An Analysis of the Characters in the Merchant of Venice.docx

An Analysis of the Characters in the Merchant of Venice.docx

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AnAnalysisoftheCharactersintheMerchantofVenice

AnAnalysisoftheCharactersintheMerchantofVenice

Abstract

AsweknownthatthemerchantofVeniceisoneofShakespeare’smostimportantworks.Itisacomedy.Thethemeofthisplayistoextolkindheartedness,friendshipandlove.Andalsoitreflectstheconflictsbetweenthecapitalistsandusurersatthebeginningofthecapitalistsociety.Anditexpressestheauthor’shumanistideaonmoney,lawandreligionincapitalistsociety.Thisthesisanalyzesthemainfiguresintheplaybyusingindependentandcontrastways.Itshowstheheavilyflavorofhumanismatthebeginningofcapitalistsociety;andexpressessomethoughtsforsocietyandhumanbeing.ThethesisalsomakesahardcriticismtoShylock,whoisarepresentativeoffeudalism,andputsaheavyhumanismonPortia.Itdisplaysthethoughtsoffeudalismpersonalityliberation,andstressingthegreatbreakthroughofwoman’sstatusandfeminineconsciousnessinElizabethanera.

KeyWords

Characteranalyzing;humanism;personalityliberation;womenconsciousness

摘　要

众所周知，《威尼斯商人》是莎士比亚著名喜剧之一。

该剧的主题被定义为对善良、友谊和爱情的颂扬。

本剧不但反映了资本主义早期资产阶级同高利贷者间的矛盾冲突，也揭示了作者对资本主义社会金钱、法律和宗教信仰的人文主义观点。

本论文采用了个案分析法以及对比分析法对该剧的主要人物形象作了一一剖析，展示了资本主义萌芽时期人文主义的浓厚气息，表达了莎士比亚对社会、对人类生活的反思，并寄以自己的理想。

课题对封建旧势力的代表——夏洛克作了无情的批判，而对形象鲜明、富有光彩的鲍西娅则添上了浓厚的人文主义理想色彩。

文章彰显了女性个性解放，突显了文艺复兴时期伊丽莎白当权期，女性地位、意识的重大突破。

关键词

人物分析；人文主义思想；个性解放；女性意识

Introduction

TheMerchantofVeniceisoneoftheShakespeare’sfamouscomediesinhisearlytime.It’sthemeistoextolkindness,friendshipandlove.ItisthemirrorofthecontradictionbetweenbusinessbourgeoisandusureratthebeginningoftheCapitalistsociety.It’salsoexpressedtheauthor’shumanismideasonmoney,lawandreligioninthissociety.There,wementionHumanism--themaindistinguishingfeatureofthatperiod,alsothebrightnesscharacteristicwhichisshownfromtheimportantroleinthisplay.

Inthisthesis,theauthorintroducesthebackgroundoftheplayfirstly.Readingtheplay,wecanknowthatthesocialbackgroundintheplayisaccordingwiththerealsociety.Weknowatthattime,thesocietywasundertheleadershipofElizabethwhowasthesymbolofpowerinEngland.Nextthethesisgivesanintroductionofthemainfiguresintheplay.Antonioisrichandkindhearted.Fromhimwecanseethespiritofhumanism.Portiaplaysthemostimportantpartintheplay.Thethesistalksabouthercharacter,herhobbies,andherattitudeofloveandtheinnermeaning-humanismofthisfigure.Sheisthecenterofallthesefigurestheplayrefersto.Humanismisanideologicalweaponforcapitalismtofightthefeudalismcombat,andalsoitisthecoreideaofcapitalismadvanced-literatureinRenaissance,anditscombatreferstotheidealofFeudalisminMiddleAge,especiallythereligionbeliefofCatholics.Afterthat,thethesisgivesmoredetailsabouttheinformationmentionedabove.Thenthethesiscomparesthefigurestogiveahighlightofthehumanismspirit.

Ⅰ.SocialBackgroundofthePlaytheMerchantofVenice

Asisknown,Englandisadevelopedcountry.Today,italsoobtainsveryimportantstatusintheworld.ItisverynecessarytotalkaboutthehistoryofthegrowthofcapitalisminEngland,especiallyin16thcentury.

A.TheSocialInformationinElizabethThrone

HenryVIIIdiedin1547andhisnine-year-oldsonsucceededhim.Thesonwasknowninhistory,EdwardⅥ.Theboy-king’sreignwasatimeofextremeProtestantism,fortheRegencyCouncilforhimconsistedalmostentirelyoftheprotestantfaction.EdwardⅥdiedin1553.only15yearsold.Thenhishalf-sister,Mary,aCatholic,becameQueen.ThenewQueencametothethroneattheageoftwenty-five.Afterthecoronation,herparliamentpassedthenecessarylegislationtoabolishthepapalsupremacyoverthechurch,andgaveElizabethallthepowersoverthechurchwhichherfatherhadheld,thoughwiththemoremodesttitleof“SupremeGovernment”oftheChurchofEnglandinsteadof“SupremeHead”Elizabethdiedon24March,1603attheageofsixty-nine.Herforty-four-yearreignhadnotonlyensuredthetriumphofProtestantisminBritainandinNorthernEurope,buthadgreatlyincreasedthewealth,powerandprestigeofEngland.HernavytriumphedoverthegreatArmadaofthekingofSpain;hersailors’circumnavigatedtheworld,andestablishedacolonyontheNorthAmericancontinentwhichtheynamedVirginiaaftertheirvirginqueen.Athome,themerchantswereprosperous;thecommonpeopleenjoyedahigherstandardoflivingthaninmostotherEuropeancountries,andherreignwasalsofullofachievementsinliteratureandotherarts.Afterall,ElizabethⅠwasoneofthemostsuccessfuldespotstogovernEnglandinEnglishhistory.①（李超,邓兴义:

34-37）

B.SpecialSocialBackgroundReflectingintheMerchantofVenice

TheMerchantofVeniceisoneofthefamouscomedyplayswrittenbyShakespeareinhisearlytime.Thethemeofthisplayistoextolkindness,friendshipandlove.Itisthemirrorofthecontradictionbetweenbusinessbourgeoisandusureratthebeginningofcapitalistsociety.It’salsoexpressedtheauthor’shumanismideasonmoney,lawandreligioninthissociety.There,wementionHumanism--themaindistinguishingfeatureofthatperiod,alsothebrightnesscharacteristicwhichisshownfromtheimportantrolesinthisplay.But,whatis“humanism”?

