Ethical Conflicts In William Shakespeare's The Merchant Of Venice

This thesis intends to explore the ethical conflicts in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice with references to the political and economic situation in the Renaissance time.Through combing the ethical conflicts of friendship,marital values and familial values of this play,this thesis aims to clarify the ethical anxiety and moral enlightenment existed in the early modern British society.Thus,the body of this thesis is mainly made up of three parts:The first part mainly expounds the conflict between individual rights and altruistic moral morality in ethic of friendship.In The Merchant of Venice,Bassanio and Antonio respectively stand for the aristocratic group and the emerging bourgeois merchants in the Renaissance era.And their ethical dilemma of existence is revealed during the period of economic and social changes.Their relationship is a kind of reciprocal friendship based on money and homoerotic affections,which actually implies a contest of two species of social ethics.Firstly,it reflects the conflict between egoism and Aristotle's virtue ethics.And according to the definition of self-interested behavior,the morality of selfish behavior is contained in Antonio and Bassanio's reciprocal friendship.Secondly,it reveals the conflict between individual rights and Christian ethics.The heterosexuality triumphs homosexuality ultimately,which indicates common people's compromise to the Christian reproductive ethics in the Renaissance time.The second part mainly focuses on the pursuit of love and ethical decisions.The courtship depicted in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice is largely based on profound realistic factors.Male and female's economic situations in this play represent great differences.Bassanio's courtship aims to obtain abundant assets from Portia.Women have gathered wealthy possessions,while men have to rely on women's support.Therefore,men forfeit their dominant status,and meanwhile,women seek the subject-position in marital relationships.The plot of exchanging ring particularly reflects Bassanio and Portia's different concepts of fidelity and value,which also reveals the conflict between utilitarian courtship and the morality of loyalty.The third part discusses the confusion and persistence of the familial ethicsbetween fathers and children.Portia and Jessica's choices of life are strictly restricted by their fathers,and they gradually realize that as a dignified and self-conscious individual,they should try their best to get rid of the chains of patriarchal family morals.However,with the awakening of the young generations' individual consciousness,family ethics come into conflict with personal interests.Portia guides others through verbal hints without violating the rules of her father's will publicly.In contrast,Jessica resists the patriarchy thoroughly.And it is also an avoidance of her responsibility of being a daughter when she chooses to escape from her original family.