Aspects of The Merchant of Venice that are Meant to
Evoke a Sympathetic Response
by Lillian Bonar
Essay: Aspects of The Merchant of Venice that are Meant to Evoke a Sympathetic Response
Pages: 11
Rating: 3 stars
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Aspects of The Merchant of Venice that are Meant to Evoke a Sympathetic Response
Although “The Merchant of Venice” is meant to be a comedy, there are
aspects of it which are very serious and are meant to evoke a
somewhat, sympathetic response from both Elizabethan and modern day
audiences. The three characters, Jessica, Shylock and Antonio each had
many moral dilemmas. These dilemmas vary from each character.
Antonio’s first moral dilemma was agreeing to the bond with Shylock.
This could have been classed as arrogance, in thinking Shylock would
not stick to the bond after all Antonio had said to him in the past
about his religion. His second dilemma was being so certain that his
ships would come back. This is partly what made him agree to the bond
with Shylock, even though it was benefiting Bassanio and not himself.
Antonio had invested a lot of time and effort into his friendship with
Bassanio and some modern day directors may portray this behaviour as
homosexuality, whereas in Elizabethan times men could have a very
close relationships and it could be no more than just good friends.
Jessica’s dilemmas mainly relate to the fact that her father (Shylock)
did not show her any affection, whether he felt it or not. Her first
dilemma was the fact Shylock cared much more about his money than he
did for her. Before Shylock leaves the house in act 2 scene 5 he tells
her to lock it up. He does this not out of love, but because he is
worried about his money. He also wants to keep the anti-Semitic
her to lock it up. He does this not out of love, but because he is
worried about his money. He also wants to keep the anti-Semitic
behaviour of the outside world away from her and his house. Jessica
also has the problem of having no motherly figure around to love her,
or more...
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