HumanismistheideologicalweaponofbourgeoistofightfeudalismatRenaissance,isalsothecoreideaofthebourgeois’advanced-literatureinthistime.BedirectedagainsttheworldoutlookofMedievalfeudalismisthespearheadofstruggle,especiallythereligionbeliefofCatholicism.ChurchreferstoGodasthecentreofcosmos.AttheheartoftheRenaissancephilosophyistheassertionofthegreatnessofman.AndtheelementsofHumanismaretoestablishthecentralstatusofhuman,theirdignityandvalue,toadvocatethespiritofrationalismandscienceandtoprotestthesupremeroleofGodadmiredinMiddleAges.

ShakespearewasamanofthelateRenaissancewhogavethefullestexpressiontohumanistideas.TheMerchantofVeniceisoneoftheimportantworkswhichfinishedintheFirstFloweringperiodofEnglishLiterature.Inthisplay,heroesandheroinesfightfortheirownideasandmouldtheirownlifeaccordingtotheirownfreewillandbringusintohappyandidealworldwithsinging,dancing,harmonywithnatureandfreedomfromthevicesoftheworld.

Ⅱ.AnalyzingtheHeroesinthePlay

Inthisplay,Shakespeareportraysmanyroles.Theproportionthatmalefigurestakingismuchmorenotablethanfemale’s.So,it'snecessarytonarrateanddisplaytheirnaturecharacterandsymbol.

A.Antonio

Althoughtheplay’stitlereferstohim,Antonioisaratherlacklustercharacter.HeemergesinActⅠ,sceneⅠasahopelessdepressive,someonewhocannotnamethesourceofhismelancholyandwho,throughoutthecourseoftheplay,devolvesintoaself-pityinglump,unabletomustertheenergyrequiredtodefendhimselfagainstexecution.Antonionevernamesthecauseofhismelancholy,buttheevidenceseemstopointtohisbeinginlove,andthemostlikelyobjectofhisaffectionisBassanio.

Antoniohasriskedtheentiretyofhisfortuneonoverseatradingventures,yetheagreestoguaranteethepotentiallylethalloanBassaniosecuresfromShylock.Heiswillingtoofferupapoundofflesh,signifyingaunionthatgrotesquelyalludestotheriteofmarriage,wheretwopartnersbecome“oneflesh”.FurtherevidenceofthenatureofAntonio’sfeelingsforBassanioappearslaterintheplay,whenAntonio’sproclamationsresonatewiththehyperboleandself-satisfactionofadoomedlover’sdeclaration:

“prayGodBassaniocome/Toseemepayhisdebt,andthenIcarenot”②（ActⅢ,SceneIII,35-36）withoutamate,heisindeedthe“taintedwether”—orcastratedram—oftheflock,andhewilllikelyreturntohisfavoritepastimeofmopingaboutthestreetsofVenice②（ActⅣ,SceneI,113）.Afterall,hehaseffectivelydisabledhimselffrompursuinghidhobby—abusingShylock—byinsistingthattheJewconverttoChristianity.Althougha16thcenturyaudiencemighthaveseenthisdemandasmerciful,asShylockissavinghimselffrometernaldamnationbyconverting,wearelesslikelytobeconvinced.NotonlydoesAntonio’sreputationasananti-Semiteprecedehim,buttheonlyinstanceintheplaywhenhebreaksoutofhisdoldrumsinhis“storm”againstShylock②（ActⅠ,SceneIII,132）.Inthisplay,Antonioproveshischaracterismelancholy,crueltyandsomeseldomsaying—homosexual.

B.Bassanio

ItissaidMiddleAgesisthemostdeathlystillnessperiodinEurope.Italsocanbeseemedit’sthetimethatwestEurope’scultureandliteraturegotograve.Astothepillarofspirit,thereisnothingexceptatotalseriesofreligiousdoctrine.Inthisenvironment,peopleusedcomplimentandboastwordstoexchangetheirmindsandthoughts.Inthatsociety,everyoneremainunderartificialmaskwanderedindifferentkindsofoccasion.Anabsolutelyundisguisedmoneyrelationshipmakesthetruehumannatureintoashduringthemasksscrapedeachother.Bassanio,anoblewhoisneatlydressed,whosespeechanddeportmentisnaturalandgraceful,graduallybecomesadecliningaristocratbyspendingwithoutrestraint.Heisahandsomeandintelligentyoungman.Butlivinginsuchasociety,whathiseveryday’sscheduleistosquandermoneyondifferentmeetinganduseblandishmentspeechtotalkwithotheraristocrat.Hispropertyislimitation.Onceherunsbehindhisexpenses,hewillaskhisbestfriend—thewealthmerchantinVenice—Antonioformoney.Fromthecontext,itseemsheneverreturnedwhatheborrowed.Tobesuchamanwhowantsofloftyaspiration.Maybethebestmet