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

1、An Analysis of the Characters in the Merchant of VeniceAn Analysis of the Characters in the Merchant of VeniceAbstractAs we known that the merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeares most important works. It is a comedy. The theme of this play is to extol kindheartedness, friendship and love. And also

2、 it reflects the conflicts between the capitalists and usurers at the beginning of the capitalist society. And it expresses the authors humanist idea on money, law and religion in capitalist society. This thesis analyzes the main figures in the play by using independent and contrast ways. It shows t

3、he heavily flavor of humanism at the beginning of capitalist society; and expresses some thoughts for society and human being. The thesis also makes a hard criticism to Shylock, who is a representative of feudalism, and puts a heavy humanism on Portia. It displays the thoughts of feudalism personali

4、ty liberation, and stressing the great breakthrough of womans status and feminine consciousness in Elizabethan era. Key WordsCharacter analyzing; humanism; personality liberation; women consciousness 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

5、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IntroductionThe Merchant of Venice is one of the Shakespeares famous comedies in his ear

6、ly time. Its theme is to extol kindness, friendship and love. It is the mirror of the contradiction between business bourgeois and usurer at the beginning of the Capitalist society. Its also expressed the authors humanism ideas on money, law and religion in this society. There, we mention Humanism-t

7、he main distinguishing feature of that period, also the brightness characteristic which is shown from the important role in this play.In this thesis, the author introduces the background of the play firstly. Reading the play, we can know that the social background in the play is according with the r

8、eal society. We know at that time, the society was under the leadership of Elizabeth who was the symbol of power in England. Next the thesis gives an introduction of the main figures in the play. Antonio is rich and kindhearted. From him we can see the spirit of humanism. Portia plays the most impor

9、tant part in the play. The thesis talks about her character, her hobbies, and her attitude of love and the inner meaning-humanism of this figure. She is the center of all these figures the play refers to. Humanism is an ideological weapon for capitalism to fight the feudalism combat, and also it is

10、the core idea of capitalism advanced-literature in Renaissance, and its combat refers to the ideal of Feudalism in Middle Age, especially the religion belief of Catholics. After that, the thesis gives more details about the information mentioned above. Then the thesis compares the figures to give a

11、highlight of the humanism spirit. . Social Background of the Play the Merchant of VeniceAs is known, England is a developed country. Today, it also obtains very important status in the world. It is very necessary to talk about the history of the growth of capitalism in England, especially in 16th ce

12、ntury.A. The Social Information in Elizabeth ThroneHenry VIII died in 1547 and his nine-year-old son succeeded him. The son was known in history, Edward . The boy-kings reign was a time of extreme Protestantism, for the Regency Council for him consisted almost entirely of the protestant faction. Edw

13、ard died in 1553. only 15years old. Then his half-sister, Mary, a Catholic, became Queen. The new Queen came to the throne at the age of twenty-five. After the coronation, her parliament passed the necessary legislation to abolish the papal supremacy over the church, and gave Elizabeth all the power

14、s over the church which her father had held, though with the more modest title of “Supreme Government” of the Church of England instead of “Supreme Head” Elizabeth died on 24 March, 1603 at the age of sixty-nine. Her forty-four-year reign had not only ensured the triumph of Protestantism in Britain

15、and in Northern Europe, but had greatly increased the wealth, power and prestige of England. Her navy triumphed over the great Armada of the king of Spain; her sailors circum navigated the world, and established a colony on the North American continent which they named Virginia after their virgin qu

16、een. At home, the merchants were prosperous; the common people enjoyed a higher standard of living than in most other European countries, and her reign was also full of achievements in literature and other arts. After all, Elizabeth was one of the most successful despots to govern England in English

17、 history. (李超, 邓兴义:34-37)B. Special Social Background Reflecting in the Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of Venice is one of the famous comedy plays written by Shakespeare in his early time. The theme of this play is to extol kindness, friendship and love. It is the mirror of the contradiction between

