"The Merchant of Venice": Comedy or Tragedy?

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice". The paper focuses on the character of Antonio, the struggling Christian in play. The paper states that while this play is generally considered to be a comedy, there are many who believe it to be a tragedy. The paper explains that this is due to the anti-Semitic treatments of the character of Shylock. The paper examines the play's conflict between Christianity and Judaism.

From the Paper:

"It is generally believed that William Shakespeare wrote The Merchant of Venice in either 1596 or 1597, prior to the great tragedies that he penned later in his career. Although The Merchant of Venice is considered a comedy, some modern readers consider it a borderline tragedy. Many critics believe it to be a tragedy that Shakespeare wrote this play at all because of its anti-Semitic treatments of Shylock. Harold Bloom, for instances, pronounces with his usual verve: "it would have been better had Shakespeare never written this play" (Bloom 190). However, with all the attention that modern scholars have poured into the character of Shylock, the title character Antonio seems to remain in the shadows. This is most unfortunate as Shakespeare inextricably bound Antonio and Shylock in order to have each comment, as it were, on the other. On the surface, Antonio, the 'good Christian,' seems the antithesis of Shylock, the 'evil Jew'; together, the two characters embody the conflict between Christianity and Judaism."

More papers on "The Merchant of Venice": Comedy or Tragedy?:

• Analytical Essay # 140795 : "The Symbolism of Rings in "The Merchant of Venice"
• Analytical Essay # 64880 : "Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice?"
• Essay # 2839 : "Duality Throughout Shakespeare's Elizabethan Plays"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: