Themes of MoV Flashcards
1
Q
Prejudice
A
- prejudice against Jews in 16th cent was very common. Denied the right to become Venetian citizens or own land & forced to live together in separate parts of city called ghettos (anti-semitism as shown throughout play)
- shy hostile attitude to Christians, refuses to “eat” “drink” or “pray” w them, shows religious & cultural divide in 16th cent
- Jews were expelled from Eng in 1290 & weren’t allowed to return until mid-17th cent. Meant that Shakespeare’s audiences had limited contact w jews, so opinion of them was based on what they were told, so they probably wouldnt have questioned play’s negative portrayal of Shy
Eg. P mocking suitors using national sterotypes is meant to be funnt, but is offensive to modern audiences. Casual racicm abt PoM’s “complexion” unacceptable from modern perspective
2
Q
Wealth & money
A
- In 16th cent, Venice was centre of Mediterranean trade routes (constant flow of goods made city very prosperous). Jews were important to economy as unlike Christians they were allowed to practice usury (charging interests on loans) & their profits were heavily taxed by state - explaining why Duke cant mistreat Shy as risks upsetting Jewish community
- Main plot hinges on Shy’s loan & A’s failure to repay it. Money is part of reason why they hate eachother - A opposes lending money for profit, but Shy’s entire livelihood is based on doing exactly that
3
Q
Appearance & reality
A
- outward appearances are important to many characters for diff reasons: some believe appearances are crucial to making a gd impression on others (eg. PoM boasting abt his gd looks); others associate outward appearances w maintaining inlfuence & repuation
- however, shakespeare warns against attaching too much significance to appearances (not everything is always as it seems) - ending shows law in venice isnt as fair as duke thinks (A suffers no consequences) AND P acts as if shell submit to him by calling him all titles, but uses ring to gain authority
- disguises are key feature to plot - P & N use them to save A, J uses it to escape Shy. Reflects how women had limited roles in 16th cent. Wearing male clothing allows P (& others) to rebel against these restrictions (women not allowed to be lawyers)
4
Q
Love
A
- B love for P, but also for wealth gain (in Eliz times, men got a drowry when married, fortune from bride’s family)
- J love for L - marriage between Christian and Jew forbidden in 16th cent, which is why J converts to Christianity. Allows her to marry L but could also be to escape Jwosh background
- Paternal or romantic love between A and B (the loan OR helping save A)
- Male relationships r form of love: Chriatian men openly affectionate/close, further isolating Shy, whos only friend is Tubal (& no ev that theyre particularly close)
- can also cause conflict (love between A & B comes in conflict w B & P) - B gives away P’s ring at A’s request
- family love: P and father (in 16th cent, daughters expected to obey fathers)
5
Q
Justice & mercy
A
- shy wants justice for himself for being mistreated in the form of revenge on A
- Christian characters can’tunderstand why Shy doesn’t drop his case against A - they think paying off A’s
debt should give Shy justice, but Shy disagrees - OT=justice works on priciple that penalty for any crime must be as severe as ceime irself. NT=Chri’s encouraged to show forgiveness to those who wrong them. These contrasting views make impossible for court case to reach fair decision: whatever the outcome, one will see it as unjust
- Christian characters believe in showing mercy (urge Shy to do so) (shakepeares audience were mostly Christian so wouldnt have agreed w Shy’s vengeful attitude)
- However, shy calls Christians hypocrites for this: shy punished by A at end of trial
