Essay, Research Paper: Merchant Of Venice Story

Shakespeare

Free Shakespeare research papers were donated by our members/visitors and are presented free of charge for informational use only. The essay or term paper you are seeing on this page was not produced by our company and should not be considered a sample of our research/writing service. We are neither affiliated with the author of this essay nor responsible for its content. If you need high quality, fresh and competent research / writing done on the subject of Shakespeare, use the professional writing service offered by our company.


William Shakespeare attained literary immortality through his exposition of the
many qualities of human nature in his works. One such work, The Merchant of
Venice, revolves around the very human trait of deception. Fakes and frauds have
been persistent throughout history, even to this day. Evidence of deception is
all around us, whether it is in the products we purchase or the sales clerks’
false smile as one debates the purchase of the illusory merchandise. We are
engulfed by phonies, pretenders, and cheaters. Although most often associated
with a heart of malice, imposture varies in its motives as much as it’s
practitioners, demonstrated in The Merchant of Venice by the obdurate characters
of Shylock and Portia. We frequently see the intent of greed and selfishness
covered up by the words and face of virtue. Such exploit is displayed by the
exceptionally stingy Shylock, an unpopular Jew who makes his living through the
practice of usury. When confronted about his unsympathetic trade, he resorts to
citing scripture, thus comparing his selfish trade with the actions of holy men
(I, iii, 73-87). Antonio, a well respected and honorable merchant, sees right
through the falsehood of the justification and asks Shylock, “Was this
inserted to make interest good? Or is your gold and silver ewes and rams?” (I,
iii, 91-92). The response from Shylock to the question reveals a glimpse of his
true meaning. “I cannot tell; I make it breed as fast” (I, iii, 93-94) is a
rather boastful reply of his wealth than a righteous rationalization. To which
Antonio can only turn to his friend and say “The devil can site Scripture for
his purpose. An evil soul producing holy witness is like a villain with a
smiling cheek” (I, iii, 95-97). Words alone are not the only means by which
imposters operate. A far more effective mode is one that fools the eye for it
cannot pierce through the surface. Portia, the new wife of Antonio’s friend,
dresses as a lawyer in order to deceive the court. However, unlike Shylock’s
motive, Portia’s intent is far more noble and selfless. She manipulates the
law in such a way to save Antonio from certain death by the hand of Shylock.
Through the eyes of the law, the imposture of a lawyer, especially by a woman at
that time, was seen as extremely illicit. But Portia saw impersonation as the
only means by which to save a man’s life. The action more than warranted the
cause. Unquestionably a motive of honorable ethical values. The distinction
between the intentions of Shylock and Portia is clear. Even though Portia did
save the life of a noble man, she did use deception in order to do so.
Nevertheless, one may argue that imposture of any form is dishonesty and the
motive behind it cannot change that. The only way to preserve absolute truth
would be with steadfast integrity.
2
0
Good or bad? How would you rate this essay?
Help other users to find the good and worthy free term papers and trash the bad ones.
Like this term paper? Vote & Promote so that others can find it

Get a Custom Paper on Shakespeare:

Free papers will not meet the guidelines of your specific project. If you need a custom essay on Shakespeare: , we can write you a high quality authentic essay. While free essays can be traced by Turnitin (plagiarism detection program), our custom written papers will pass any plagiarism test, guaranteed. Our writing service will save you time and grade.




Related essays:

2
0
Stereotypes in "The Merchant of Venice" "Dumb jocks! ", "Women don't belong there, doing that!", "He must be a criminal, just look at his clothes." How often h...
3420 views
0 comments
2
1
Shakespeare / Merchant Of Venice
In this play two characters have a bigger role than one might imagine. Salerio and Solanio are the storytellers in The Merchant of Venice. They fill in important information that the audience needs t...
3402 views
0 comments
3
0
Shakespeare / Merchant Of Venice
When William Shakespeare wrote, The Merchant of Venice, he included a female character that influences the play dramatically. In most of Shakespeare's plays, the women have little power and intellige...
3540 views
0 comments
3
0
Shakespeare / Merchant Of Venice
“How little is the cost I have bestowed in purchasing the semblance of my soul,”(3.5.19-20) is where the heart of this play is in my eyes. Portia doing what she can for her one true love, Bassanio. M...
3306 views
0 comments
0
0
The first thing that struck me about The Merry Wives of Windsor was the appearance of some characters from Henry VI: Falstaff, Bardolph, Nym, and Pistol. The second thing that struck me was the compl...
3211 views
0 comments