Essay William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice

William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice Introduction The three versions of the Merchant of Venice which I have watched are: 1. Channel 4 television version for their Schools Broadcasting Programmes 2. Trevor Nunns version 3. National Theatre Company version directed by Jonathan Miller and starring Laurence Olivier as Shylock Act IV scene 1 is an intense scene in the play where we see many of the plays main themes such as justice and mercy, money and status, revenge, loyalty, love and prejudice and tolerance. Shakespeare presents a harsh character in Shylock the Jew, but the fact that he also gives him the chance to speak more than any other European playwright†¦show more content†¦This would suggest that Shakespeare is using Shylock as more than a symbol of Jewishness. In this piece of coursework I will be examining mainly how sympathetic or unsympathetic the various versions seem to be and how each Director has succeeded in making the character of Shylock worthy of Shakespeares realism. Jews were traditionally viewed as outsiders and were not citizens. Christians as far back as the 11th century could not lend money without interest and many Jews earned a living from this profession as they could not join the artisan guilds. As they became their own debt collectors they soon became the target of resentment. A myth was born; with which Shakespeares audience would have been familiar, of ritual murder or blood libel that Jews would kill adult Christians. It is to this myth to which Shakespeare seems to allude in the pound of flesh incident in this scene. Shakespeare is original in showing us the extent to which Shylock is oppressed by Christians surrounding him and it is through this that Shakespeare succeeds in drawing out sympathy from his audience. Analysis of Act IV scene 1 In the text of Act IV scene 1 before we meet Shylock he is described as a stony adversary, an inhuman wretch, incapable of pity, void and empty from any dram of mercy. Antonio describes Shylocks spirit as being full of tyranny and rage. When Shylock entersShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeares Merchant of Venice2271 Words   |  10 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Merchant of Venice In many ways, shylock is a more difficult character for a modern audience than for an Elizabethan audience. With close reference to Act 1 scene 3, Act 3 scene 1 and Act 4 scene 1 show how an actor might reveal the human being behind the stereotype. The merchant of Venice is a play written in Elizabethan times by William Shakespeare. The play is set in Elizabethan Venice. 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