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Anti-Semitism in Shakespeare`s Merchant of VeniceNameInstitutionCourseDateAbstractIt is a common thing for many literary writers to put into their works characters who depict the current status of the communities in which they live. As such, the characters in the works often portray matters as they actually are within the society. This essay looks at the ‘Merchant of Venice` by William Shakespeare, highlighting how antis-Semitism was propagated in the England and the European society at the time.Anti-Semitism in Shakespeare`s Merchant of VeniceIntroduction and Historical ContextFor most of the readers who come across this book, ‘Merchant of Venice` is thought to be a tragic comedy. Shakespeare (1600) wrote this drama with an eye of religious rivalry, which focused on the row between Christianity and Jewish religion. In order to bring out the protagonist and the antagonism, Shakespeare (1600) creates two of the most famous characters in the book. There is Antonio who is the merchant of Venice, and who is thought by many people to be a good man. He is a wealthy man who lends money to people at no profit and who believes that money should be given away for charity rather than for the purpose of gaining profits. He is also a Christian. On the other hand, there is the Shylock who is of the Jewish decent. He practices usury where he lends money at exaggerated profits. He is well versed in the matters of the Bible and often cites the Bible in a bid to relate his situations to those of the major characters in the Bible. He is at loggerheads with Antonio since he believes that Antonio ruins his business by lending money without charging any profit. Due to their religious differences, the two characters stand on opposing sides and create the foundation for the essay.It is worth noting that in the historical context, this drama was written during the Elizabethan times (Essay Info, 2011). This was a time during which there was actual rivalry between the Jews and the Christians and the Jews in England. The conflict between the two groups was propagated by the fact that the two believed in the same God and the same teachings but failed to see eye to eye on some issues. This is the main reason that there was rivalry between the two groups in England and also in the entire European region. Due to the majority of followers, Christianity seemed to be the superior religion. This is indicated in the paragraphs below as seen in the ‘Merchant of Venice.`Anti-Semitism in ‘Merchant of Venice`Shakespeare (1600) brought out the rivalry between the two religions...