18、 business bourgeois and usurer at the beginning of capitalist society. Its also expressed the authors humanism ideas on money, law and religion in this society. There, we mention Humanism-the main distinguishing feature of that period, also the brightness characteristic which is shown from the impor

19、tant roles in this play. But, what is “humanism”? Humanism is the ideological weapon of bourgeois to fight feudalism at Renaissance, is also the core idea of the bourgeois advanced-literature in this time. Be directed against the world outlook of Medieval feudalism is the spearhead of struggle, espe

20、cially the religion belief of Catholicism. Church refers to God as the centre of cosmos. At the heart of the Renaissance philosophy is the assertion of the greatness of man. And the elements of Humanism are to establish the central status of human, their dignity and value, to advocate the spirit of

21、rationalism and science and to protest the supreme role of God admired in Middle Ages.Shakespeare was a man of the late Renaissance who gave the fullest expression to humanist ideas. The Merchant of Venice is one of the important works which finished in the First Flowering period of English Literatu

22、re. In this play, heroes and heroines fight for their own ideas and mould their own life according to their own free will and bring us into happy and ideal world with singing, dancing, harmony with nature and freedom from the vices of the world. Analyzing the Heroes in the PlayIn this play, Shakespe

23、are portrays many roles. The proportion that male figures taking is much more notable than females. So, its necessary to narrate and display their nature character and symbol.A. AntonioAlthough the plays title refers to him, Antonio is a rather lackluster character. He emerges in Act, sceneas a hope

24、less depressive, someone who cannot name the source of his melancholy and who, throughout the course of the play, devolves into a self-pitying lump, unable to muster the energy required to defend himself against execution. Antonio never names the cause of his melancholy, but the evidence seems to po

25、int to his being in love, and the most likely object of his affection is Bassanio. Antonio has risked the entirety of his fortune on oversea trading ventures, yet he agrees to guarantee the potentially lethal loan Bassanio secures from Shylock. He is willing to offer up a pound of flesh, signifying

26、a union that grotesquely alludes to the rite of marriage, where two partners become “one flesh”. Further evidence of the nature of Antonios feelings for Bassanio appears later in the play, when Antonios proclamations resonate with the hyperbole and self-satisfaction of a doomed lovers declaration: “

27、pray God Bassanio come/ To see me pay his debt, and then I care not” (Act , Scene III, 35-36) without a mate, he is indeed the “tainted wether”or castrated ramof the flock, and he will likely return to his favorite pastime of moping about the streets of Venice (Act , Scene I, 113). After all, he has

28、 effectively disabled himself from pursuing hid hobbyabusing Shylockby insisting that the Jew convert to Christianity. Although a 16th century audience might have seen this demand as merciful, as Shylock is saving himself from eternal damnation by converting, we are less likely to be convinced. Not

29、only does Antonios reputation as an anti-Semite precede him, but the only instance in the play when he breaks out of his doldrums in his “storm” against Shylock(Act, Scene III, 132). In this play, Antonio proves his character is melancholy, cruelty and some seldom sayinghomosexual.B. BassanioIt is s

30、aid Middle Ages is the most deathly stillness period in Europe. It also can be seemed its the time that west Europes culture and literature go to grave. As to the pillar of spirit, there is nothing except a total series of religious doctrine. In this environment, people used compliment and boast wor

31、ds to exchange their minds and thoughts. In that society, everyone remain under artificial mask wandered in different kinds of occasion. An absolutely undisguised money relationship makes the true human nature into ash during the masks scraped each other. Bassanio, a noble who is neatly dressed, who

32、se speech and deportment is natural and graceful, gradually becomes a declining aristocrat by spending without restraint. He is a handsome and intelligent young man. But living in such a society, what his every days schedule is to squander money on different meeting and use blandishment speech to talk with other aristocrat. His property is limitation. Once he runs behind his expenses, he will ask his best friendthe wealth merchant in VeniceAntonio for money. From the context, it seems he never returned what he borrowed. To be such a man who wants of lofty aspiration. Maybe the best met