition by Shakespeares time as E. E. Stoll argues: A miser, a money-lender, a Jew – all three had from time immemorial been objects of popular detestationRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Merchant Of Venice2523 Words   |  11 Pagesout of their homes and alienated, living on the edges of society in another country. These circumstances carried on as commonplace during the Renaissance. Shylock in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice clearly illustrates the conditions that Jews had to suffer through and the views that Christians had on Jews. These anti-semitic vie ws continued to have a strong presence through early modern times. They were the cause of the Zionist movement and Jews overall wanting to be separate in all ways from ChristiansRead MoreThe War Of Anti Semitism2169 Words   |  9 Pages Much has been argued regarding the existent of anti-Semitism and the general disdain for Jewry supposedly apparent in the plays of William Shakespeare. Time and again his work is held up as representative of that which we - with our 21st century sensibilities - have been educated to abhor and disavow. The hatred of man because of race, color or creed has, within the collective conscience been largely rejected. The fostering of a self-regulating society has engrained contemporary sensibilities through