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A critical analysis of a key speech or dialogue from either A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Merchant of Venice or Much Ado about Nothing

The Shakespearean text I have decided to critically analyse is The Merchant of Venice. I will analyse Act 4 Scene 1, the courtroom scene. Along with identifying literacy devices such as metaphors, alliteration and patterns of sound, I will address issues like gender and antiSemitism in relation to the passage in question. By doing this I will have an insight to what Shakespeare was hoping to achieve in his play and with the evidence supported by contemporary secondary sources I have researched I will have a detailed critical analysis and fully understand the anti-Semitism displayed in the play and gender issues such as the crossdressing which takes place. Shakespeare uses numerous literary devices to indicate certain things in this scene. The phrase, pound of flesh (Merchant of Venice, 4. 1. 99) said by Shylock emerges as a metaphor for two of the plays closest relationships (Shylock and Portia). The pound of flesh is a constant reminder of the rigidity of Shylocks world, where numerical calculations are used to evaluate even the serious of situations. Shylock doesnt explicitly demand that Antonio must die, but asks instead, in his numerical mind, for a pound in exchange for his three thousand ducats. Alliteration and a metaphor are used again when Duke reads out a letter from Bellario to Portia commending, I never knew so young a body with so old a head (4. 1. 163-164). Shakespeare uses the metaphor to compare the old head to wisdom. Alliteration being the words never, knew and so. The alliteration is used by Shakespeare to add a rhythm to the language used. Whats more, synecdoche is used to substitute the body for the person and the head for the brain. Another metaphor used by Antonio is, The weakest kind of fruit

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Drops earliest to the ground. (4. 1. 115-116) Here Antonio is comparing himself to a fruit because of the situation he is in. In addition its worth noting that rhymed poetry is used by Portia character throughout the scene. Portias lines are given in prose when she is joking, or engaged in bawdy conversations. I began to notice that Portias lines are rhymed in poetry, such as when she is talking in court or to Bassano. This is Shakespeares way of letting the reader know when Portia is jesting and when she is serious The theme of the Merchant of Venice on the surface is that the Christian characters appear to be that they value human relationships over business ones, whereas Shylock on the other hand is only interested in money. However in the court room Shylock insistence that he has a pound of flesh rather than any amount of money shows that his resentment is much stronger than his greed. This is because there is a big issue in the play between Jews and Christians. The play is unquestionably anti-Semitic and the question is, is Shakespeare antiSemitic? There are clear parts in scene 1 which indicate anti-Semitism. Firstly, Antonio utters I pray you think you question with the Jew. (4. 1. 70) Here Antonio refers to Shylock as the Jew meaning he sees him as a separate race of people grouped together. Again Antonio shows further his discontented view of Jews through this quote, When they are fretten with the gusts of heaven (4. 1. 77). Antonio is emphasising the difference between Judaism and Christianity here because he is saying Christians will pass to heaven a place of supposed beauty while Jews will not. Further evidence to support the view of the play being anti-Semitic is Bassino and Shylock having rapid back and forth dialogue between lines: 6369. This indicates spitefulness and rifts between the two groups. It can be said the antiSemitism in the play would have been accepted in Shakespeare time because there was an open dislike of the Jewish community. My secondary source backs up my point that it was accepted during the time, The Tudor audience was certainly used to anti-Semitism , and the prejudice is initially aroused both by Shylocks self-caricaturing statement that he will avoid
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the smell of pork and his willingness to charge Interest seems to mark an essential moral difference between Christians and Jews. (ORourke, 2003). Gender was a major topic during the Shakespearean era. Due to women at the time not being able to perform in plays meant cross-dressing was often cited, like Portia does in the court room taking a role of a male named Balthazar. She goes into the court room with people believing she is, A young and learned doctor (4. 1. 144) and thus is able to come into the court room as an honourable judge and to be able to manipulate the outcome of the case. Portia in a sense assuming the clothes of the opposite sex escaped the patriarchal social structure thus able to save the life of Antonio. Inevitably Portia won the case and shown that, she can be as manipulative of language and the law as any of her male counterparts. With Portia revealing her full potential she demonstrates role virtuosity and flexibility. (Meadow,2005) Meaning Portia behaviour displays that not all women act from some essentialist place called womanhood. This being out of the social norm in Tudor times because women were not particular far in equality rights. In conclusion, anti-Semitism is ever occurring. Shakespeare's views can be said to be ambiguous, because at many points in the play he seems to follow the conventional ideas of Jews being evil. Jews suffer bigotry and other forms of mistreatment because of their religion and race. Christians such as Antonio and Bassino alienate Shylock simply because he is a Jew. The cross-dressing by Portia to manipulate the outcome of the case and save her lovers friend Antonio reveals she escaped the patriarchal social structure and was able humiliate Shylock in the process.