Rings in Merchant of Venice

In an exchange between Portia and Bassanio, both characters use repetition and varying emphasis to express how they feel about Bassanio giving away the ring Portia gave to him. In this scene, Bassanio tries to explain to Portia that he gave the ring away for a good cause. He uses parallel sentence structure to add emphasis to his words and he makes it clear that he thinks he is in the right for giving away the ring. In the lines, "If you did know to whom I gave the ring, If you did know for whom I gave the ring, and how unwillingly I left the ring, When naught would be accepted but the ring," Bassanio emphasizes different words in each line to get his point across. He uses the same ending "the ring" to demonstrate how highly he valued it and this repetition adds to his argument that he did not part with the ring lightly. Portia uses similar repetition in her speech, but she emphasizes different words to get her point across that Bassassio was wrong in giving it away. She says, "If you had known the virtue of the ring, or half her worthiness that gave the ring, or your own honor to contain the ring, you would not then have parted with the ring." Portia emphasizes that Bassassio either does not care enough about Portia or does not realize what he has and that is evident by him giving up the ring. She emphasizes the meaning of the ring as much more than a piece of jewelry.
   In my research, I found a paper by Anastasia Feaster and Phillip Graff that discusses the significance of rings in Shakespeare's plays. In Shakespeare's time, wedding and engagement rings indicated commitment, just like they do today. The rings stood for the man's commitment to his wife. Rings were common among the richer parts of society, while peasants would give smaller tokens or none at all. Rings were a symbol of wealth in Shakespeare's time. The fact that Portia and Nerissa gave the men rings is symbolic of the wealth of the women and the status that they have.

I don't think you meant to say a predisposition to Catholicism. You meant Christianity. Catholics were hunted in Elizabethen England. Some solid work here, but not as srong as your blogs about Modernism.
Mr. Murphy 

Portia's Speech on Mercy

In this scene of The Merchant of Venice, Portia is arguing the case of Antonio vs. Shylock disguised as a man. In her speech, she is explaining why Shylock should have mercy on Antonio even though he is within his right to take a pound of flesh from him, even though it would be fatal to Antonio. She uses similes to get her point across that no one is forced to show mercy and that showing mercy is the right thing to do. In the lines, "The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes." In these lines, Portia is saying that mercy is never given out of compliance; it is given due to good will. Portia says that like a rainstorm, it just happens. She says that mercy not only blesses the recipient of mercy, but it also blesses the giver of mercy. Portia goes on to compare mercy to a king's crown and scepter and saying that mercy is the more powerful of the three. She also says mercy is most powerful when in the hands of the strongest of men. She says mercy is a trait that God himself has and although Shylock demands the flesh in the name of justice, Portia argues that Antonio should be spared in the name of mercy.
   In my research, I found an article on JSTOR by D Van Pelt that stated that the attribution of mercy to Catholicism and maliciousness to Judaism reflects society's thoughts on both groups during Shakespeare's lifetime. It shows the predisposition towards Christianity and the prejudice against Jews that existed during this time period. Van Pelt also states that later on in the play, Shylock is forced to convert to Christianity as one of his punishments. I agree with Van Pelt in that this is a very hypocritical move as it is not very merciful to force someone to denounce their own religion and convert to a religion they do not approve of.

Bassanio's speech

In this speech, Bassanio explains the reasoning for his choice of casket using several metaphors and similes. He talks about how looks can be deceiving and one should never judge purely on looks. In the lines, "So may the outward shows be least themselves. The world is still deceived with ornament. In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt but, being seasoned with a gracious voice, obscures the show of evil?", Bassanio is saying that looks can be deceiving in the same way that malicious words can be hidden behind a pleasant voice. Later on in his speech, Bassanio uses another example of the deceptive qualities of looks in the line, "Look on beauty, and you shall see 'tis purchased by the weight, which therein works a miracle in nature, making them lightest that wear most of it." In these lines, Bassanio is commenting on how makeup can make anyone look beautiful and it can be bought. He says that makeup has the ability to work miracles. He is essentially saying that beauty can be bought and therefore it can't be real. He goes on to say that those who wear makeup the most tend to be respected the least, which provides a social commentary to society's thoughts on makeup during the time period.
   In my research, I found an essay by E.J West that stated that Bassanio's choosing of the lead casket is actually an allusion to the movement in England where architects and engineers began to move away from aesthetically pleasing buildings and technology and began to focus on function above all else. I found this analysis to be very interesting as it took such a small part of the story and connected it to a massive technological movement that was taking place in England. West argues that this is an example of Shakespeare's ability to connect his plays with the real world.

Jews in Shakespeare's Time

In The Merchant of Venice, anti-semitic tones run rampant throughout the play. The character of Shylock is portrayed in a negative light throughout the play. Shylock is seen as greedy, violent, and undesirable. According to Folger's, however, Shakespeare's representation of Shylock actually has a motive. By representing the anti-Semitism of his time and highlighting Shylock's Judaism and his cruelty, Shakespeare is actually pushing for religious toleration. By emphasizing his humanity and comparing it to Shylock's experiences of intolerance, Shakespeare ties Shylock's inhumanity to his acts of intolerance, which brings to focus the endless cycle of violence brought on by intolerance by both Jews and Christians. In essence, Shakespeare is saying that intolerance breeds intolerance and the cycle will never be broken unless both sides stop the intolerance.
   In my research of Jews in the time of Shakespeare as a whole, I found that they constituted early modern Europe's most significant minority. According to Folger's, Jews frequently experienced torture, expulsion, and death. Apparently there was a series of anti-Jewish myths that associated Jews with the devil and diabolical practices and these myths were one of the factors that lead to the European intolerance of Jews.

Lancelet

Lancelet is the jester of the Merchant of Venice. Often in Shakespeare's plays, the jester/clown is often the smartest character in the play. In Lancelet's monologue, he contemplates running away from his master who is a Jew. He talks about how the devil is on his shoulder telling him to run away. Lancelet's conscience, however, tells him to stay, which demonstrates the inner struggle that everyone experiences between making the right choice and making the wrong choice. Lancelet talks about how he is an honest man even though his father wasn't. In a twist at the end of the monologue Lancelet says how the Jew is the devil incarnate and the devil is on his shoulder and says that either way he is running to a devil.
     Since Lancelet is the joker of the merchant of Venice, I decided to research the importance of the joker in each of his plays. In an article by Samantha Markham, I found that the fools in Shakespeare's various plays all have something in common. They are always commoners who are usually servants or friends of the main character in each play. Shakespeare's fools make witty, profound observations about the themes of the play and its characters. In Shakespeare's comedies, fools are often used to encourage a more serious examination of the situations, themes, and characters of a play. Paradoxically, fools do not only amuse and entertain, but also prompt an audience to ponder serious social, religious, and political views. Comedic fools, like their tragic counterparts, often have a much more simplistic, almost childlike, view of the world. In closing, Samantha Markham points out the irony in there being absolutely nothing foolish about any of Shakespeare's fools.