E N D
5. ORDER vs. CHAOS
a. in Nature (the chain of being)
b. In societyc. In Man
“What a piece of work is man,
how noble in reason,
how infinite in faculty,
in action how like an angel,
in apprehension how like a God”
Hamlet
13. Againts Usury
Aristotle: “to make money breed is against the course of nature”
Bacon “It is against Nature, for money to beget money”
The notion of Christian charity
Medieval prohibitions
14. Controversy on moneylending (confusion and uncertainty) There was confusion between usury and credit facilities as in most cases 10% was the minimus charge
In 1571, 10% was the maximum legal charge for moneylending in England
In 1572 Wilson, Discourse upon Usury
“Ugly, detestable and hurtful sin of usury”
17. 3. Antisemitism
Literary sources
Contemporary History
18. Literary Sources
By making the Jew the villain of the play Shakespeare was following a deep-rooted literary tradition
Jews had often been depicted as misers, egoists and moneylenders
1589 - The Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlowe
Contemporary History
1594: Roderigo Lopez, Queen Elizabeth’s personal physician was accused of conspiring to poison the Queen. After apublic trial he was executed.
19. Analysis of the dramatic structure I, iii - II
III
IV- V (due ultimi atti)
20. ACT I, scene 1 Venice
ANTONIO, Salarino, Solanio
ANTONIO, BASSANIO, Lorenzo, Graziano
ANTONIO, BASSANIO
21. Belmont vs. Venice Stillness
Iterations
Narrative typology of romance
Action: as predictable as a fairytale
Themes:
Choice
hazard
love (pilgrimage-shrine-quest)
Language
Repetitions-rhyming effects Action
Accelerated rhythm
Themes:
betrayal
22. The beginning of dramatic action I, iii - II
III
IV- V (due utimi atti)
23. I, 3 Shylock Undermines the notion of money as a ‘barren’ metal
The breeding of animals
Shylock and Antonio: “ an excursion into the terminology of popular sixteenth century controversy on moneylending”
Shylock never uses the word ‘usury’
His definition is ‘usance’
24. In the Merchant of Venice Belmont
The old feudal world
25. Act II 1. Belmont
2. Venice
3. Venice
4. Venice
5. Venice
6. Venice
7. Belmont
8. Venice
9. Belmont
26. Act III 1. Venice
2. Belmont
3. Venice
4. Belmont
5. Venice
27. III, 1 1- Antonio has lost a ship
2- Shylock (devil)
3. Revenge
4. Tubal’s news
28. III, 2 Time (slow rhythm)- delay (vs. Venice, where time is moving on inexorably)
Courtly love (eyes) (the role of women) (obedience)
Fortune (choice)
Torment, Torture (ll. 35-38)
MUSIC (Bassanio’s comments on the caskets rhyming in –ed)
Appearence vs. reality
The leaden casket – Portia’s portrait (Blazon: eyes, lips, hair)
Love
the language of love-the language of money (Note, give , receive, sum, confirm, ratify)
Women’s role (man= master, lord)
Ring
News from Venice: Tragedy breaks into the the music of Bassanio’s joy
29. IV,1 1.
2 KNIFE (hard) (sharp) Animal associations (dog, wolf)
3. SCALES
Architectural quality of the scene
“which is the merchant here and which the Jew?”