The Merchant Of Venice

Portia is also manipulative, using silent humor as to not embarrass herself, having discussed with Inertias her displeasure in the choice of suitors, she cleverly replies, ‘Yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fair as any comer I have looked on yet for my affection. ‘ (Act 2, Scene 1, Line 20) this demonstrates the use of her words as not to cause embarrassment, whilst being honest and telling Inertias he literally that he had no chance. The language Shakespeare uses for Portia and Shylock is different, both Portia and Shylock are very formal in the way they speak.Shylock is formal in a polite way in the judgment scene out of respect, ‘your grace' (Act 4, Scene 1 Line 35). As a sign of nobility Portia is formal in the way that she speaks, mostly she uses verse in more important scenes such as the judgment scene, which further emphasizes her portrayal as a formal male character. However, Portion's language is far more informal when she speaks to Inertias ‘Y ou know I say nothing to him, for he hath neither Latin, French nor Italian' this clearly accentuates their relationship as close; Portia speaks to Inertias in prose.Shylock on the other hand speaks predominantly in prose showing his lower status, particularly in his conversation with Tuba, ‘How now, Tuba, what news from Genoa? Hast thou found my daughter? ‘ (Act 3, Scene 1, Line 71), enhancing the informality of the conversation, and also the lower social status of Shylock as a Jew and Tuba as a Christian. In contrast to the majority of the play where Shylock speaks mostly in prose, in the judgment scene Shylock starts his opening speech with verse, ‘l have possessed your grace of what I purpose†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. .. As losing suit against him.Are you answered? ‘ ( Act 4, Scene 1, Line 35-63) this indicates the formality of where they are and this particular occasion, towards the end of the judgment Shylock language changes to prose making it less formal, when h e no longer has the upper hand, ‘ take this offer then. Pay the bond thrice and let the Christian go. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1 r Line 31 6) Portia however, maintains her style of language throughout the scene which reinforces her position and the formality of the situation they are in. In the beginning Of the scene, Shylock is very in control using lengthy paragraphs and verse.He is knowledgeable about the law, ‘If you deny me, fie upon your law: There is no force in the decrees of Venice. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 101 ) and adamant that he will succeed in the debt being paid, ‘The pound of flesh which I demand of him is dearly bought; ‘its mine and I will have it. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 99) However, Portia is also both very knowledgeable of the law and very cleverly using a literal interpretation of the law to undermine Shylock case ‘The bond doth give thee here no jot of blood. The words expressly are' a pound of flesh'. ‘(ACTA, Scene 1, Line 304) going on to say ‘One rope of Christian blood†¦Are by the laws of Venice confiscate. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 308) The difference between Portia and Shylock is that Portia maintains her control. Throughout this process Shylock responses become much shorter as his confidence diminishes. By literally interpreting the words Portia manipulates Shylock to a point were he becomes submissive, ‘l pray you give me leave to go from hence; I am not well. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 3, Line 97) Portia, even she though is portraying a man still has a higher stature than Shylock even as a woman. Shylock is refereed to as ‘the Jew an insult and a means of singling IM out as a lower class of person.By calling him ‘Jew' throughout the scene the Christians are putting him in his place. By Portion's reference to Christian blood being shed as being ‘By the laws of Venice confiscate' she is indicating that Christians are more special in the eyes of the law. However, Shylock shows a similar prejudice towards Christians as they do toward Jews, by addressing Antonio as the Christian, And let the Christian go. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 31 7) Shylock shows no mercy, at any point during this scene, even when he realizes he may not get everything he desires ‘Is that the law? Act 4, Scene 1, Line 312) he still continues to try to get the best deal he can ‘l take this offer then. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 31 6) Portia begins to contradict herself when she appeals to Shylock with her The quality of Mercy' speech (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 182) as throughout the scene she in fact shows no mercy, ‘Soft. The Jew shall have all justice; soft, no haste; He shall have nothing but the penalty. ‘ (ACTA, Scene 1, Line 31 8) Portia then manipulates the concept of mercy, by asking the criminal what mercy he desires towards Shylock, leaving him with nothing, not even his faith. The Merchant of Venice Parent-Child Relationship Between Jessica and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice After reading The Merchant of Venice, we should ask ourselves if Shylock, who many people perceive as tragedy stricken and victimized, is in fact so hard done by after all. When it comes to family matters, I believe that Shylock is the ultimate cause behind his awful relationship with Jessica. In this play, Shakespeare portrays an old fashioned child-parent relationship in which the child feels inferior to the parent.Shylock and Jessica lack trustworthiness, care, love, and consideration for one another. Their horrible relationship, which is a huge attribute to the play, is not due to conflicting personalities as commonly believed, but rather to the fact that Shylock is a terrible father. Over the course of the novel, Shylock and Jessica have numerous disagreements on certain issues, and Shylock is too stubborn to compromise. Firstly, when it comes to issues regarding religion, the two dispute because Jes sica is ashamed to be Jewish while Shylock takes pride in it.Jessica clearly shows how upset she is to be Jewish when she says, â€Å"Alack, what heinous sin it is in me to be asham’d to be my father’s child! But though I am a daughter to his blood, I am not to his manners† (2. 