BB week 3 Merchant of V1

1、The Merchant of VeniceActingActing was not considered a respectable profession by the English PuritansWomen did not enter the theater until much later.Juliet would have been played by a boy.Costume worn by plague doctor to protect against miasmas of poisonous air 61594-1608 Shakespeare worked in Lon

2、don as a playwright and actor.This is the period when he solidified himself as the most popular playwright in London.He did not gain recognition as an unrivaled genius until later generations studied his works more closely.71599 Shakespeare and his partners built a new theater in a suburb of London.

3、 It was called The Globe - his 10% ownership in this theater helped Shakespeare make his fortune The Globe was one of the largest in the London area held 3000 spectators 8The Globe (outside)(This is a modern recreation of the theater.)9Note the open air design. The original Globe would have had a ro

4、of made of thatch.10Note the round shape all spectators were facing the stage11Inside view of stage, upper stage, galleries, and the pit.The Merchant of Venice -Background InformationSourceThere are many possible texts that Shakespeare could have used in writing The Merchant of Venice.His chief sour

5、ce was a tale in an Italian collection entitled Il Pecorone or The Simpleton, written in 1378 by Giovanni Fiorentino, and published in 1565. In addition, Shakespeare could have relied upon a play called The Jew. He also could have used a novel called Zelauto, written by the English playwright Anthon

6、y Munday in 1580. Lastly, in approximately 1591, Christopher Morlowe wrote the Jew of Malta. Il pecoroneThe story in Il Pecorone tells of a wealthy woman at Belmont who marries a young gentleman. Her husband needs money and has a friend who goes to a money-lender to borrow the required cash for him.

7、 The money-lender, who is also a Jew, demands a pound of flesh as payment if the money is not paid back. When the money is not paid in time, the Jew goes to court to ensure he receives what he is owed. The friends life is saved when the wealthy wife speaks in court of true justice and convinces the

8、judge to refuse the Jew his pound of flesh. Shakespeare adds the casket story line.ShylockShylock a cruel businessmanlends Antonio 3000 ducats.Portia Portia a rich and beautiful woman marry Bassanio, also acts as the lawyer.Antonio A kind merchant of Venice borrows 3000 ducats from Shylock for Bassa

9、nio .BassanioBassanio Antonios best friendgets married with Portia with the money borrowed from Shylock. The dukeThe dukePresident of Venicehead of the court.The Merchant of VenicelWritten some time around 1597lFuses many dramatic elements: romantic courtship, riddling love tests, eloping lovers, co

10、mic confusions, a gripping courtroom trial, and a seemingly harmonious final actlAt the core of the play is Shylock, the Jewish moneylender. He only appears in five of the 20 scenes, but his presence dominates the play.19The play begins in Venice with Antonio a wealthy merchant who is worried about

11、his ships at sea which could be at peril from rough seas or pirates. Antonios friend Bassanio owes Antonio money but unable to repay his debts, asks Antonio for more money so he may marry the wealthy and beautiful Portia and so pay back his friend. Antonio hasnt money to spare but tells Bassanio to

12、use his good name to try to get a loan.20The Prince of Morocco is willing to take the challenge set by Portias father for Portias hand in marriage.Launcelot Gobbo, Shylocks servant hates his boss. Bassanio arrives and Launcelot becomes Bassanios new servant. Jessica, Shylocks daughter, plans to elop

13、e with Lorenzo and reveals her shame for her fathers job The prince of MoroccoWho He isHes one of Portias suitors.What He does and what happens to HimHe chooses the gold casket, which is the wrong one and loses the right to marry PortiaThe prince of ArragonWho He isAs one of Portias suitors.What He

14、does and what happens to HeThis suitor also fails to win the fair Portias hand in marriage when he incorrectly chooses the silver casket.Launcelot GobboWho He isA clown and servant to Shylock.What He does and what happens to HimHe aids in the escape of Jessica from Shylock and works for Bassanio.24S

15、hylock makes it clear that he no longer wants repayment of Bassanios debt of three thousand ducats. He would prefer his pound of flesh from Antonio instead, since he sees Antonio as the source of all his miseries and wants Antonio to pay for this.25The Duke of Venice attempts to convince Shylock to

16、let Antonio pay back Bassanios debt. Shylock refuses, threatening the Duke that if he ignores their agreement, Venice will lose its credibility as a place for merchants. Portia, now disguised as a man, defends Antonio, winning his life, through the defense that Shylock can take only a pound of flesh

17、 and no blood, a clearly impossible task.26Bassanio and Gratiano give their wedding rings, important symbol of their love and fidelity, to their two wives in disguise. Much comedy ensues as the two men attempt to make excuses for this. Portia ends Bassanios and Gratianos suffering by producing a let

18、ter which explains their role in Venice. The two men are embarrassed that they didnt recognize their own wives.Background: :Antonio and Bassanio borrow 3000 ducats from Shylock. Conflict:shylock insists in having his pound of flesh.Portia declares Shylock may have a pound of flesh to be cut nearest

