One of the themes in the text explored in the Merchant of Venice is the power of love which was clearly evident between Portia and Bassanio. Bassano’s display of his power of love outweighed any fortune or material wealth. In the text where Bassanio is required to choose a casket, he chose the lead casket that signified “Who chooseth me, must give and hazard all he hath” which attested his love for Portia. In his limitless pursuit for love, Bassanio portrays an eloquent and enduring passion for her that was priceless, timeless, rich and raw. The Merchant of Venice encounters a common love story tainted by sociable affluence, religion and greed. Regardless of Portia’s privileged wealth and Bassanio’s lack of financial and social status their love withstood the test of time and against all odds. Shakespeare’s play encompasses all the different shades of unconditional love we all can relate to, like Bassanio’s determination in professing his love to Portia. In the same token Shakespeare exhibits the many forms of love that are not from one person to another, but instead, a love for a wealth of money, social status and power which is also something we can relate to. These scenarios are still recognised in modern day society, which is why we find ourselves familiarly engaged in the play, regardless of how old it is.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Cited: Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. A Bantam Book; New York, New York, USA. 2005.…
- 513 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In the Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare illustrates his feelings towards Jews in 17th century England through the use of a commonly known stereotype during the time, the racial tension between Jews and Christians. Shylock is the focal point of the play, and acts as the traditional stereotype of the Jew in Elizabethan times. The merchant of venice is often seen as an anti-semitic work due to the stereotypical portrayal of the jewish character shylock. Some would argue that the most inevitable interpretation of shylock as a miserly wretch who care for nothing but his money is shakespeare expressing now – unfashionable anti-jewish views. However , one must remember that this view was seen as entirley normal and acceptable at the time, and most of the jews of elizabethan england had stoicly accepted such treatment.…
- 474 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Shakespeare’s play Hamlet (1601) explores Hamlet’s growing insecurities and uncertainties, which stem from his attempt to find certainty and order within his changing transitioning society. Hamlet’s strong moral code and genuine grief at the beginning of the play contrasts with his descent into madness and deceit, as the corruption of the court begin to deteriorate his integrity and eventually lead to his tragic downfall. Throughout the play Shakespeare explores universal notions of authenticity contrasted with duplicity, the struggle between action and inaction and challenging the archetypal tragedian. Through an exploration of these themes, Shakespeare attempts to use the characters in his play to reflect his view on humanity and the shifting, conflicting paradigms between Medieval and Renaissance thinking.…
- 1175 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
2. Does Shakespeare intend the audience to view Bassanio as a spendthrift and a “gold digger”?…
- 2284 Words
- 10 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Bassanio is Portia’s most recent suitor who successfully picked the lead casket and now him and Portia have wed. Soon after they had found their love for each other Bassanio soon left for court in Venice where his best friend Antonio was going to court because he failed to pay back his loan to Jew, Shylock.…
- 468 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Shakespeare was very subtle when introducing the problems marginalised groups faced during the era the plays were set. The characters in the plays ‘The Merchant of Venice’ and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ are frequently used to portray and convey Shakespeare’s feelings and views on the 16th century’s society. The language especially exposed his technique and intelligence; the way he managed to use the characters to present the society and the way it treated its population, particularly women – who, at that time in history were considered less equal than men , and were frequently discriminated against by them - amongst other marginalised groups; the views especially based on the issues of discrimination, sexism, Anti-Semitism and racism.…
- 1268 Words
- 4 Pages
Better Essays -
Shakespeare was intending to represent several different groups of people in society through his plays and “The Tempest” was no exception to the rule. I aim to show how the “human” relationships in the play reflect real life relationships within Shakespeare’s own society (as well as his future audience), for which his plays were written and performed.…
- 1455 Words
- 6 Pages
Powerful Essays -
In the play The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare uses a variety of examples to show stereotypes. These examples are both shown for and against the specific stereotype, whatever it may be. This can range from how women were treated, how jews were treated, and how christians were treated. These were humorous at the time, but now our society has grown out of that and “matured” itself. Shakespeare reinforces and also critiques the stereotypes of the time in the play, which is one of the reasons it had became so popular.…
- 870 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
