Deception and disguise in William Shakespeares Merchant of Venice Essays

Deception and disguise in William Shakespeares Merchant of Venice Essays Deception and disguise in William Shakespeares Merchant of Venice Paper Deception and disguise in William Shakespeares Merchant of Venice Paper Essay Topic: Merchant Of Venice Play The difference between appearance and reality is a constant theme in Shakespearean drama. In The Merchant of Venice it is an important aspect of the development of the plot and character both in the story of the bond, which unfolds in Venice, and in the tale of caskets, set in Belmont. Shylocks affected kindness (I, iii, 140) in proposing the terms of his loan immediately illustrates the necessity for the characters to detect deception, and the dangers inherent in a superficial assessment of temperament and motives. Earlier in the scene, Antonio has shown that he is aware of the need for incisive judgement: O what a goodly outside falsehood hath! (I, iii, 99). Nonetheless he unfortunately proceeds to accept the merry bond (I. iii, 69) at face value, thinking that Shylock grows kind (I, iii, 174). Bassanio is less confident: I like not fair terms and a villains mind (I, iii, 176). The ability to look below the surface and perceive true values is exactly what the test of the caskets is designed for. Morocco learns that All that glisters is not gold (II, vii, 65), and Arragon is sped on his way with a maxim on the same theme (II, ix, 69-70): There be fools alive iwis, Silvered oer, and so was this Bassanio, who, on the other hand, appeared to see through Shylocks hypocrisy, shows by his lengthy deliberation that he is not one of these fools. The world is still deceived with ornaments, which hides grossness even in religion, a reminder of the way that Shylock manipulates scriptural texts. Supposed fairness, then, is (III, ii.100-101): The sseming truth which cunning times put on To entrap the wisest Bassanio is successful simply because he refuses to judge by appearances (III, ii, 131-2): You that choose not by the view Chance as fair, and choose as true This idea is illuminated many times in the course of the play. For instance, Lorenzo perceives the qualities he associates with Christians in his Jewish lover, for as Jessica points out: though I am a daughter to his [Shylocks blood/ I am not to his manners. (II, iii, 18-19). Again, Launcelots comic discourse (II, ii, 1-28 touches on the same theme: his conscience should offer the best advice, but, on close examination, the fiend is really offering the more friendly counsel. The happiness attained by these characters at the close of the play comes about through this ability to see beyond superficial appearances. For Bassantio and Lorenzo, in particular, it is the reward for perceiving beauty in virtue and love, not merely in ornament, physical appearance, or the circumstances of birth, which may be misleading. Yet the plays happy ending is also dependent on a benevolent form of deception which the characters do not detect. The blissful harmony of the final Act would be impossible without the artfulness of Portia in her disguise as the doctor of law. Her pretence is entirely constructive. It is like the artifice of the author, making use of the devices available in a comedy to save Antonio from the knife, and his friends from heartbreak. In the scene concerning the ring, it preserves Gratiano and Bassanio from disloyalty, as they unwittingly give away the symbols of their fidelity to their own wives in disguise. However, it is important to realize that while the characters are completely taken in by Portias deception, the audience is not. We are fully aware of outrageous disguise and scheming which lie behind the contrived outcome of the trial. So, just as Bassantio has seen through the dull casing of the lead casket to find his hearts desire, so the audience can perceive the love and social feeling embodied in Portia beneath the appearances of her legal attire and her pedantic legal quibbling. Moreover, by highlighting the disguise and artifice involved in averting disaster for Antonio and his friends, Shakespeare warns his audience not to take the plays comic, happy ending to literally, and not to consider that the distinctions made in the play are intended to form a strict and practical code of ethics.

