The merchant of venice is one of shakespeare’s many play’s. But unlike his many other play’s this one is very controversial. Many people would say that it is racist or anti-semeiotic (which is a form of racism against jews). This is because of the way the jews are treated in the play. Many would say that it is a tragic play and not one you should laugh at but shakespeare intended it to be a comedy. In this essay i would go into depth about why the merchant of venice is anti-Semitic.
Shakespeare might seem like a racist against jews especially in one of his power fullest character shylock. Shylock is a jewish money lender who lives in a Jewish ghetto in venice.that already is racist. This is because the christians at the time believed that lending money was a sin.This is also were the stereotype that jews being good with money comes from. Another racist aspect in venice was how the jews were only aloud to live in the the jewish ghetto, discriminating them to the rest of venice, and if they were to exit the ghetto they must were a red hat so others [christians] know that they are jewish. This is a reason why i believe that the merchant of venice is a racist play.
Shylock is one of main characters in the play, but this Jew is unlike the others in the play. Shakespeare portrayed Shylock by making him, blood thirsty for money. This is shown many times in the play, such as shylocks first line which was “Three thousand ducats, well”. This was part of the bond that shylock and Antonio were discuss. It shows that shylock is interested in the money and that he wants the money. The word “well”makes it seem like he real wants the deal and makes him greedy for it. As well as his opening line shylock loses his daughter and his ducats and cries out saying “my daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter! Fled with a christian ! O my christian ducats!” This shows that shylock loves his money more than his own daughter showing greed. By saying “o my christian ducats ” he is saying that not only his daughter is turning christian but his money as well. This shows the stereotype that jews love money.
Shylock being a jew also gets miss treated in the play. This is because jew were not liked in this time. Shylock gets miss treated many times in the play,for example”fair,sir you spat on me we Wednesday last,you spurned me such a day, another time you called me dog. And for these courtesies i’ll lend you thus much monies”.these are some of the many times shylock is miss treated in the play. He is refereeing to all the times Antonio has disrespected him and on that if he should give him the money or not. Shylock says that he spat on him which is very disrespectful as well as calling him a dog just because he is jewish. The “hath not a jew eye” speech also shows that Antonio has laughed at his losses and mocked his gains as well as showing how equal both jews and christians. This shows the discrimination agents jews in the merchant of venice.
Shylock getting all this disrespect from Antonio and his friends builds anger for shylock and makes him what to kill Antonio. Shylock got his chance when Antonio came looking for him and asking him for money. This is when shylock and Antonio disgusted a bond or a contract. Shylock then said that if Antonio does not pay back him in time then he will take a pound of Antonio’s flesh. This shows the anger and rage of shylock and how badly he wants to kill him. This also links in with a stereotype that jews use christian flesh in worship or religious upbringing. that made many characters in the play angry and made shylock look like a beast. Shakespeare must of intended that to happen because of all the other stereotypes in the play.
Shakespeare shows victory in christians and not jews and also shows that jews are worth less. He makes all the judges in the court christians because he does not what shylock to win and wants to make it un fare for him as much as posable. He also wants people to laugh at shylock making him look like a fool and not liked in many ways in many ways. This is because shakespeare intended his play to be a comedy not a tragedy. This means that shylock is ment to be laughed at as if he was the fool or the clown of the play. I know this because at the time jews were hated by most of the christians in the time the play was wrote. It shows that Shakespeare does not like jews since he made a play discriminating jews.
But its not only the people of venice that don’t like jews it is all so the court and the law in venice. when Antonio was put in court by shylock the duke was alone with antonio before the trail started. The image we get is that the judge or duke is not impartial because he supports Antonio by saying he feels ‘sorry’ for him because he is being trailed by a ‘stony adversary’ (which means shylock is a villain or an enemy) who is ‘incapable of pity’. The first insult means that he can no give pity as if he was an animal. he also states that shylock is an ‘inhuman wretch’. This shows that the duke feels that shylock is not like a human but an animal, and is two-faced. The insults and help all implies that the duke is o Antonio’s side.
To conclude in believe that all though jews like shylock were hated and disrespected that Shakespeare him self might not be a racist him self. This is because even though he made shylock the victim he might have not felt the same way. I believe this because as a play writer he would want to make a play popular and liked by the people in his time and because many people hated jews at the time he might of thought that he will make a comedy discriminating jews so that the people like the play even though he might not feel the same way about jews. But i do think the play its self is racist because of all the factors against jews in the play. All the points just goes to show how much jews were unliked in venice.
THE END.
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