Essay about Shylock in The Merchant of Venice by William...

Shylock in The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice contains an array of interesting and complex characters. From the alternately generous and grasping Antonio to the alternately love stricken and exploitative Bassanio to the vulnerable and manipulative Portia, this play has an abundance of multi-layered personalities. However, one of the most intriguing characters is also the most oft-vilified and minimized in the work. This character, Shylock, is certainly just as compelling as any of the aforementioned—if not more so, because he acts as the catalyst for the majority of the interesting sections of the play (i.e. The flesh pact, the court scene etcetera). It is†¦show more content†¦To prove this dichotomy, we will examine Shylocks statements to Salarino in Act 3, scene 1, lines 49-67. It can be said that, in regards to Antonio, greed and petty revenge are all that interest Shylock. The lines preceding Shylocks statement consist of a question posed by Salarino. Essentially, â€Å"why take Antonios flesh?† Shylock responds with a predictably acerbic and inelegant answer: â€Å"To bait a fish withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge.† Here, Shylock shows himself the consummate villain. He has absolutely no use for Antonios flesh yet he demands it in a display of utmost sadism. He regards the mans flesh as nothing better than fish bait. He also admits that spiting Antonio will be the ultimate satisfaction; by saying that the flesh would feed his revenge, he likened his vengeance to the appetite of a creature—one that would consume the flesh the way a fish would consume bait...an extremely unsavory, yet telling, comparison. In lines 50 through 54, Shylock shares his motivations for seeking the death of Antonio (because, of course, removing pounds of flesh from any creature is bound to kill it): Antonio has â€Å"disgraced† and â€Å"hindered† Shylock (presumably from working his wiles on a would-be victim of his unfair lending practices), â€Å"laughed† at his financial losses, â€Å"mocked† his successes, â€Å"scorned† his people (the Jews),Show MoreRelatedShylock in The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare Essay1041 Words   |  5 PagesShylock in The Merchan t of Venice by William Shakespeare Shylock is certainly an interesting character made even more intriguing by Shakespeares portrayal of him. Much before the twentieth century, anti-Semitism was rife and The Merchant of Venice is a curious tale, as we are able to see how Jews were viewed in the late 1500s - especially as Shakespeares depiction was at odds with the accepted anti-Jewish prejudiced viewsRead MoreShylock as a Villian or Victim in The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare1510 Words   |  7 PagesShylock as a Villian or Victim in The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare The Merchant Of Venice is the story of Antonio, a merchant, borrowing money from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, in order to fund his best friend Bassanio’s romantic ambitions. Like the majority of the habitants of Venice, Antonio is Christian. At the time of the play, the sixteenth century, there was a huge abhorrence against those who were not Christian. 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Anti-Semitism was an intricate part in Shakespeares years. Jews were considered vile and scorned upon. Shakespeare presents Judaism as an unchangeable trait (Bloom 37). Shakespeare s age based their anti-SemitismRead MoreRacism And Prejudice By William Shakespeare s The Merchant Of Venice Essay1699 Words   |  7 Pagestheir religion and what they believe in, however there is racism and prejudice present in the world. William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is one of his most controversial plays. Written in the 16th century England, the play poses many questions concerning racial, religious and human differences due to anti-semitism being very common at the time. The story is set in Venice where a merchant named Antonio lived. His poor friend Bassanio wants to charm and marry a lovely, rich girl of BelmontRead MoreAnti-Semitism and Racism in the Merchant of Venice1019 Words   |  5 PagesAnti-Semitism and racism in The Merchant Of Venice. Anti-Semitism and the desecration of the Jewish population have been in existence for nearly five thousand years. In William Shakespeares â€Å"The Merchant of Venice†, we find that one of the characters is the subject and expression of anti-Semitic attitude that is persistent in Elizabethan society. William Shakespeares â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† contains many examples that insult Jewish heritage because they were the minority in London in ShakespeareanRead MoreMerchant Of Venice Critical Analysis Essay1001 Words   |  5 PagesThe Merchant Of Venice is structured partly on the contrast between idealistic and realistic opinions about society and relationships. The play tells us mercy is preferable to revenge. Shylock chose revenge over mercy against Antonio and how his choices affected him. The Court of Venice begging mercy of Shylock. Finally, Portia forgiving Bassanio for giving away his wedding band. Shakespeare characterised Shylock in such way that he highlights the inequalities of him, them being ungrateful, vengeful

