Merchant of Venice Flashcards
What quotes can be used to explore the scene involving Portia and the Prince of Morocco, based around the theme of racism
(2 quotes)
‘Mislike me not for my complexion’
‘If he have the condition of a saint but the complexion of a devil, I had rather he shrive me then wive me’
Plan a paragraph on how Shylock is a victim of anti-semitism
Include quotes
- Abused and degraded by the other characters, especially Antonio
- Quotes like: ‘cut-throat dog’, ‘inexorable dog’, ‘misbeliever’ - also compared to the devil on several occasions
- Antonio spits on him - highlight differences etc
- Outcast as a Jew even before the play begins
- He speaks in prose, immediately marking him as an outsider
Plan a paragraph on anti-semitism through history
- Jews have faced hardship all throughout history - for example Slavery, Holocaust, Ghettos in Italy
- Jews were particularly unpopular at the time because of recent hanging of Rodrigo Lopez - a Marrano (secret Jew) who plotted to poison the Queen - so appealed to a British audience
- Discuss Charles Dickens’ Fagin, and Marlow’s Jew of Malta - which sparked the Merchant of Venice
Why is the concept of Shylock being spat on repeated?
To highlight the contrast between the beautiful, rich Venice that Antonio experiences, compared to how it is for Shylock - spit, kicks and blows
How can Shylock be viewed as just as racist as the Christians?
(2 quotes)
- ‘I hate him for he is Christian’
- ‘I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you’
How can Shylock be viewed as an equalitarian? (Is against racism)
- He has a far better understanding of Christian culture then they do of his
- His speech highlights the fact that both Christians and Jews share a common humanity, thus exposing the hypocrisy of the other characters
In what ways is Shylock depicted as a villain?
include quotes
- Behaves in an undignified and unmerciful manner when a chance at recent presents itself
- Tries to take a pound of Antonios flesh
- Values his money more then his daughter (‘my ducats, oh my ducats’)
- At times, he holds predjudices against the Christians (‘I hate him for he is Christian’, ‘I will buy with you, sell with you….’
- Unlike many of Shakespeare’s other villains, he does not admit to his villainy, and is instead very deceitful
- Jessica, his own daughter, refers to him as a ‘devil’
In what ways is Shylock depicted as a victim?
Include quotes
- Speaks in prose, marking him as an outsider, and is outcast even before the plot begins
- Persecuted by all the other non-Jews - called a ‘cut-throat dog’, ‘damned inexorable dog’, ‘misbeliever’
- Spat on (highlights contrast between lives)
- ‘Laughed at my loses, mocked my gains’ (refers to Antonio)
- Constantly degraded by all the other characters - is Shakespeare trying to create sympathy - could be taken further but isn’t because of the audience)
- He is limited by the society he lives in
- Antonio’s attitude of exceptional contempt towards him - he thinks Shylock is very much below him
-
In what ways does Portia defy the limitations set by her gender?
- A strong independent woman
- Doesn’t rely on men to fix the situation
- Intelligent
- Contradicts societies expectations of women
- Is able to manipulate situations into how she wants it to be - eg casket contest - she wants to marry Bassanio, so has the musicians play a song full of hints
In what ways does Portia submit to the limitations of being a woman?
- In the end, she reverts back to what society expects of her - going back to Bassanio and ‘belonging to him’
- She contradicts herself by dressing as a man, which suggests that she needs to be a man to get her voice heard
- Allows her father to dictate who she marries, which is possibly the most prominent example of controlling fathers throughout Shakespeare’s works, also including characters like Baptista
What could be said about women in society at the time of the play that may have influenced Shakespeare?
Elizabeth I was on the throne, a strong, independent woman who was believed to greatly influenced literature at the time
In what ways can Portia be perceived as an Antagonist?
- Without her, Bassanio would not have needed a lone, so Antonio would not have become involved in the situation with Shylock
- Gave Bassanio the rings to purposely try to catch him out
- She is wilful, stubborn and clever - she knows how to turn events in her favour
In what ways can Portia be perceived as a protagonist?
- Her existence in the play is predicated upon the fact that she cannot choose her own husband, and, despite her manipulation, she has limitations which she cannot overcome. Fundamentally, she is acting from a restricted position
- Her restrictions are what weaken her hold over the plays events
- She isn’t a pivotal character in the action - she is merely incidental to the central relationships