4 Great Quotes That Changed World History

4 Great Quotes That Changed World History These are some famous and powerful quotes that changed world history. Some of them were so powerful that World Wars took birth as they were uttered. Others quelled storms that threatened to wipe out humanity. Still, others inspired a change of mindset, and kickstart social reform. These words have transformed the lives of millions, and have etched new paths for the future generation. 1. Galileo Galilei Eppur si muove! (And yet it moves.) Every once in a century, there comes along a human being who brings about a revolution with just three words. Italian physicist and mathematician Galileo Galilei held a different view of the movement of the sun and the celestial bodies with respect to the earth. But the church held the belief that the Sun and other planetary bodies revolve around the Earth; a belief that made God-fearing Christians adhere to the words of the Bible as interpreted by the clergymen.   In the era of Inquisition, and a suspicious wariness of Pagan beliefs, Galileos views were considered heresy and he was tried for spreading heretic views. The punishment for heresy was torture and death. Galileo risked his life to educate the church how wrong they were. But the chauvinist views of the church were to remain, and Galileos head was to go. A 68-year-old Galileo could hardly afford to lose his head before the Inquisition for a mere fact. He, therefore, made a public confession that he was wrong:   I held and believed that the sun is the centre of the universe and is immovable, and that the earth is not the centre and is movable; willing, therefore, to remove from the minds of your Eminences, and of every Catholic Christian, this vehement suspicion rightfully entertained toward me, with a sincere heart and unfeigned faith, I abjure, curse, and detest the said errors and heresies, and generally every other error and sect contrary to Holy Church; and I swear that I will never more in future say or assert anything verbally, or in writing, which may give rise to a similar suspicion of me; but if I shall know any heretic, or anyone suspected of heresy, that I will denounce him to this Holy Office, or to the Inquisitor or Ordinary of the place where I may be; I swear, moreover, and promise, that I will fulfil and observe fully, all the penances which have been or shall be laid on me by this Holy Office.Galileo Galilei, Abjuration, 22 Jun 1633 The above quote, Eppur si muove!  was found in a Spanish painting. Whether Galileo actually said these words are unknown, but it is believed that Galileo muttered these words under his breath after he was forced to recant his views. The forced recantation that Galileo had to endure is one of the most significant events in the history of the world. It shows how free spirit and scientific thinking was always stifled by conservative views of a powerful few. Humankind will remain indebted to this fearless scientist, Galileo, who we regale the father of modern astronomy, the father of modern physics, and the father of modern science. 2. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Working men of all countries, unite! These words are a reminder of the rise of communism under the leadership of two German intellectuals, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The working class had suffered years of exploitation, oppression, and discrimination in a capitalist Europe. Under the powerful rich class that comprised of businessmen, traders, bankers, and industrialists, the workers and laborers suffered inhuman living conditions. The simmering discord was already growing in the underbelly of the poor. While capitalist countries vied for more political power and economic freedom, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels believed that it was the time the workers were given their due. The slogan, Workers of the world, unite! was a clarion call in the Communist Manifesto created by Marx and Engels as a closing line of the manifesto. The Communist Manifesto threatened to shake the foundation of capitalism in Europe and bring about a new social order. This quote, which was a meek voice calling for change became a deafening roar. Revolutions of 1848 were a direct result of the slogan. The widespread revolution changed the face of France, Germany, Italy, and Austria. The Communist Manifesto is one of the most widely read secular documents in the world. The proletariat governments were elbowed out of their cushy positions of power and the new social class found its voice in the realm of politics. This quote is a voice of a new social order, that brought in a change of time. 3. Nelson Mandela I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal, which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die. Nelson Mandela was the David who took on the Goliath of the colonial rule. The African National Congress, under the leadership of Mandela, held various demonstrations, civil disobedience campaigns, and other forms of non-violent protests against apartheid. Nelson Mandela became the face of the anti-apartheid movement. He rallied the black community of South Africa to unite against the oppressive regime of a white government. And he had to pay a heavy price for his democratic views.   In April 1964, at the crowded courtroom of Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela faced trial for charges of terrorism, and sedition. On that historic day, Nelson Mandela made a speech to the audience gathered in the courtroom. This quote, which was the closing line of the speech, evoked a strong response from every corner of the world.   Mandela’s zealous speech had left the world tongue-tied. For once, Mandela had shaken the foundations of the apartheid government. Mandela’s words continue to inspire millions of oppressed people of South Africa to find a new lease of life. Mandela’s quote reverberates in political and social circles as a symbol of a new awakening. 4. Ronald Reagan Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall. Though this quote refers to the Berlin Wall that divided East Germany and West Germany, this quote makes a symbolic reference to the end of the Cold War.   When Reagan said this highly famous line in his speech at the Brandenburg Gate near the Berlin Wall on June 12, 1987, he made an earnest appeal to Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev in a bid to thaw the frost between the two nations: East Germany and West Germany. Gorbachev, leader of the Eastern block, on the other hand, was chalking out a path of reform for the Soviet Union through liberal measures such as perestroika. But East Germany, which was governed by the Soviet Union, was stifled with poor economic growth and restrictive freedom. Reagan, the 40th US President at that time was visiting West Berlin. His bold challenge did not see an immediate impact on the Berlin Wall. However, the tectonic plates of the political landscape were already shifting in Eastern Europe. 1989 was the year of historic significance. That year, many things came crumbling down, including the Berlin Wall. The Soviet Union, which was a powerful confederation of states, imploded to give birth to several newly independent nations. The Cold War that had threatened a worldwide nuclear arms race was finally over.   Mr. Reagans speech may not have been the immediate cause of the breakdown of the Berlin Wall. But many political analysts believe that his words stirred an awakening amongst East Berliners that eventually led to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Today, many nations have a political conflict with their neighboring countries, but rarely do we come across an event in history that is as significant as the fall of the Berlin Wall.