Is Casino Gambling A Pastime - 1998 Words

Casino Gambling This day in age gambling has become a pastime that virtually everyone partakes in at least a few times in their lives. Nothing is quite as exhilarating as wasting some of your hard earned money to have a chance at winning big. This is the premise that many people believe and is partially why gambling and specifically casino gambling is so popular. The topic that I chose to do this sociological episode on is indeed casino gambling. The reason that I chose this topic is because of its ease of access due to my busy work schedule. Additionally, I was interested in finding the age, race, gender, and attitudes of the people around me while I did my observation. Casino gambling has been a pastime for many generations whether it was in the gambling houses of the olden days or the more modern casinos of today. The people who partake in gambling whether it is just some light slots or the more serious games such as poker have always sought to beat the odds and become winners in their own respect. With the information obtained from my observation and my reference article I will provide an overview of Gender Theory. Then, I will provide the data that I observed while conducting my observation. After this, I will provide a narrative about my experience and feelings while doing the observation itself. Lastly, an analysis will be provided based off all material as a whole. Theory There are many theories that could possibly work to explain casino gambling. For theShow MoreRelatedHow Gambling Has Become The Favorite Distraction Of Americans1179 Words   |  5 PagesGambling has become the favorite distraction of Americans and could very well be the world s oldest pastime with the dollars spent doubling since 2006 from $57 billion to $116.9 billion in 2016 (Pempus 1; Vacek 1; Finger 1) . 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American Society for Training Development A Closer Look Free Essays

Organizations exist for different purposes. There have been countless successful organizations but there were also equal numbers of unsuccessful ones. The American Society for Training Development (ASTD) is clearly a successful organization. We will write a custom essay sample on American Society for Training Development: A Closer Look or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is considered as the world’s largest association that is committed in workplace learning and performance professionals. Its members originate from different countries worldwide. ASTD is a committee organization which consists of a group of people who usually lead the whole organization. This type of organization, though it has a broad decision making, has a limited functional authority. The good thing on committee authority is that there is harmony between executives and co-workers. Even executives who have lesser experience can broaden their perspectives through active participation. Moreover, there is an assurance of continuity of committee functions. On the other hand, this type of organization is time consuming. Others also say that â€Å"committee is made up of the unfit selected by the unwilling to do the unnecessary. † There are also instances when the chairman is forced to make a decision when the committee members have difficulty arriving at a unified agreement. The responsibility is divided among the members and it seeks unanimous decisions. Committee organization is best used to represent interest groups, training, innovation and coordination of planning. The ASTD have the following services: they provide resources for the professionals, which are helpful for researches and publications. They also conduct conferences and expositions in different locations and facilitate the online communities. Aside from these, the ASTD offers programs and choices for careers. ASTD seeks to create a world that works better through exceptional learning and performance. They envision a world-wide leader in workplace learning and performance. Harrison says that leadership is really all about performance. In this case, wherein a 16-member team leads the members, the ASTD is spearheaded by designated leadership. The 16-member team takes responsibility for the whole members and drives them towards their goals. The designated leaders also think of how they will achieve these goals. One of the best things about what ASTD offers to its members is the wide array of resources from the marketplace that they can have access to. They have online environments where the members can gain access to resources such as articles, book summaries and reviews on topics ranging from management to trainings. Aside from these, there are also magazines, newsletters, research reports, Webpages and blogs. The organization also made way for the Training Fundamentals Community where the members can have access on different resources available and connect them to their peers who can help in developing training solutions for a particular organization. The ASTD also conduct conferences and expositions with world-renowned leaders as speakers. The members learn a lot of new things, whether theories or models, that they can adapt to their organization. This facilitates a better workplace learning and performance. The organization also offers exhibit and sponsorship opportunities for their training suppliers. It also offers many choices of certificates from education programs. ASTD also holds the Benchmarking Forum which offers opportunities to benchmark the practices and processes of the members. ASTD is clearly a place where a professional can be more professional. Their resources and programs will be the vehicle for an organization to achieve its success. Being a good leader or a professional means you follow principles that are good for the organization. You have to find ways on how to improve your skills and competencies. There will always be room for improvement to be able to lead the organization to that sweet success. REFERENCES http://www. astd. org/ASTD How to cite American Society for Training Development: A Closer Look, Papers