3. 18). When Jessica is speaking to Launcelot, she essentially says that she would never act like she a Jew, which displays the lack of pride and hatred she has towards this â€Å"flaw† of hers. Secondly, Shylock persistently will not give Jessica any more freedom, and the ability to make her own decisions. Before the party that Shylock decides to attend, he says to Jessica: †¦ Hear you me, Jessica.Lock up my doors, and when you hear the drum and the vile squealing of the wry-necked fife, clamber not you up to the casements then, nor thrust your head into the public street, to gaze on Christian fools with varnished faces. But stop my house’s ears—I mean my caseme nts—let not the sound of shallow foppery enter my sober house (2. 5. 27-35). Shylock gives strict instructions to Jessica to lock up the house, not reveal her face to anyone outside and not participate part in the Christian activities taking place, showing his lack of trust in her and demonstrating the restriction that Jessica is under.In many novels and other literature, not only are characters able to overcome conflicting personalities but in some cases, those are the characters that compliment each other best. Therefore, Shylock is simply stubborn preventing his relationship from progressing with Jessica. Throughout the novel, it becomes apparent that Shylock values materialistic things, putting them before Jessica. Firstly, when Jessica escapes home and her well being is questionable, Shylock’s concern lies in his possessions that she had taken with her. While speaking to Tubal, Shlock says, â€Å"I would my daughter were dead at my food and the jewels in her ear! Would she were hearsed at my foot and the ducats in her coffin! †¦ The thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief—and no satisfaction, no revenge†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (3. 1. 79-84). This shows that Shylock is a very materialistic person and considers his daughter to be of less importance than his goods. He even goes to the extent of wishing that she was dead in front of his feet so he could take all of his precious jewels back. Secondly, throughout Venice, Shylock is known as the ‘greedy money lender’ and we see him live up to his name on a few occasions.Shylock speaks to Jessica and says, â€Å"There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest, for I did dream of money bags tonight† (2. 5. 17-18). This tells us that he knows things aren’t going in his favor because he had dreamt of money bags previously and therefor he lives up to his name of being greedy and money-oriented. As a parent, Shylock should set his priorities straight and put Jessic a before material possessions and money. Shylock is uninvolved in Jessica’s life and doesn’t invest enough effort or consideration into her. Firstly, Jessica is in love with Lorenzo, a christian, but Shylock resists stubbornly.Jessica says, â€Å"O Lorenzo, if thou keep promise, I shall end this strife, become a Christian and thy loving wife† (2. 4. 18-20). Jessica is basically admitting that life with Shylock is unpleasant and if all goes according to plan, she can marry Lorenzo and leave. Shylock is restricting her from doing this. Secondly, Shylock spends too much time worrying about his own issues in the book such as interacting with Lancelot, moneylending to Bassanio as well as others, and seeing through his promise for a pound of Antonio’s flesh. In act three, we can see a segment of Shylock’s busy life when he says: I’ll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak;I’ll have my bond, and therefore speak no more I’ll not be m ade a soft and dull-eyed fool, To shake the head, relent, and sigh, and yield To Christian intercessors. Follow not! I’ll have no speaking, I will have my bond (3. 3. 12-17). This is one of many examples of Shylock seeking Antonio’s flesh intently. As a caregiver, Shylocks priorities need to be in his children but it is apparent that his time is consumed adversely. Shylock is a terrible father because he does not involve himself in Jessica’s life enough and make time for her.Wether it’s in being too busy to take interest in Jessica, persistently restricting her, cringing at the thought of his inheritance to go to her, or being extremely money orientated, Shylock is most definitely the source of the poor father-daughter relationship between himself and Jessica. At numerous points within the novel, we can see Shylock’s lack of care, acceptance, involvement, love and trust that he has in Jessica. These are all essential behavioral traits that a caregi ver and role model should have. In conclusion, Shylock is an inadequate father to Jessica and therefore, he is more of a villain than a victim. The Merchant Of Venice Portia is also manipulative, using silent humor as to not embarrass herself, having discussed with Inertias her displeasure in the choice of suitors, she cleverly replies, ‘Yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fair as any comer I have looked on yet for my affection. ‘ (Act 2, Scene 1, Line 20) this demonstrates the use of her words as not to cause embarrassment, whilst being honest and telling Inertias he literally that he had no chance. The language Shakespeare uses for Portia