Portia has to deal with prejudice against her gender, the Prince of Morocco has to cope with prejudice against his race but the character that is most discriminated against is Shylock. He is hated for being a Jew and a money-lender, but Shakespeare has not made Shylock a character easy to sympathize with. He appears to be mean and cruel and it seems as though he loves his money above all else. However during the play there are moments when Shakespeare gives Shylock speeches which show his humaneness and compassion. In these moments, although at the time it was written there was little tolerance of Jews, during these moments the modern day audience would certainly feel sorry for him.
Thus, although Shakespeare has left room for his audience to come to their own conclusions, the love and harmony exhibited in the final scene does remain in stark contrast to the racial hatred displayed in the trial scene. As Lorenzo continues his discussion with Jessica he turns to the subject of music (“Let the sounds of music creep in our ears….the touches of sweet harmony”). He reminds the audience that mortals are merely imperfect humans (“this muddy vesture of clay”) and urges Jessica to appreciate music more saying that any man who does not value it “must be villainous and untrustworthy”. This may have been a slight against Shylock who had previously dismissed music as “shallow foppery” but it also plays a larger role of
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1599-1601) has successfully continued to engage audiences through its dramatic treatments of soliloquies and asides. It has retained value as being worth critical study in both an Elizabethan and modern context – this may be said due to its mirroring of human nature in society, thereby depicting the thematic concepts of struggle and disillusionment. Shakespeare’s use of dramatic and language techniques, consisting of much great symbolism and metaphorical language, illustrates the dramatic irony and action of textual integrity in Hamlet. Thus these salient notions are achieved through Hamlet’s speech directed towards a society that reflects both an Elizabethan and modern contemporary context, whereby audiences reflect upon the depiction of humanity’s struggle in a disillusioned reality. In Hamlet’s third soliloquy, there are echoes of struggle and disillusionment which are illustrated as important concepts in dealing with Shakespearean language throughout the play of HAMLET.
English – How does Shakespeare explore ideas in Macbeth? Macbeth is and will forever remain Shakespeare’s most famous and celebrated tragedy. The play is much deeper than just a tragedy however, with Shakespeare subtly exploring several ideas and themes. His work provides prime examples of many structural and language techniques, including imagery, contrast, dialogue and symbolism. There were numerous ideas explored in the play, including those of ambition and power & authority.
Nowadays, our interpretation of the play is different. We can see it as very forward looking as Portia and Nerissa play a decisive role in saving Antonio, dressing up as men without being recognised by their husbands to be and even luring them into giving them the rings they had made them promise not to give away. It is a very early view of feminism taking place in Shakespeare's times ! The play also deals with discrimination and racism, exposing the life of the Jews in Venice's ghetto. It was really forward thinking in Shakespeare's
Why is his work still relevant today? Shakespeare deals with problems that are still prevalent in today’s society. He deals with real emotions and real problems which are raw and confronting yet recognisable. The value of his texts still remains yet they can be appropriated to suit a particular audience. Shakespeare also appeals to a large audience writing in many different genres, a reason for his popularity today.
However, to everyone else, Ophelia represents purity and goodness. She is very naive and obedient, and never does anything out of bad intentions. She is completely loyal to her brother and father and loves Hamlet all the way to the end, regardless of all the abuse he puts her through. Ophelia is introduced in Act 1 Scene 3, where she is speaking to her brother Laertes before he leaves to France to continue his studies. We learn that Hamlet had confessed her love to her but her brother warns Ophelia that as a prince, Hamlet can't choose who he is to marry and that he is probably just trying to steal her virginity.
Byelinkov is not the type of person to take praise very well while Varinka is willing to give him all he needs. All of these show what kind of persons Byelinkov and Varinka are, it shows how they over compensate each other’s personalities. Byelinkov says that “Pride can be an imperfect value”(981) While Varinka responds with “It isn’t pride. It’s the truth. You are a great man.” Varinka kisses Byelinkov and is still happy that she can call herself his wife.
They can be that his stories are amazing, dark and deep. That he shaped the English language we know today, and also that his writing style itself was so beautiful that other writers can recognize that as well. The question I think needs to be answered is: Why is Shakespeare so important, and why is he still relevant today? Shakespeare genuinely tried to write for his audiences. He wanted the plot to strike them even if it didn’t sit well with them.
In Act IV, Desdemona portrays both loyal characteristics and qualities of innocence. In Act I she tells her father “You are the lord of duty, I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband…” (1.3.184-185). As Othello’s perspective and motive changes throughout the play, Desdemona’s characteristics alter minimally. Desdemona’s innocent, loyal, and honorable traits contribute to the theme that things are not always as they seem due to Othello’s failure to recognize them in his moments of jealous accusation.