论文.docx

1、论文.Introduction William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon in April, 1564. He was the third of eight children. As the son of a prominent family, William doubtless attended the town grammar school, which prepared the sons pf the local burghers for entry to a university. In 1582 at the age of e

2、ighteen, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior, and six months later their daughter Susanna was born. In 1585 twins were born to the couple, a boy and a girl, named Hamlet and Judith. By this year John Shakespeare was in less comfortable financial circumstances, and about the sam

3、e time William Shakespeare left Stratford to seek his fortune. Leave his family behind. Shakespeares earliest plays written before 1594, are rather conventional works of comedy, melodrama, and history (including Comedy of Errors, Titles Andronicus, and Henry ). By 1594 his plays more clearly show th

4、e stature of his genius, Among these plays of his early middle years are the comedies A Midsummer Nights Dream and The Merchant of Venice ; the tragedy Romeo and Juliet ; and the histories, Richard , Henry in two parts, and Henry . During the period from 1599 to 1606, he wrote the great tragedies, H

5、amlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. Concurrently, he wrote the “dark” or “problem” comedies, Alls Well that Ends Well, Troilus and Cressida, and Measure for Measure. Finally, between 1608 and 1611, he wrote the romantic comedies, Cymbeline, The Winters tale, and The Tempest.During the Jews four-

6、 hundred years absence from England, legends from the continent helped to perpetuate English stereotypes of the Jews. It had become conventional in Europe to attribute unexplained deaths, plagues, and other disasters to Jewish hatred for Christians and their desire for revenge against their persecut

7、ors. The two intertwining stories of the play were familiar to Shakespeare from the existing body of European literature. Tales about usurers were fairly common, and the theme of the pound-of-flesh has ancient analogues in religious tales of Persia and Italian sources. Thus we see that the main elem

8、ents of The Merchant of Venice are to be found in earlier sources: the usurious Jew, the pound-of-flesh contract , and the wooer who must choose among three caskets. What is to extraordinary about this play, however, is the way in which Shakespeare manages to combine the various themes into a tightl

9、y unified and highly poetic whole. The characters of Bassano, Antonio, Jessica, Lorenzo, Gratiano, and particularly Portia and Shylock, are far more interesting and complex than predecessors.Shylock, the Jewish moneylender, is one of the most interesting and one of the most controversial of Shakespe

10、ares characters. discussion of the merchant of Venice generally centers around Shylock, and yet the play was not called the Jew of Venice (a title giving to it in 1701), Shylock is not onstage most of the time ,and does not appear at all in the final act, why then do we feel that he is the center of

11、 the play ? The answer is that Shylock is given the most passionate, most passionate, most memorable speeches and actions in the play, and his character is etched in bold strokes across its entire surface, leaving an indelible mark on the words and actions of all the other players. He is a believabl

12、e human being as well as an outrageous villain and comic butt, and has become all things to all men. A clever JewHis head is full of calculation, and he is a smart businessman.Because of the need of occupation, not only he takes good care of his property, to potential customers, even Antonio as well

13、.2.1 set Antonio a trap .Shylock considers Bassanios request with slow deliberation, repeating everything that Bassanio says as if stalling for time to weigh the pros and cons within himself. when he talked about Antonio with Bassanio , he said： My meaing is saying he is a good man ,is to have you u

14、nderstand me ,that he is sufficient ,Yet his means are in supposition: he hath an argosy bound to Tripolis , another to the Indies: I understand ,moreover ,upon the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England ,and other ventures he hath ,squandered abroad, but ships are but boards ,sailo

15、rs but men : there be land-rats and water-thieves and land thieves . I mean pirates; and then there is the peril of waters ,winds ,and rocks ,The man is ,notwithstanding, sufficient ,Three thousand ducats ; I think I may take his bond.( Shakespeare,1996:11; ACT SCENE )Shylock evidently keeps abreast

16、 of the business affairs of the principal merchants of Venice, for he already knows how many ships Antonio has at sea and what their destinations are. He is wary and pragmatic. When Antanio borrow 3000 from Shylock, He pour out his grievances.，when Antanio is angry, he says to him with a greasy smil

17、e： Why, look you how you storm! I would be friends with you, and have your love, forget the shames that you have staind me with , supply your present wants and take no doits of usance for my moneys, and you will not hear me: this is kind I offer. this kindness will I show. Go with me to a notary, se

