Racial Discrimination And Religious Persecution In The Merchant Of Venice

William Shakespeare's early romantic comedy The Merchant of Venice has a broad theme, an intricate plot, beautiful language and typical characters. For hundreds of years, critics have been interpreting it in various ways. This thesis reveals the theme of racial discrimination and religious persecution of this play by analyzing what Shylock suffered and by tracing the history of racial discrimination and religious persecution against Jews.The thesis consists of five parts.Part one is an introduction, which briefly summarizes the plot and elaborates the theme of racial and religious discrimination.Chapter one traces the racial discrimination against Jews. This chapter is further divided into four sections. This chapter answers the question why Jews practiced usury, a profession hated by everyone. As is said by a scholar, it's not the case that Jews were hated because they practiced usury; it's the other round. Jews practiced usury because they were hated. They had no other means of making a living. It also analyzes why Jews were stereotyped as "misers" and "mammon-worshippers." Scattering around the world, Jews did not have their own nation. They had to use money to buy their rights of living. To live in a place, they had to pay money; to get married, pay money; to bear children, pay money; to bury the dead, pay money. Without money, Jews were doomed to extinct. All these experiences taught them to value money. It expounds the age-old conflict between Christianity and Judaism. Since Christianity's dominance over other religions in the 4th century, Christians began to defame Judaism. But Jews stuck to their belief thought they were banished, persecuted, and even massacred. This "stubbornness" aroused anger and hatred among Christians. In the time of Shakespeare, Antonio's action of compelling Shylock to convert to Christianity was kind and righteous, which reflects Shakespeare's religious belief. Shakespeare must have been influenced by the mainstream Christianity. Chapter two, the most important chapter, analyzes the cruel treatment Shylock suffered in the play. Antonio tried every means to sabotage Shylock's business just because Shylock was a Jew. "It is enacted in the laws of Venice, If it be proved against an alien That by direct or indirect attempts He seek the life of any citizen, The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive Shall seize one half his goods; the other half Comes to the privy coffer of the state; And the offender's life lies in the mercy Of the Duke only, 'gainst all other voice…" So the law-observing Shylock was deprived of his property. Shylock was cursed, spitted, kicked, and worst of all, abducted of his beloved daughter, which was the last straw.Where there is oppression, there is resistance.Chapter three points out clearly that it is racial discrimination against Jews that made Shylock such a greedy, cruel and miserly person. This part analyzes Shylock's multipersonalities. We hate him because he was greedy, stingy and cruel; we sympathize with him because he suffered all kinds of humiliations; we admire him because he was undaunted by his bullies. It also illustrates Shylock's struggle against racial discrimination and religious persecution. He denounced Christians' oppression of Jews and called for racial and religious equality.The last part comes to the conclusion that The Merchant of Venice comprises the theme of racial discrimination and religious persecution.