威尼斯商人论文

论威尼斯商人中的种族歧视和宗教迫害

摘要

威廉莎士比亚的早期浪漫喜剧《威尼斯商人》主题博大广泛，情节曲折感人，语言优美流畅，人物生动典型，几百年来评论家们对其进行了多种多样的解读。本文试图用历史唯物主义的观点，通过追溯历史上犹太民族的经历，分析夏洛克与安东尼奥等人冲突的终极原因，揭示《威尼斯商人》中所体现出来的种族歧视，特别是发生在主人公夏洛克身上的种族歧视和迫害，并对这种现象予以深入的分析，使人们看到种族歧视给人们带来的巨大精神创伤。

全文共分为三个部分。

摘要部分简要概括全文的主题思想。

正文包括三个章节。第一章论述信仰与生存法则结下的宿怨。第二章论述合理贬抑下的犹太人的悲剧。第三章揭示宿愿与贬抑背后的主题——种族歧视和宗教迫害。

论文的最后一部分是结论，通过前面几章的分析和论述，全文的主题已经不言而喻，犹太人夏洛克所遭受的种种欺辱纯属种族歧视和宗教迫害，《威尼斯商人》蕴含这一主题。

关键词：莎士比亚；威尼斯商人；种族歧视和宗教迫害

Analysis of The Merchant of Venice’s radical discrimination

and religious persecution

William Shakespeare’s early romantic comedy The Merchant of Venice has a broad theme, an intricate plot, beautiful language and typical characters. For hundreds of years, critics have been interpreting it in various ways. This thesis reveals the theme of racial discrimination of this play by analyzing what Shylock suffered and by tracing the history of racial discrimination and religious persecution against Jews.

The thesis consists of 3 parts.

Abstract is an introduction,which briefly summarizes the plot and elaborates the theme of radical and religious discrimination.

Part two consists of 3 chapters.Chapter one traces the radical discrimination against Jews.Chapter two,the most important chapter ,analyzes the cruel treatment Shylock suffered in the play.Chapter three points out clearly that it is radical discrimination against Jews that made Shylock such a greedy,cruel and miserly person.

The last part comes to the conclusion that The Merchant of Venice comprises the theme of radical discrimination and religious persecution.

Key Words：William Shakespeare;The Merchant of Venice;radical discrimination and religious persecution

1.Introduction

1.1 Introduction to William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English poet,playwright and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.]He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His extant works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays,154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, the authorship of some of which is uncertain. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613.[6][nb 4] His early plays were mainly comedies and histories and these works remain regarded as some of the best work produced in these genres even today. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights.

1.2 Introduction to The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and is best known for Shylock and the famous "Hath not a Jew eyes?" speech. Also notable is Portia's speech about "the quality of mercy". Bassanio is considered as the central hero of the story, and his dearest friend Antonio, mainly described as the kindest man in this world.

2 Analysis of The Merchant of Venice’s radical

discrimination and religious persecution

2.1

This part traces the radical discrimination against Jews.In this chapter,you can find the answer why Jews practiced usury,a profession hated by everyone.There are profound historical reasons in it.Aside from the other reasons ,one of the most important reason is the existence of anti-semitism refers to the thoughts and movements that express the hate,exclusive,hatred of the Jews.As is said by a scholar .it is not the case that Jews were hated because they practiced usury .it is the other round.Jews practiced usury because they were hated.They had no other means of making a living.Scattering around the world,Jews did not have their own nation.They had to use money to bu their right of living.To live in a place,they had to pay money;to get married,they had to pay money;to bear children,they had to pay money;to buy the deed,they had to pay money.Without money,Jews were doomed to extinct.All these experiences taught them to value money.In Britain,the Jews can do nothing but creditors,so it produced an old saying“the Jews is equal to the creditors”.It also analyzes why Jews were stereotyped as “misers”and “mammon-worshippers”.All these things can be trace back to the conflict between Christianity and Judaism.Since Christianity’s dominance over other religious on the 4th century,Christians began to defame Judaism.But Jew stuck to their belief thought they were banished,persecuted and even massacred.This “stubbornness”aroused anger and hatred among Christians.However the lawmakers are mostly Christians,with their dissatisfaction with Jews,the law made by them have many restrictions and limits towards the Jews. In the time of Shakespeare,Antonio’s action of compelling Shylock to convert to Christianity was kind and righteous,which reflects Shakespeare’s religious belief.Shakespeare must have been influenced by the mainstream Christianity.

