Roles of Portia and Shylock in the evocation of the theme of racism and anti-Semitism in the Merchant of Venice

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Some of the more fascinating aspects of Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice are its reoccurring ideas of racism and anti-Semitism. The characters Shylock and Portia particularly evoke these ideas. Shylock is a creditor in Venice, and as the only Jew in the play which stands strongly for his race he indeed represents the Jew religion on which the theme of anti-Semitism is inflicted upon. Shylock’s obsession in monetary profit is a stereotype which Shakespeare uses as a symbol of Shylock’s Jewishness. Throughout the play, Shylock remains consistent in his unconditional adherence towards profit, the law, and his hatred for Antonio and the Christian race. These values create the villainous factor of Shylock, especially in his single-minded pursuit of the ‘pound of flesh’ forfeiture from Antonio least Bassanio fails to repay his loan. We see many aspects of racism in the rift between Shylock and the other Christian characters. Shylock’s malice towards Antonio seems cruel when he scorns: ‘I hate [Antonio] for he is a Christian’, though we find that this is only a retaliation to Antonio himself who had ‘called [Shylock] a misbeliever, cut-throat dog,/And spit upon [his] Jewish gabardine’. Shylock’s point: ‘For suff’rance is the badge of all our tribe’ explains that this persecution of the Jewish race is not uncommon. This idea of anti-Semitism is elevated in his appeal to common humanity: ‘I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? … If you prick us do we not bleed?’ even though this effect is abated somewhat by him vowing to ‘better the instruction’ of his enemies. So from a racial point of view, Shylock’s hatred is more rational than that of Christians such as Antonio who hates him simply because he is a Jew. Portia may be described as the saviour against Shylock’s malice. A rich, beautiful and Christian Belmontese, she is bound by the will of her father to marry

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