18、al me there. your single bond; and, in a merry sport , if you repay me not on such a day , in such a place, such sum or sums as are Expressed in the condition ,let the forfeit. Be nominated for an equal pound of your fair flesh ,to be cut off and taken .In what part of your body pleaseth me. （Shakes

19、peare,1996:15; ACT SCENE ）He already had ready plans to meet a situation, waiting for such a chance for revenge for a long time. He hides dangers, and just takes attitude with careful consideration in his business. first let Bassanio into trap, and then gang up against on Antanio who stress friendsh

20、ip dignity and go to the wall. Bassanio think it is very dangerous, He will rather live in poverty than Antonio sign the contract. when the plan is failed, Shylock swears： O father Abram, what these Christians are. Whose own hard dealings teachers them suspect the thought of others! Pray you, tell m

21、e this if he should break his day, what should I gain. by the exaction of the forfeiture? A pound of mans flesh taken forms a man .is not so estimable, profitable neither, as flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I say ,to buy his favor, I extend this friendship: if he will take it ,so; if not ,adieu;

22、and ,for my love ,I pray you wrong not .（Shakespeare,1996:15; ACT SCENE ）In this way, Antonio is laid into a trap and signed the contract, even thought that Shylocks heart really become much well. Shylock plans to revenge against Antonio if he can “catch him one upon the hip,” that is, if he can get

23、 him at his mercy, and he swears by his tribe that he will not forgive Antonio for denouncing him to the merchants of Venice. Shylock also promises to “feel fat the ancient grudge,” suggesting for the first of many times in this play, the disgusting connotation of cannibalism.2.2 Answering questions

24、 cleverly Shylock is a person who tried to protect his right and region dignity with his wisdom. At the court, when most of people asked him to be merciful, he used his own words to debate them wittily. Such as” I am not bound to please thee with my answers, wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee tw

25、ice?” “ If you deny it ,let the danger light upon your charter and your citys freedom”He also set up some examples about the aristocrats treatment to the slaves to express his unfair treatment. As a matter of fact, Shylock is some kind of a brave Jew who wants to gain his own respect and normal life

26、.When Salario met him in the streets of Venice, told Shylock not to cut the flesh of Antonio, he speaks in excitement: To bait withal : if it will feed nothing else , it feed my revenge .He hath disgraced me ,and hindered me half a million : laughed at my losses ,mocked my gains. scorned my nation,

27、thwarted my bargains ,cooled my friends ,heated mine enemies; (Shakespeare,1996:42; ACT SCENE )Shylock used a series of parallelism, to satirize Antonios faults. This makes him dumb. The Duke once again asked Shylock to have compassion and forgiveness of Antonio, Shylocks answer is： I have possessd

28、your Grace of what I purpose ; And by your holy Sabbath have I sworn to have the due and forfeit of my bond : if you deny it ,let the danger light , Upon your character and your citys freedom. (Shakespeare,1996:64; ACT SCENE ) A friend of Antonio Gratiano who is in bad temper, always make impertinen

29、t remarks on Shylock ,he reproves： O, be thou damnd ,inexecrable dog! And for thy life let justice be accused. Thou almost makest me waver in my faith , To hold opinion with Pythagoras ,That souls of animals infuse themselves . Into the trunks of men ; thy currish spirits .Governd a wolf , who hangd

30、 for human slaughter , Even form the gallows did his fell soul fleet , And , whilst thou layst in thy unhallowd dam , Infused itself in thee ; for my desires .Are wolvish ,bloody, starved and ravenous.（Shakespeare,1996:67; ACTSCENE）It is hard not to let Shylock back, he uses a few words had shown hi

31、s indifferent attitude “Till thou canst rail the seal form off my bond, Thou but offendst thy lungs to speak so loud; Repair thy wit, good youth, or it will fall. To cureless ruin. I stand here for law. ”(Shakespeare,1996:67;) When the Duke once again warned him to have a heart of compassion, later

32、will have mercy on his people. He immediately countered “What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong?” (Shakespeare,1996:65;) He asked the Duke with overbearing tone “If you deny me, fie upon your law! I stand for judgment: answers: shall I have it ?” (Shakespeare,1996:66;) Shylock asks the justice,

33、 and reminds the Duke, if the city does not maintain the dignity of law, Venices prosperity can be damaged. So, because of the Shylock ,all people are asked rendered speechless， Even, Baocia with wise and kindhearted and a ready tongue finally also have to resort legal provisions for contract loopho