To put
The Merchant of Venice into perspective, you'll need
to know a little about William Shakespeare, the city of
Venice during the 16th century, and attitudes towards
Jews in Shakespeare's England.
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564.
His father was a glove merchant and a prominent local dignitary.
William, one of eight children, was the oldest son. He was
probably educated at the local grammar school.
He married Anne Hathaway in 1582, aged18; his wife was eight
years older than him. They had a daughter, followed by twins
two years later. Their only son, Hamnet, died aged 11.
Nobody knows how Shakespeare began to write or when he
entered the theatre. At some point he joined an acting company called the Queen's Men and then
became a leading member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men. They developed into London's top
theatre company, performing at the Globe Theatre from 1599 and becoming the King's men when
James I came to the throne in 1603.
Shakespeare probably began writing plays in the 1580s and went on to write more than thirty.
These would all have been performed by his theatre company: he may have acted some of the roles
himself and certain parts would have been written with particular actors in mind. Certainly his work
was very popular: by 1597, Shakespeare was wealthy enough to buy New Place, the grandest
house in Stratford! The Merchant of Venice was written between 1596 and 1598 and first published
in written form in 1600. He also wrote poems, including many love sonnets which are mysteriously
dedicated to a Mr W H.
Shakespeare died in 1616 on his 52nd birthday. He is known the world over as the
greatest playwright ever.
Venice
The Doge's Palace, Venice
Venice was famous as an
important Mediterranean trading
centre for goods from the Far
East. Silks, spices, jewels and
other expensive items were
bought and sold there - including
slaves. It had the reputation of
being full of fashion, culture and
sophistication. It would have been
a very exotic location for an
Elizabethan audience.
Venice was run by a Duke, or
Doge, and a Council of Ten, who
ruled with an iron fist. All Venetians were encouraged to do whatever they had to for the security of
the state, even spying on other ports. People who were seen to have committed a crime against the
state were often killed without trial and their bodies were left in the street to serve as a warning to
others.
Because of Venice's position as a centre for trade, it was full of people of many different
nationalities, religions and races. The Christian leaders were keen to quell the activities of the Jews,
and so created one of the first Jewish ghettos, forcing the Jews to live in a particular area. Yet the
Jewish community continued to flourish in spite of the prejudice shown against them.
Belmont, Portia's home, is an imaginary setting. All we know about it is that it is two days' sail
away from Venice. It seems to be a beautiful, rich country estate
Christians & Jews
Money-lenders preying on Christian
debtors
Although Jesus Christ himself
was born a Jew, there have
been battles between Jews and
Christians for 2000 years. This
is because the Romans who
then ruled the area where they
lived - now known as Israel -
tried to crush the Jewish faith.
Many Jews moved away to
escape persecution, taking their
customs and cultures with
them. Through their hard work
and consequent success in
business, Jews were often
resented in their new homes,
especially in Christian
countries. Terrible crimes were
committed against them.
In England, when Shakespeare was writing, Jews had been banished for the past 300 years.
Shakespeare's audience would not have known any Jews; their knowledge of Jews would have been
based solely on rumour and prejudice. They would have enjoyed the verbal insults and racist jokes
against Shylock, and would probably not have questioned the treatment Shylock receives as we do
today.
The worst ever persecution of Jewish people occurred comparatively recently, before and during
World War II (1939 - 45). The Nazi party convinced the Germans that the Jews were responsible for
the country's economic problems and so began the Holocaust: 6 million Jews were killed in
Germany and other European countries, many in gas chambers at concentration camps. The Diary
of Anne Frank will give you some idea of the horrors of that time.
And, unfortunately, Jews are still being persecuted in different countries around the world today.
Nel 16 e 17 secolo a venezia gli ebrei vivevano in un ghetto.
Uno di loro era l’usurario Shylock.
Che aveva una figlia il cui nome era jessica.
Il mercante di venezia era Antonio che aveva preso in prestito dei soldi da Shylock per aiutare il suo amico
Bassanio a conquistare e sposare la bella e ricca Portia che viveva a belmont
Purtroppo antonio non poteva restituire i soldi a Shylock perché aveva perso le sue navi e quindi doveva
rispettare il contratto e dargli una libra della sua carne.
In the 16th and 17 Century in Venice The Jews lived in the ghetto
One of Them was the usurer Shylock.
That HAD A daughter whose name was Jessica.
The Merchant of Venice was Antonio who had taken the money from Shylock loan to help your friend
Bassagno a Conquer and marry the beautiful and rich Portia What lived a belvobt.
Unfortunately antonio He could not return the money to Shylock Because HAD lost ships sue and therefore
had to comply with the Agreement and give him a balance of HIS flesh.