Practicing usury is the only way for the Jews to survive ,the old-fashioned way of the exploitation is despised by the whole society at that time,but as a matter of fact is the same as what Antonio said——the sailing trade.Antonio tried every means to sabotage Shylock’s business,just because Shylock was a Jew.It is Shylock’s ethnic identity determines his status and position,rather than his occupation.The Law of Venice prohibits the alien to possess their own houses,forced the to do the cash transactions,the whole society despised them,finally.Shylock was deprived of his property.

Shylock believe the justice of The Law of Venice ,but the law did not protect him.This make Shylock with tragic color.On the most important part of The Merchant of Venice，Portia quotes the Law of Venice :“It is enacted in the laws of Venice ,if it be proved against an alien that by direct or indirect attempts he seek the life of any citizen,the party against the which he doth contrive.Shall seize one half his goods;the other half comes to t he privy coffer of the state;And the offender’s life lies in the mercy of the Duke,against all other voice... ”So the law-observing Shylock was deprived of his property.In this part,Shylock absolutely would win the case,but he lost the case for the double standard for the Christianity and Jews.Shylock forced to give up all his property for his religious belief.Can’t this be an religious persecution.In this way,we can easily find out the main conflict of this play is radical discrimination and religious persecution.Shylock was cursed,spitted,kicked by Antonio .The Christianity treated Jews as a dog of theirs.Antonio is so arrogant,even if borrows the money from Shylock,he is still so arrogant.At the bottom of his heart,there is one thing more important than money,that is his daughter.But the Christianity kidnapped his daughter.His heart is badly hurt by the betrayal of his daughter.Can’t Shylock resistance o the Christianity after he has suffered that kind of thing ?According to the agreement,he asked to cut a pound of flesh of Antonio,is just a retaliation against radical discrimination and religious persecution,which was the Christianity teaching him.

Shylock,the character that created by Shakespeare is not a simple villain,he is not only a creditors,but also a Jew that despised by The Christianity.As a creditor,Shylock is greedy and stingy.However as a human being and a pagan,he also own our compassion.He has his own struggle towards the Court.This part analyzes Shylock’s multi-personalities.We hate him because he was greedy,stingy and cruel;we sympathize with him because he suffered all kinds of humiliations;we admire him because he was undaunted by his bullies.It also illustrates Shylock’s struggle against racial discrimination and religious persecution.He denounced Christians’oppression of Jews and called for racial and religious equality.I still remembered when Antonio can’t pay the money back to Shylock,what Shylock said.That is impressive.

“To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else,

it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and

hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses,

mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my

bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine

enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath

not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs,

dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with

the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject

to the same diseases, healed by the same means,

warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as

a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed?

if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison

us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not

revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will

resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian,

what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian

wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by

Christian example? Why, revenge. The villany you

teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I

will better the instruction.”

At first,Shylock just want to make a revenge,but later ,he is beyond himself,he wants to get equal position with Christianity.He wants to get ethnic and religious equality.What Shylock said yelled out the wishes against oppression,discrimination and wants to get equal justice.

As far as I am concern,Shylock take full responsibility for their national rejuvenation.I admire him for he refuse to stay on the humble status.He is more intelligent,more creative and have more personality power than any other character in this play.

Conclusion

Through the analysis,remove each part of the show,the theme hidden behind the show is already clear.I am not to say Shylock is the model for human,he may have lots of problems with his moral character,but he is not a heinous devil.He is just a Jew who is hard working and respecting laws,at the same time,he may find all kinds of opportunities to make profits and he is stingy with his money.He tries to against the oppression of Christianity,he is kind of silly during the big events.He is deprived of all his money by Christianity,he is for ced to convert to Christianity,with his daughter’s betrayal,all of these things make him living death.

Shylock is the epitome of the Jew,his greatness lies in he shows a nation under a state of oppression.The existence of Shylock is scar of a period.