Sunday, January 5, 2020

Merchant of Venice - Plot Structure - 1714 Words

centerbShow how the plot of ‘The Merchant of Venice is apparently fanciful but in reality exactingly structured./b/center br brThe Merchant of Venice is a fairy tale. There is no more reality in Shylocks bond and the Lord of Belmonts will than in Jack and the Beanstalk. brH. Granville-Barker, in Prefaces to Shakespeare. br brThis is one way of looking at the play, reading it or enjoying the performance. But it can be a contradiction to our actual feelings about this complex play. ‘The Merchant of Venice might appear to be a romantic tale without much logic but that would be a superficial interpretation. Portias father may have raised our concerns in taking away her freedom to choose her beloved; Shylocks bond and†¦show more content†¦But this scene can also be seen as a Christian parable that attempts to reconcile two conflicting principles: justice and mercy. And the climax is about the difference between a judgement that would be made in terms of the letter of the law and one that would be made in terms of the spirit of the law. br brThe Casket theme is also about judgement. But is it by appearance or by reasoning? It is suggested that the spontaneous feeling of love that will lead the way. br brChance also plays an important part in the play. Shylock had no way of knowing that Antonio would suffer a complete loss and default his bond and even Antonio would never have thought that he would not get even one of his ships back and not be able to pay the money. Also the way that Portia disguises herself as the doctor is also very improbable but one accepts it. The Ring story is also fanciful and today we might find it an unnecessary addition but it was needed to tie up the loose ends of the play and for the story to have a happy ending in Belmont. br brIrving Wardel in The Times wrote, it is the case with this play that while its form is that of a fairy tale its characters are open to realistic analysis. Shylock is one of the main characters of the play but this also depends on the way that his character is played. He has mostly been portrayed as a comic character but when he is the tragic protagonist he ‘usurps the center of the stage. Shylock represents the killjoy against whomShow MoreRelatedThe Three Plots of The Merchant of Venice779 Words   |  4 PagesThe Merchant of Venice is a simple story line with three distinct plot lines incorporated into each other intricately. These three plot lines are the bond plot, the casket plot, and the ring plot, each equally vital to the meaning and conclusion of the play. 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