Critical Essay on Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice Critical Essay The Merchant of Venice is one of the best-known plays of William Shakespeare. Its genre is traditionally defined as a comedy, however, the tragedy of the key character gives the possibility to call it a drama. The plot of the play is not original. Shakespeare actually used an Italian short story by the unknown writer. Bassanio, a young Venetian of noble rank, wishes to marry Portia. He asks his friend Antonio for some money. Antonio agrees, but he is short of cash. He promises to cover a bond, so Bassanio turns to the Jewish moneylender Shylock. Shylock hates Antonio and proposes a condition for the loan: if Antonio is unable to repay it at the specified date, he may cut out a pound of Antonios flesh. Bassanio gets the money, wins the love of Portia and gets married. Unfortunately, Antonios ships are reported lost at sea, so he cannot satisfy the bond. Shylock has Antonio arrested and brought before court. However, Portia as a lawyer manages to protect Antonio and accuse Shylock of an attempt to kill a citizen of Venice. Shylock is made to convert to Christianity and give Antonio half of his wealth. Traditional for that time interpretation of the story about a bad Jew was changed by Shakespeare into a new type of the social conflict of global character, which is actually represented as one that cannot be solved historically. The author does not simply depicts the villain of a different faith, he makes the reader feel the two worlds of different religions and social and ethical systems – Christianity and Judaism. The key feature of the play which makes it up-to-date even now is that the author does not try to prove one system to be right and the other one wrong and does not try to find the perfect ethical point of view, he just investigates how the mechanisms of different moral and religious positions correlate in modern life.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass - 1118 Words

Frederick Douglass, born in in Maryland, was a former slave who successfully escapes from the South and becomes an abolitionist. In the book Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, he describes the horrid events of his life to convince the public that slavery is dehumanizing for three groups of people: slaves, slaveholders (including overseers) and free people. The most stunning and horrible dehumanizing effects of slavery apparently appear in the daily lives of slaves. They are kept in the darkness since their births. Unlike white children, children of slaves are deprived of the simple privilege of telling their ages. Also, in Maryland, it is a common custom to separate the slave children from their mothers, because slaveholders wish to keep their slaves ignorant. For the same reason, slaves are kept uneducated. When Mr. Auld realizes that his wife is teaching Douglass the alphabet and some small words, he orders her to stop immediately, because he says that education ruins slaves, and they will â€Å"become unmanageable, and of no value to his master† (Ch. â… ¥ ). Working conditions are unbearable for slaves. â€Å"It was never too hot or too cold; it could never rain, blow, hail, or snow, too hard for [them] to work in the field†(Ch.â… ©). In addition, slaves are not perceived as humans in the eyes of slaveholders, bu t rather as properties and animals. Under the valuation, they have to undergo a narrow examination. â€Å"There were horses and men, cattle and women, pigs andShow MoreRelatedNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass987 Words   |  4 PagesLife of Frederick In the â€Å"narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass an American slave written by himself† Frederick reveled to audience the time he was living as a slave and the moments of brutal treats for example psychological, emotional and physical abuses. He was suffering terrible moments during his 20 years as a slave in the twentieth century. In addition, he describes in his own words the strategies he used to escape from the slave holders and to be free. This story the â€Å"Narrative of theRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Essay1102 Words   |  5 PagesDate Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Writing in the favor of black people has always remained controversial from the very beginning. Critics regard such writing as â€Å"a highly conventionalized genre† indicating that â€Å"its status as literature was long disputed but the literary merits of its most famous example such as Frederick Douglass s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass†¦are widely recognized today.† (Ryan:537) Despite of such severe resistance, writers like Douglass have pennedRead MoreThe Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1566 Words   |  7 PagesThe â€Å"Narratives of the Life of Frederick Douglass† is the story of Frederick Douglass’ life from the time he was born into slavery, to the time he escaped to freedom in the north. When Douglass wrote this book, slavery was still legal in a large portion of the United States. After Douglass’ escape to freedom and his continuation of his education, he became an abolitionist through his works of literatu re and speeches. In â€Å"The Blessings of Slavery†, by George Fitzhugh he states that southern slavesRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1257 Words   |  6 PagesBook Review By Mary Elizabeth Ralls Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass: An autobiography written by Frederick Douglass Millennium publication, 1945edition 75 pages Frederick Douglass whose real name was Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey approximately birthdate is in1818, the month or day is not known, he died in 1895. He is one of the most famous advocates and the greatest leaders of anti-slavery in the past 200 or so years.Read MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Essay1498 Words   |  6 Pagessoutherners believed that one of the most essential means of life was slavery. In the novel, Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass challenges and debunks the idea of slavery being a necessary part of the white lifestyle; many pro-slavery arguments consisted of religion justifying slavery, slaves being â€Å"easily manipulated†/ignorant, and slavery keeping the southern economy from disappearing (The Proslavery Argument). Frederick uses personal experiences and other tactics to expose theRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1730 Words   |  7 PagesOne of the most well-known slavery narratives wa s lived and written by Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass was a civil rights activist who was born into slavery on a plantation in eastern Maryland in February 1818. His exact birth date is unknown, he states in his narrative, â€Å"I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it.†2 His birth name was Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, which was given by hisRead MoreThe Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1363 Words   |  6 Pages In The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass portrays the importance of education because of its influence in leveling the playing field between the races in the 1800s. Education and knowledge are themes that are heavily dwelled upon throughout the novel, inspiring the reader to see the full power of such important ideals and to take the full advantage of both at all times. Douglass gives the reader a new appreciat ion for education as he delivers his message regardingRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1255 Words   |  6 PagesFrederick Douglass, throughout Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, uses religion to get many of his points across. In one way, religion plays a huge role in Douglass’ ability to become literate throughout the text. With the Bible and other Christian texts, Douglass is able to further his ability and the ability of others to read. This becomes important because as Douglass points out the slaveholders believe a literate slave is not a good slave. This union of literacy and religion show theRead MoreThe Narrative Life Of Frederick Douglass1583 Words   |  7 Pages‘The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass’ is an autobiography of Frederick Douglass, the slave who escaped and became one of renowned social reformers of his time. The book is a collection of actual experiences of the author during his time in slavery and experienc es of fellow slaves. He describes brilliantly the oppressive conditions into which he was born, lived, as well as his struggles and triumphs. The author meant to make the reader comprehend life of the African Americans in slavery beforeRead MoreThe Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass939 Words   |  4 PagesRevolutionary Freedom In 1845, an African-American man named Frederick Douglass released a thought-provoking autobiography that would become a turning point in revolutionary change. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass was the first autobiography Douglass had written focusing on the real life struggles he has faced during his time spent in bondage. During his time, it was not common for an African-American to have the skills to read and write, and it was especially uncommon to publish

“A Good Man is hard to find” by Flannery O’Connor Free Essays

The short story named â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† was written by Flannery O’Connor. In this story the main character was the grandmother. The beauty of the story is that O’Connor lets the reader find out who the grandmother is by her reactions and conversations to the other characters in the story. We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"A Good Man is hard to find† by Flannery O’Connor or any similar topic only for you Order Now This paper will analyze the role of grandmother in the story and what she wanted from her life. The most important personality in this short story is the grand mother, because she plays a vital role in the story’s key action. The little old lady has a leading role in this part. Her direct conversation with her grandchildren, June Star and John Wesley, her son, Bailey, and the Misfit killer teaches us more about the nature and personality of the grand mother. These conversations also tell us that the lady belongs to a prosperous family having traditional background. In the story, we observe her attitude changing several times according to the situation she was dealing with. The action begins when the grand mother said that she would go to east Tennessee and would try to change to the Bailey’s mind and she doesn’t want to go to Florida. Subsequently in the story, when they began their trip to Florida, the grand mother was observed talking the whole time. She told the stories and events of her youth to her grandchildren and instructs them about being more respectful to their parents and to their native state. Though the grandmother is the central character it was her mistake that the trip ended in the overwhelming way that it did. Unintentionally, she led her entire family to their destiny. She is even more to blame for the killings because of what she conveyed on the journey with her. If there had been no feline, there would have not been an accident. If the misfortune would not have occurred, the family had an exceedingly good possibility to endure their vacation. There are numerous things that occur in the article that devotes more data about the grandmother. The book reader can notify that the woman is paranoid by her dialogues at the start of this story. She reads about the Misfit murdered and supposes it would be unsafe to journey to Florida with a man like that on the loose. She is furthermore a lonesome individual because she sneaks her feline, Pity Sing, along for the ride. The scribe states that the woman did not desire to depart the feline because â€Å"it would overlook her too much or would wipe contrary to a burner and asphyxiate itself† (O’Connor, 267). I accept as factual that the feline was the only thing that displayed her love and attention. Her only child had a family of his own, her grandchildren were older now, and she sensed like she was not significant to them anymore, and the children’s mother was engaged with the baby. By conveying the feline, she sensed like she would not be lonely. The book reader can furthermore notify that the woman is exceedingly prejudiced. She mentions to the very dark progeny as a â€Å"cute little pick ninny† (O’Connor, 268) and a nigger. You can furthermore notify many about the vintage woman by what she is wearing. In the vehicle, she wears white hand-coverings, a boat crew head covering, and a navy azure dress. She states that the famous apparel is damaged in order that if any thing occurs, â€Å"the persons that find her body will understand that she was a lady† (O’Connor, 267). I believe she was dressed in this outfit in order that she could believe she was certain thing she was not. It is apparently glimpsed that in her youth, she dwelled in prosperity. She had everything from youthfulness to cash and to love. Now, she nearly feared life because her attractiveness and youthfulness were gone. She would converse about her past because it would take her away from the misery of the present. One of the most significant scenes in the article takes location in the vehicle. The grandmother locations a vintage family graveyard that one time belonged to a plantation. She notifies the young children that the graves were a vintage family entombing ground. Her grandson inquires where the plantation went, and she states that the plantation is â€Å"Gone with the Wind† (O’Connor, 268). This declaration has more significance than just a casual remark. I accept as factual that it is another way that the grandmother expresses her remorse to her present situation. Although she may be mentioning to the video, she furthermore is mentioning to her life. It has unraveled and now she conceives it is lost. The most activity in the article takes location when the grandmother encounters the antagonist. The family gets into a misfortune when the grandmother’s feline startles Bailey. After the wreck, they glimpsed a vehicle close to from the distance. The three men get out of the vehicle and the grandmother identifies one of them from somewhere. At this issue in time, it is her obvious error for rotating down the desolate street, and her feline initiated Bailey to wreck the car. She shortly makes another mistake. She identifies the third man as the Misfit killer. This adds the eventual condemn of the whole family. The got away convicts might have let them proceed if she would not have made that declaration, whereas that is just speculation. After this, the grandmother directly endeavored to defend herself. She did not even beg for the inhabits of her only child and her grandson. They were taken out into the woods and shot. The article gets exceedingly intriguing at this issue because the grandmother begins mentioning to Jesus. She endeavors to assure the murdered that he arrives from good blood. This is a quotation to her youth one time again. In her days, persons that were increased well in good families did not consign heinous misdeeds like murder. She could not accept as factual that this man was adept of murdering her. In the end, after her whole family was slain, she recognized that her time was up. She made a last despairing try to save her life and finally failed. The Misfit murdered shot her three times. The murdered then states, â€Å"she would have been a good woman if there had been somebody to fire her every minute of her life† (O’Connor, 278). This declaration directs me to accept as factual that he knew what kind of woman that she was. How to cite â€Å"A Good Man is hard to find† by Flannery O’Connor, Papers

Parody Essay Example For Students

Parody Essay Scratchy Wilson does not fit the stereotypic persona of a traditional western outlaw. In fact, he is the opposite of everything that an outlaw is. This is shown in the second section of the story. The men in the Weary Gentleman saloon act fearful when they hear that Scratchy Wilson is drunk. The bartender locks and barred the door and closes the windows. However, the men in the bar are not afraid of Scratchy killing them. They just do not want him hanging around with them when he is drunk. This is the opposite of what the audience sees and reads in most traditions western movies and novels. In most novels and movies, the men in the saloons do not hide from the bad guy. Certainly, they do not make fun of him nor do they think of him as a nuisance.In addition, Scratchy is shown as the opposite of an outlaw in the first paragraph of the third second. Scratchy is wearing a maroon-colored flannel shirt, which had been purchased for purposes of decoration, and made principally by some Jewish women on the East Side of New York (215). First, an outlaw would not wear a red flannel shirt. Most outlaws usually wore off-white, solid-color shirts. Second, most outlaws would have not purchase the shirt; they would have stolen it. Lastly, if an outlaw had bought a shirt, it would not come from the East Side of New York. Additionally, a real outlaw boots would not have red tops with gilded imprints just like the type that little boys in New England had. Further, more, a real outlaw would not have shot at a dog or shot at one of his friends windows. In that scene, Scratchy is more like a little kid with a BB gun rather than an outlaw with a real gun. Finally, in the last part of the fourth section is the most pervasive example. A real outlaw would not have taken a second thought when he has an opportunity to kill his ancient antagonist (216) or a woman. Outlaws such as Jesse James, Harvey Logan, and William Bloody Bill Anderson killed unarmed men, women and children. Scratchy does not behave like these traditional outlaws. Bibliography: