Merchant Of Venice Essay, Research Paper

Stereotypes in “ The Merchant of Venice ” “ Dumb jocks! “ ,

“ Women don & # 8217 ; t belong at that place, making that! “ , “ He must be a condemnable,

merely expression at his apparels. ” How frequently have we heard somebody reference these

things, yet, how frequently have we said something similar? Our society is based on

face values where we categorize people because of a few actions. All of the

above statements are damaging impressions used to specify members of a societal or

an cultural group, and are called stereotypes. Stereotypes are explored greatly in

the Shakespeare drama “ The Merchant Of Venice ” , as most of the chief

characters are looked upon with a stereotyped point of position. However Not all

of the chief characters are, some take a different position and are a

wholly different strain of character compared to the others. A good illustration

of a stereotyped character in “ The Merchant of Venice ” would be

Shylock. Shylock is a Jew, and in this clip period, Jews where used chiefly as

loan functionaries. The stereotype that he is placed with is that of a Jew, or as it

was seen back so. While the character Portia is a good illustration of a character

that hasn & # 8217 ; t been implemented with any stereotypes. Some of the drama & # 8217 ; s characters

hold some stereotyped facet about them. Antonio is the chief character, and is

affected by stereotypes. He is baronial, rich, high category, dominant and couldn & # 8217 ; T

attention less for the Jew and ever wants to do a vaulting horse. This was the stereotype

for a rich man of affairs, and this is how the audience positions Antonio. “ You

name me misbeliever, cut-throat Canis familiaris, And tongue upon my Judaic gabardine, ”

( A1, S3, Ln103-104 ) Here Shylock is stating us what Antonio has done to him in

the yesteryear, which shows that Antonio is both a prig and high category, as he looks

down upon the Jew and tongues on his apparels. “ & # 8230 ; I thank my luck for it,

? Upon the luck of this present twelvemonth: Therefore my ware makes me non

sad ” ( A1, S1, Ln41-45 ) Here Antonio is showing his unhappiness for his ships

that are at see. He is sad because he is diffident if they will return conveying him

his wealths or if that they will drop on their mission. This is when the audience

is first shown his greed and man of affairs like attitude. His aristocracy is shown

good in the courtroom scene. “ For Herein Fortune shows herself more sort

Than is her usage: it is still her usage To allow deplorable adult male outlive his

wealth ” ( A4, S1, Ln263-265 ) Antonio is stating that it was fate & # 8217 ; s pick to

allow him decease here, and he has accepted that. This shows his aristocracy, as he is

ready to accept licking to the Jew and have his penalty, alternatively of seeking

to writhe out of it. Another character that is besides really stereotyped is

Shylock, the nefarious Jew. He is a adult male who is sought after merely for a loan, as

it was merely Jews who could give loans and receive involvement. Shylock & # 8217 ; s chara

cter

of craft, evil and arch adult male was the stereotype of a Jew back so. This

is how Shylock is portrayed through out the play. “ Fair sir, you spat on

me Wednesday last, You spurned me such a twenty-four hours, another clip You called me Canis familiaris:

and for these courtesies I & # 8217 ; ll impart you therefore much monies. ” ( A1, S3,

Ln118-121 ) Many people would inquire the inquiry, why would person in Shylock & # 8217 ; s

place want to give anything to a individual who has treated them every bit severely as

Antonio. However, under the involvement free bond that Shylock has created with

Antonio lies a demand for retaliation so great that Shylock will make anything to take

the life of Antonio. This shows how cute and arch he is as he so

agrees and alternatively of paying involvement, if Antonio is tardily, he will pay a lb

of flesh. “ Expressed in the status, allow confiscate Be nominated for an

equal lb Of you fair flesh, to be cut off and taken ” ( A1, S3, Ln141-143 )

This once more shows his craft and corrupt character. Although both Antonio and

Usurer and both stereotyped in the drama, there are some characters that are non

stereotyped. The best illustration of this is Portia. Back in Shakespeare & # 8217 ; s clip, the

adult female was stereotyped as being obedient they besides ne’er normally were expected to

make anything socially of any existent importance. And although Portia is partially a

stereotyped character with the fact that she follows her male parent wants in that

the individual she marries must go through the trial of taking the right thorax, she

brakes this form of being stereotyped during the courtroom scene, where she

dresses up as a adult male. “ Enter Portia [ disguised as Doctor Balthazar, followed

by functionaries ] ” ( A4, S1, Ln162.5 ) This is really unusual for a adult female to dress

up as a adult male, and so because of this we know that Portia doesn & # 8217 ; t follow the

stereotypes like Antonio and Shylock do. Jessica is another illustration of a

character that doesn & # 8217 ; t follow the stereotypes as Antonio and Shylock do. Jessica

is the girl of Shylock, we know from the first clip we meet her that she

doesn & # 8217 ; t follow the stereotypes as she wants to run off with Lorenzo and she has

stolen from her male parent. “ But love is unsighted, and lovers can non see The

pretty follies that themselves commit ” ( A2, S6, Ln37-38 ) Here Jessica is

showing her love for Lorenzo, who is a Christian. From this we can find

that she isn & # 8217 ; t a stereotyped character, as Jew & # 8217 ; s weren & # 8217 ; Ts supposed to fall in

love with Christians. Overall, there are some characters in the drama that are

portrayed as being stereotypes, while there are besides some that are non. This

balances out the drama alternatively of holding all stereotyped characters. So & # 8216 ; The

Merchant of Venice ” does research stereotypes to some extent with some of

the characters while on the other manus as there are some characters that

aren? T stereotyped so the thought that & # 8216 ; The Merchant of Venice & # 8217 ; merely has

stereotypic characters cogency decreases.