19、to Antonios heart , no more, no less.And if Shylock lets one drop of Antonios blood fall, he will lose all his land and money.Climax:Portia not only saved Antonio but also made Shylock give half of his money to the city of Venice.Ending :Three plotsConnection between plotsConnection between plotsCon

20、nection between plotsPortia Portia ShylockShylock BassanioBassanio Antonio Potential conflict for Bassanios love ANTONIO I have heard Your Grace hath taen great pains . of spirit The very tyranny and rage of his. (4.1.6) Thought: Antonio has flipped the situation to make himself seem a martyr. Shylo

21、ck is pursuing his fury, sure, but hes also pursuing the law. Antonio now tries to make himself look like a long-suffering saint, and his humility and piety are a far cry from the jovial（快活的） way in which he took up the bond, willingly, in the first place. DUKE OF VENICE Make room, and let him stand

22、 before . tender courtesy. We all expect a gentle answer, Jew. (4.1.15) Thought: The Dukes speech illustrates the extent to which Christians are oblivious of their prejudice. They say they expect Shylock to show mercy, as if they deserve it, and then do nothing to acknowledge that they never showed

23、any mercy to him. the Duke brings up more prejudice, this time directed at “the Turks and Tartars.” He essentially says to Shylock, you wouldnt want to be like those crude, primitive minorities, would you? This once again hammers home that the Duke misses the entire point about how prejudice is seri

24、ously messed up and leads to bad things, especially when the people youve been prejudiced against are placed in the drivers seat.love-friendship BASSANIO Antonio, I am married to a wife Which is . them all Here to this devil, to deliver you. (4.1.282) Thought: Bassanio seems to make his final choice

25、 of friendship over love. Maybe its because his friend is dying, maybe its because he just married for money. Either way, we now see that Bassanio isnt entirely smitten with love to equal Portias, and it calls into question his expressions of love for Portia (and raises his status with Antonio).just

26、ice PORTIA Thyself shalt see the act; For, as thou urgest . assurd Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desirst. (4.1.314) Thought: Portia seems particularly spiteful here. She has every reason to feel smug, knowing the law, but she clearly violates the principles of mercy above justice that she

27、just articulated. She reverts to “two wrongs make a right,” which was the very thing Shylock was initially contending in the trial.justice PORTIA Tarry, Jew. The law hath yet another hold on . rehearsd. Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke. (4.1.346) Thought: Portias being tough, and were a li

28、ttle irritated that she needs to destroy Shylocks whole life when shes already proven her point. religion ANTONIO Two things provided more; that, for this favour, He . Jew? What dost thou say? SHYLOCK I am content. (4.1.386) Thought: Shylock has essentially been forced into being a Christian. Usuall

29、y, people accept and celebrate Christianity as salvation. But, Antonio abuses religion by using it as tool of punishment. Shylock will, of course, not revere the religion, but Antonio does it an injustice too, by misusing it as a weapon. SHYLOCK I pray you, give me leave to go from . the deed after

30、me And I will sign it. (4.1.395) Thought: Shylock has been stripped of absolutely everything, and he leaves the court to return to some lonely isolation. Depending on ones view of justice, and Shylocks intentions, this is a fitting end. But if the play is about either justice or mercy, then Shylocks

31、 resolution is a note missing from the final chord. To simply cast Shylock out of the text is a dissatisfying ending for this central character.SYMBOLThe Pound of FleshShylock hears the news of Antonios forfeiture along with the news of Jessicas desertion. He is specifically angry that his own flesh

32、 and blood could rebel against him, and he turns to punishing Antonio as a way to vent. As Shylock has lost some of his flesh and blood (Jessica), hell have Antonios flesh as compensation. one of the great ironies of this play is where Shylock calls Portia, A Daniel. Daniel was the biblical judge of

33、 Susanna, a woman accused of inchastity by the Elders. The story is famous because Daniel rules in Susannas favor, thus rescuing her. in addition to freeing her, he then further convicts the Elders. Shylocks mistake is that he is premature in calling Portia a Daniel, because he in the one who repres

34、ents the Elders. This inversion comes only a few lines later, when Portia not only frees Antonio, but convicts Shylock of attempted murder. is a disparity of expression and awareness: when words and actions possess a significance that the listener or audience understands, but the speaker or characte

35、r does not. 表达与意识相反（如听者和台下观众了解而说话者或角色本身却不知道）Analysis of Characters Shylock Shylocks character is largely dependent upon how one chooses to read or portray his words. He is sometimes presented as the devil incarnate, purely and inexplicably evil, and sometimes as a simple and unfair stereotype of Jew

36、ish people. Sometimes hes the poster-boy of cruel and merciless moneylenders, and sometimes a comic villain, who squabbles over his family, money, and the lives of others. In some others still, Shylock is portrayed as a justifiably suffering man: he is hated by his countrymen, despised for his relig

37、ion, culture, and occupation, betrayed by his daughter, and ultimately undone by the very city in which he lives. Anyone subject to those kinds of conditions would be understandably angry, and it could be argued that Shylocks hatred is the natural result of his circumstances.The character of Shylock

38、 1) Shylock is a stage villain created for the need of the plot. 2) He is a man who has been “more sinned against than sinning”. a human being who suffers the losses of his daughter, his property, and finally his religion; an alien in a hostile Christian society, friendless, lonely, looked down upon

39、 by people around him, therefore, a victim of racial discrimination and religious persecution. 3) His behavior can be explained as a morbid over-reaction to the oppression he has suffered for a long time. 4) He is inhuman, stony, merciless and stubborn. Through his speech we know that he is rather e

40、loquent and quick-minded.if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poisonus, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we notrevenge? If we are like you in the rest, we willresemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian,what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christianwrong a Jew, what should his suff

41、erance be byChristian example? Why, revenge. The villany youteach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but Iwill better the instruction.Antonio His hatred for Shylock is never disputed hes quick to assert that while hes spit on Shylock before, hed be happy to do it again. Shylock repeatedly tell

42、s us Antonio has been awfully and unnecessarily cruel. And this hatred for the Jew is balanced only by Antonios deep and seemingly inexplicable love for Bassanio. Repeatedly throughout the play, Antonio offers and risks everything he has for his friend even his own life and never regrets it.Once aga

43、in, the two merchants of Venice are in the same boat: Antonio, like Shylock, might be a victim of circumstances beyond his control. Ultimately, whether Antonio is cruel, repressed, a raging anti-Semite, loving, or generous to a fault, it is certain that he himself declared his role in the plays firs

44、t scene: if all the world is a stage where every man has his part, then Antonios role is surely a sad one. PortiaPortiaShe can out-think everyone, which helps her to win over the court, deceive Bassanio and Gratiano, and even back her husband into a corner at the end of the play. Her thinking also l

45、eads her to some deep thoughts on a variety of issues some of the more philosophical speeches of the play belong to Portia. Her wit, intelligence, and generosity are all tools she uses to let others know that while shes definitely a woman, and seems to be accordingly limited, she isnt subordinate to

46、 anybody except when she chooses to be. Her cross-dressing endeavor, where she outwits all the men in both the law and their ability to define gender, is a perfect example of this kind of cleverness.This woman is one of Shakespeares deeper female characters shes a good girl, but she knows what she w

47、ants and how to get it, even if her methods are a bit unconventional. He generally is one of the plays least discerning(明辨是明辨是非的非的) characters. Interestingly, he is not particularly on the outside of anything. Its the plays more unhappy characters, Antonio, Portia, and Shylock, who have to come to b

48、at for Bassanios sake.Interestingly, Bassanio is all about appearances. He lives beyond his means, and is willing to continue to do that to grab Portia, and even warns Gratiano that he can come to Belmont only on the condition that he keep up appearances, true or not. As Bassanio is so good at putti

49、ng on a happy face, its no surprise that other characters come to see what they want to see in him. Hell neither deny it nor try to live up to it, but he seems rather to float through life, reaping the benefits of what others illusions about him.If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do

50、 we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?. (Act III, scene I).I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano, A stage, where every man must play a part; And mine a sad one. (Act i. scene. 1.)It is a wise father that knows his own child. (Act ii. sce. 2.)

51、But love is blind, and lovers cannot see The pretty follies that themselves commit. (Act ii. sce. 6.) All that glisters is not gold. (Act ii.)CommentaryThe Merchant of Venice is classified as a comedy in the first folio but the play is more remembered for its dramatic scenes, and it is best known fo

52、r the character of Shylock. We consider the Merchant of Venice one of the best Shakespearean plays, because through the characters Shakespare represents many features of the English society, such as friendship, love and racism. So we recommend this play to those who want to know more about key issue

53、s in the English Renaissance society, which are also extremely up-to-date.EROS PAGNI AS SHYLOCKEros Pagni, offers the difficult character of Shylock a cold fury, the determination of a man torn between the desire for revenge against the hated Christians and the catastrophe of being deprived of every

54、thing (“Il Gazzettino ). Corriere della Sera“ adds: His ruthlessness, made more ferocious by the painful shock at the punishment that breaks down on him during the trial, will remain in the history of theatre Whats the ideas behind the play?Whats the ideas behind the play?Themes in the Playreligion-

55、时代背景时代背景ThemesJews were banned in England from 1290 until the mid 1500s and the few that were around in Elizabethan times were barely tolerated. Shakespeare reflects the plight of the outsider in this society. Antonio does not deny it when accused of insulting and spitting on Shylock.religionThemes

56、It could be seen as salvation or the final insult when Antonio insists that Shylock becomes a Christian. In the same way it may seem that Jessicas conversion is her only hope. On the other hand, in the marriage of Lorenzo and Jessica, Shakespeare may be saying that unity and equality is possible bet

57、ween two people with great differences.Justice v.s. Mercy “Mercy seasons justice”. She tells Shylock mercy cannot be forced from someone; it must be freely given. Ordinary people are seldom asked to display this quality. It is a gift given from kings and rulers. Shakespeare explores the tension between justice and mercy through the attitudes of Shylock and Portia. The