William Shakespeare's classic tragedy, ‘Othello’ written in approximately 1603, continues to be studied and appreciated even now in modern society, more than four hundred years after it was written. Apart from the obviousness of Shakespeare’s ability to use diction to draw in the audience, ‘Othello’ has many qualities which allow it to be interpreted and re-interpreted through time. It can relate to any audience and context because its varied themes, values and ideas, remain relevant to all societies making it possible for anyone to relate to ‘Othello’ on some level. This, along with Shakespeare’s depiction of common human emotions, and his ability to portray these in such a realistic manner continues to make ‘Othello’ worthy of critical study. The universality of Shakespeare’s themes are evident not only in ‘Othello’ but in almost all of his works.…
- 626 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The tragedy play, one that has captivated many for its effectiveness in understanding the human flaws and how they can lead to eventual downfall is one that Shakespeare’s plays embody. However, there is such a play that contains these elements, yet it manipulates the genre’s conventions for a new effect, the play Othello. This play is centered around a Moorish noble, a soldier who faces conflict regarding his beloved Venetian wife. The themes present in this play are that of trust, jealousy, honesty, love, stereotypes, friendship, and above all deception. Through the use of all of these themes, it sets the stage for how Shakespeare…
- 893 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Bassanio, despite being busy chasing Portia, has a few moments in which his words and actions prove to push the homosocial boundary. One such moment is when he states he would “rather dwell in my necessity” (The Merchant of Venice 1.3.152) than let Antonio enter a contract with Shylock that would allow him to be physically harmed. Perhaps the biggest indicator of Bassanio’s feelings occurs later in the play when he receives the letter from Antonio informing him of the contract expiration and Antonio’s imminent demise. He immediately sets out to try and save Antonio, ignoring the fact he is married to Portia and marriage is supposed to be two people who mean everything to each other. This moment becomes even more potent when Bassanio later gives up his ring, the physical symbol of his relationship with Portia, out of gratitude to the lawyer for saving Antonio’s life. His willingness to forsake “life itself, my wife, and all the world” (The Merchant of Venice 4.1.283) is a subtle declaration of homoerotic…
- 1836 Words
- 8 Pages
Powerful Essays -
In the studies of Shakespeare, there are many ways to approach and analyze his plays, yet the most common ones are to dissect the characters’ purpose and engagement throughout a story. Shakespeare has created many well-known characters that may seem life-like to the audience and there are others that seem impossible to exist in reality. In most of Shakespeare’s plays, there is a hero and with a hero, there is usually a villain. Some audience members generally have a tendency to speculate great analytical views about the heroes of the play while villains are ignored and perceived to be even more evil. This may be true, but the portrayal of villainous characters does not mean that they were forced to become evil.…
- 1171 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
In the revenge tragedy Hamlet, Shakespeare skilfully uses of dramatic techniques to construct a space play, with universal themes resonating universal themes beyond the Elizabethan Era. The relevance of Shakespeare’s analysis of the intellect human experience is emphasised by critic Ben Johnson as hewho states "He was not of an age, but for all time!" As the themes challenged by Shakespeare transcend through context the audience achieves a more holistic perspective of the play, evidencing its textual integrity. Shakespeare’s in depth examination of the Renaissance man through his perplexing characters emulates the complexity dichotomy between seeking of vengeance and man’s will inability to act. ConverselyFurthermore, the Shakespeare explores the primitive nature of mankind through Hamlet’s a beastlike characteristics and interactions, allowing continuous discourse of mankind’s relation to beast influences the audience’s view on the success ofto identify with Hamlet’s throughout the play and is significant to identifying with his character throughout time. Furthermore, the ingenuity of Shakespeare’s construction of the play is clearly demonstrated through Hamlet’s comment on the interplay of reality and the convolution of deceit. One’s personal interpretation of the devices ShakespeareShakespeare’s dramatic techniques has are used utilised to convey these complex universal discourses, ultimately informing s one’s personal understanding of the play. Ultimately, Additionally, thethe amalgamation of theses discourses engages the audience form to form a unique opinion of of the event within Hamlet. the interaction of universal human experiences. 9…
- 894 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Bibliography: Shakespeare, William. "The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice." Literature A Pocket Anthology. 'Ed. R.S. Gwynn, Wanda Campbell. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Longman, 2005. Print.…
- 1237 Words
- 5 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Along with Hamlet, King Lear and Macbeth, Othello is one of the four greatest tragedies written during Shakespeare’s tragic period. But Othello is unique among the others. Unlike Hamlet, King Lear and Macbeth, which are set against a backdrop of affairs of the nation, Othello focuses on human nature. Love, jealousy, racism and deceit are universal themes not only evident in Shakespeare’s time, but also in our time and in the future. They are patterns of human nature which are continuous in the history of mankind, which is what makes the play Othello “timeless”. Shakespeare’s use of blank verse and dramatic techniques allow universal themes of jealousy, prejudice and illusion to be explored.…
- 1246 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays