The Merchant of Venice

Introduction

The Merchant of Venice is the darkest of William Shakespeare's romantic comedies. No other comedy threatens its title, character with imminent death or portrays its villain as an outsider with a thirst for blood. No other comedy engages such crucial issues, as the contrast between law, and grace or between mercy and justice. More important than these, entire no other comedy is so dominated by a single character, nor is any other character in Shakespeare so fully developed in five fleeting scenes. In the text, Shylock has a much smaller role than Portia or Bassanio. In the theater, for the 250 years during which the history of this play can be documented, Shylock is the role, which has attracted great actors from Charles Macklin to Henry Irving to Laurence Olivier. In fact, some productions ended the play with Shylock's final exit, turning Shakespeare's comedy into the tragedy of Shylock. In a play, the idea of a tragicomedy makes the best of both worlds possible (Jefferey, 2009, 104-07).

Discussion and Analysis

Thus, the focus (the removal of a pound of meat) is so cruel and tragic; Shakespeare cleverly distracts the viewer from him by the scenes that unfold in the town of Portia, so that, for example, after the climactic scene the process will leave a strong impression and bitter. This intends to take us through the path where one can delight in the sublime poetry of the lunar night, with music and dialogue of the lovers.

A tragedy can be defined as a story:

“Focused on a hero of noble birth, who, through a misdeed or hamartia, underwent a decline in stature that led to tragic consequences whether in the realm of amtethese.” (Shakespeare, P. 276)

In The Merchant of Venice Shylock's decline in stature to those of the Jewish faith, can be forced converted to that of Christianity would be a decline in statue. Though not a hero because of this tragic decline, the consequences were the close murder of another character Antonio. The idea of tragedy does not fit all of the criteria for this play. This play falls into the tragicomedy:

“These plays address issues such as intergenerational and intercultural conflict, rancor, jealousy, even murder …inject moments of humor that add dimension to human experience.”

There is hinting that this play is more comedy that tragedy such as the religious humor throughout the play.

“Yes—to smell pork, to eat of the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite conjured the devil into. I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following, but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you.” (Shakespeare, P. 309-322)

The religious jokes and satirical humor towards those of the opposing faith are prominent throughout the play and are just another example of the comical conflict between the antagonist and the protagonist. The dialog in the play also adds to the tragicomedy effect because of the sarcasm that is flowing with every word between the two ...