The purpose of this study was to discuss the concept of justice in Shakespeare’s plays: The Merchant of Venice and Measure for Measure. The justice of Shakespearean courts and its effects on society are the focal points.
The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, does not fit the conventional definitions of a tragedy or a comedy. It is categorized as a comedy, although one of the two distinct plotlines is a tragedy. This play is multifaceted and is really a combination of two plays in one.
This paper approaches this question by looking at how different modern criticism of the late 20th century perceives certain themes in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and Measure for Measure.
Mainly, the paper will show how a Christian virtue of mercy is perverted. The play The Merchant of Venice is a criticism of the hypocritical betrayal of Christianity’s original concepts. The original ideas have been betrayed.
Respectfully, I disagree; though this small classroom account sheds light on the declining presence of The Merchant of Venice in today’s high school curriculum, it is literature that provides a ripe place to hold discussion on issues of racial tension, bias, and other topics potentially deemed controversial, and it is this play specifically that holds many truths for students in urban environments.
Among all Shakespeare‟s female characters, Portia has often been deemed as the most idealized protagonist,attributable to her various merits, inclusive of beauty, intelligence, wealth, rank, kindness, etc. Some of hersuitors even praise her as “perfect” as she is thought to be.