Shylock and Antonio are about to go to a lawyer and seal their deal when Shylock suggests a further condition to their agreement: if Antonio doesn't pay back the money he borrows from Shylock, then Shylock will insist on taking a pound of his flesh. Shylock calls this a "kindness" because he won't insist on seizing all of Antonio's goods, as would normally be the case when someone defaults on a debt.
But this condition is very far from what most people would regard as an act of kindness, not least because it will most certainly result in Antonio's death. Although Shylock refers to this stipulation as "a merry sport" (i.e. as nothing more than a joke), he's actually deadly serious about enforcing this blood bond should Antonio default on the debt. The reason is that Shylock wants to gain revenge on a Christian for all the prejudice, hatred, and anti-Semitic abuse he's suffered all these years.
Friday, March 15, 2019
What kindness does Shylock show? Why?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What is the theme of the chapter Lead?
Primo Levi's complex probing of the Holocaust, including his survival of Auschwitz and pre- and post-war life, is organized around indiv...
-
The statement "Development policy needs to be about poor people, not just poor countries," carries a lot of baggage. Let's dis...
-
Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms that thrive in diverse environments (such as the ocean, the soil, and the human body). Various bac...
-
Note that these events are not in chronological order. The story is told by the narrator, looking back upon her life. The first notable even...
-
It seems most likely you are asking about Michael Halliday's theories of language. He argues children have seven main functions they use...
-
Under common law, any hotel, inn, or other hospitality establishment has a duty to exercise "reasonable care" for the safety an...
-
James is very unhappy on a number of occasions throughout the story, but he's especially unhappy with his life situation as the story be...
-
One of the plot lines in Pride and Prejudice is Mrs. Bennet’s plan to marry off her daughters, preferably to rich men. Throughout the novel...
No comments:
Post a Comment