The Merchant of Venice （1914）, as one of the greatest works by Shakespeare, is a comedy. It addresses various themes. It is much more than a study of the struggles between Christians and Jews; it also deals with lov...The Merchant of Venice （1914）, as one of the greatest works by Shakespeare, is a comedy. It addresses various themes. It is much more than a study of the struggles between Christians and Jews; it also deals with love and self-sacrifice, hatred and revenge, and friendship and marriage. It is a victory of Christians against Jews. But, at a more profound level, the play is ultimately a tragedy which functions as a cautionary exposure on the social problems of prejudice, hypocrisy and the family relationships. The paper begins by addressing the prejudice that is a dominant theme throughout the play. It also contends that the hypocrisy is prevalent in Venetian society. Then, Shylock, as the tragic hero in the play is analyzed. The final part deals with the problem of family relationships. By exposing grave deficiencies in Venetian Society, the play obliges us to make a critical moral judgment on humanity and establish correct philosophy of life and values展开更多
文摘The Merchant of Venice （1914）, as one of the greatest works by Shakespeare, is a comedy. It addresses various themes. It is much more than a study of the struggles between Christians and Jews; it also deals with love and self-sacrifice, hatred and revenge, and friendship and marriage. It is a victory of Christians against Jews. But, at a more profound level, the play is ultimately a tragedy which functions as a cautionary exposure on the social problems of prejudice, hypocrisy and the family relationships. The paper begins by addressing the prejudice that is a dominant theme throughout the play. It also contends that the hypocrisy is prevalent in Venetian society. Then, Shylock, as the tragic hero in the play is analyzed. The final part deals with the problem of family relationships. By exposing grave deficiencies in Venetian Society, the play obliges us to make a critical moral judgment on humanity and establish correct philosophy of life and values
