From this anger comes the main conflict of the play. Iago plans to ruin Othello and Cassio by carrying out a plan based on lies and deceit. This plan will make Iago the only person that Othello believes he can trust, and Iago will use this trust to manipulate Othello. Foremost, Iago first plan to ruin Othello is to use Roderigo s weakness to help him remove Cassio from his lieutenant position, which will in turn lead to both Othello s and Cassio s demise. Iago tells Roderigo to "put money in thy purse" (Shakespeare 53).
How does Shakespeare craft the character’s tone of voice in order to encourage the characters tone of voice? Through Shakespeare’s play Macbeth (a bloodthirsty tale of ambition) and Merchant of Venice (comedy and near tragedy) Shakespeare crafts the characters tone of voice by many techniques such as their dialogues. Merchant and Venice was written in 1596 or 1567, it is set in Venice’s Italian setting and marriage plot and Shakespeare first great heroine and the unforgettable villain Shylock elevate this play to a new level. The basic plot outline with the characters of the merchant, poor suitor, fair lady and a villainous Jew. Jews in Shakespeare’s England would have been familiar with portrayals of Jews as villains and main source of mockery.
The Fools songs, riddles and jokes are a source of comic relief, used to break up the intensity of scenes. The Fool appears to have a deceptively simple part in the play when in actual fact his role is of key significance. The Fool and Lear have a fascinating relationship throughout the play. Lear seems to depend on his Fool increasingly to be his voice of reason or his conscience, because he reminds Lear of all his mistakes and manipulates his feelings into realising them. This is a great irony as the King who is supposed to be wise is in-fact a fool, yet the Fool himself is full of
Analyse how the writer develops an important idea in the text. The play “Othello”, by William Shakespeare explores the idea of how an individual’s sense of identity and how this can be manipulated affects their actions. Othello is an outsider in 17th century Venice, and how he regards himself affects his actions strongly throughout this play. We can see this from Othello’s confidence and assertiveness at the start, but as Iago starts scheming and spreading rumours of his wife’s infidelity, Othello’s insecurities start to show, leading to the climax of the story where he murders Desdemona and plots to kill Cassio. From this we can see the effects of what happens when a society tells a man over and over again that he is less than human and uncivilised because of his skin colour.
Deadly sins The seven deadly sins are renowned for a reason, which is that just one of them can drive a person insane. Greed and envy together can lead a person into doing immoral and unjustified deeds. In the play "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare, Claudius is the villain who contradicts Knight's The Embassy of Death because Claudius's actions and behavior result from his innate greed for wealth and envy of true love that his brother King Hamlet had; on the other hand, Knight views that his actions were forced upon him due to Hamlet's unstable mentality. (wrap up the thesis statement, condense to the main point. You don't need to make a comparison, but pick which view you agree with, Knight or Shakespeare's, or make it into 2 separate sentences.
Consider the role and presentation of Shylock in the play. How might an audience respond to him, would the original audience in the 1600's feel the same about this character and if no then why not? The Merchant of Venice is about Shylock, a Jewish money lender trying to survive and make a living in a country which despises him and his kind. Throughout the play there is a strong theme of prejudice. 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.
First of all, “The Merchant of Venice” is not a complete tragedy. There are some elements of comedy in it. There is the intrigue about the chests that Portia's suitors have to solve. Portia and Nerissa dress up as men at Antonio's trial without being recognised by their husbands to be. It should be seen as a tragedy/comedy.
Prompt: In what ways does the last scene draw together the central concerns of the play? Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice” has long been revered for its clever and witty use of language but it is Shakespeare’s handling of the central concerns of the play that earn him the highest regard. The play delves somewhat playfully into issues of friendship, fortune, faithfulness, and family, while weaving in weightier matters such as hatred, greed and vengeance. While these issues are largely resolved in the trial scene, the contrasting values of love, generosity, and keeping ones word become the final messages of the play. The final scene set in serene Belmont, opens with Lorenzo and Jessica’s playful banter.
Individual Oral Commentary – Merchant of Venice Act Scene 1 – Lines 8-45 This extract is from the play “ The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare and is placed in Act 1 Scene 1 of the play which can also be called the expository scene of the play. Right before the extract we as readers have been introduced to the confused character of Antonio, a rich Jewish merchant by the author who doesn’t even know the source of his extreme sadness and depression. Through the extract from lines 8-45 the author has tried to expose the intricate character of Antonio and has tried to set a melancholic mood at the opening of his play . Then the characters of Solario and Solanio reveal a lot about Venice and Elizabethan era, which is the place and time the play was set in. Venice was known in the Elizabethan era as centre of trade and business serving as a financial hub for business transactions worldwide.
Shylock is the universal Jew yet he is theatrically more complex. Shakespeare makes reference to the attitudes towards race and religion in Elizabethan England, only to show how hypocritical the Christians are. For example, Shylock is not treated with respect when Portia calls him, “The Jew” continuously throughout the courtroom scene. Lancelot Gobbo identifies Shylock as “the very devil incarnation” and fears that he will turn into a Jew if he continues to serve under him. Hypocritically, he plays tricks on his sand-blind father.