Merchant Of Venice Anti Semitic Analysis - 792 Words

It can be argued that the play Merchant of Venice is anti-semitic, but in reality the characters in the play are the ones who present the prejudices. The characters in the play express their prejudices through their words and actions. The characters in Merchant of Venice say anti-semitic or offensive things to and about characters they have prejudices against and they act differently toward these characters. Though there are many moments in the play where there are anti-semitic actions it is not the play itself that is anti-semitic, but it is the characters themselves. The play has parts where it shows that the beliefs of the people in this time period are morally wrong and it almost seems as if Shakespeare is speaking up for these†¦show more content†¦Characters go to Shylock for money and run into problems with him because of it. This makes Shylock look greedy for his money because that is all that he talks about to these characters, but in reality all he wants is what is owed to him. At the beginning of the play bassanio has a bond with shylock for â€Å" Three thousand ducats† (1.3.1). As the play progresses and the bond is broken shylock â€Å"would rather have antonios flesh than twenty times the value of the sum†(3.2.296). Shylock is just overreacting to the situation and saying this in a way that is not serious like many people do when they are reacting to a situation. Shylock just wants the money that he is owed back and is not being greedy about it. Only showing one side of a character is not something that woul d make the Merchant of Venice an anti-semitic piece. Shylock is depicted with many Jewish stereotypes in the play which some may think is the play showing that it is anti-semitic, but I think that it is instead how the other characters view Shylock. Shylocks character is not very liked by the other characters. The reasoning for most of the characters dislike for Shylock revolves around money. Since all of the problems that the other characters have with shylock have to do with money that is the only part of shylock that we see. The play is not trying to be anti-semitic, it is trying to focus on the most important relationshipsShow MoreRelatedRacism And Prejudice By William Shakespeare s The Merchant Of Venice Essay1699 Words   |  7 Pagesreligion and what they believe in, however there is racism and prejudice present in the world. William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is one of his most controversial plays. Written in the 16th century England, the play poses many questions concerning racial, religious and human diffe rences due to anti-semitism being very common at the time. The story is set in Venice where a merchant named Antonio lived. 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