and Shylock is different, both Portia and Shylock are very formal in the way they speak.Shylock is formal in a polite way in the judgment scene out of respect, ‘your grace' (Act 4, Scene 1 Line 35). As a sign of nobility Portia is formal in the way that she speaks, mostly she uses verse in more important scenes such as the judgment scene, which further emphasizes her portrayal as a formal male character. However, Portion's language is far more informal when she speaks to Inertias ‘Y ou know I say nothing to him, for he hath neither Latin, French nor Italian' this clearly accentuates their relationship as close; Portia speaks to Inertias in prose.Shylock on the other hand speaks predominantly in prose showing his lower status, particularly in his conversation with Tuba, ‘How now, Tuba, what news from Genoa? Hast thou found my daughter? ‘ (Act 3, Scene 1, Line 71), enhancing the informality of the conversation, and also the lower social status of Shylock as a Jew and Tuba as a Christian. In contrast to the majority of the play where Shylock speaks mostly in prose, in the judgment scene Shylock starts his opening speech with verse, ‘l have possessed your grace of what I purpose†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. .. As losing suit against him.Are you answered? ‘ ( Act 4, Scene 1, Line 35-63) this indicates the formality of where they are and this particular occasion, towards the end of the judgment Shylock language changes to prose making it less formal, when h e no longer has the upper hand, ‘ take this offer then. Pay the bond thrice and let the Christian go. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1 r Line 31 6) Portia however, maintains her style of language throughout the scene which reinforces her position and the formality of the situation they are in. In the beginning Of the scene, Shylock is very in control using lengthy paragraphs and verse.He is knowledgeable about the law, ‘If you deny me, fie upon your law: There is no force in the decrees of Venice. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 101 ) and adamant that he will succeed in the debt being paid, ‘The pound of flesh which I demand of him is dearly bought; ‘its mine and I will have it. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 99) However, Portia is also both very knowledgeable of the law and very cleverly using a literal interpretation of the law to undermine Shylock case ‘The bond doth give thee here no jot of blood. The words expressly are' a pound of flesh'. ‘(ACTA, Scene 1, Line 304) going on to say ‘One rope of Christian blood†¦Are by the laws of Venice confiscate. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 308) The difference between Portia and Shylock is that Portia maintains her control. Throughout this process Shylock responses become much shorter as his confidence diminishes. By literally interpreting the words Portia manipulates Shylock to a point were he becomes submissive, ‘l pray you give me leave to go from hence; I am not well. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 3, Line 97) Portia, even she though is portraying a man still has a higher stature than Shylock even as a woman. Shylock is refereed to as ‘the Jew an insult and a means of singling IM out as a lower class of person.By calling him ‘Jew' throughout the scene the Christians are putting him in his place. By Portion's reference to Christian blood being shed as being ‘By the laws of Venice confiscate' she is indicating that Christians are more special in the eyes of the law. However, Shylock shows a similar prejudice towards Christians as they do toward Jews, by addressing Antonio as the Christian, And let the Christian go. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 31 7) Shylock shows no mercy, at any point during this scene, even when he realizes he may not get everything he desires ‘Is that the law? Act 4, Scene 1, Line 312) he still continues to try to get the best deal he can ‘l take this offer then. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 31 6) Portia begins to contradict herself when she appeals to Shylock with her The quality of Mercy' speech (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 182) as throughout the scene she in fact shows no mercy, ‘Soft. The Jew shall have all justice; soft, no haste; He shall have nothing but the penalty. ‘ (ACTA, Scene 1, Line 31 8) Portia then manipulates the concept of mercy, by asking the criminal what mercy he desires towards Shylock, leaving him with nothing, not even his faith. The Merchant of Venice How is your prescribed text made memorable through the interaction of ideas and the ways these ideas are represented? â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† by William Shakespeare contains many memorable themes. Through the use of techniques ideas are represented. These ideas are the power of money, conflict/prejudice between Jews and Christians and the role of women. The memorable ideas represented throughout the play are extremely important to â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† and is the reason why it is called a ‘problem play’. Shylock is often classed as the stereotypical miserably Jew, and some use his repetition of â€Å"Three thousand ducats† to show how his life is dominated and ruled by money. Shylock is obsessed with money this becomes clear in Act 2, Scene 8 as Solanio mimics Shylock’s anguished cries of repetition â€Å"My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter†. In Act 3 Scene 1 as Tubal notifies Shylock of Jessica spending â€Å"fourscore ducats† in one night, Shylocks reaction supports the fact that he is obsessed with money, â€Å"I shall never see my gold again†. Christians and anti-Semitism are extremely important to â€Å"The Merchant of Venice†. Shylock who is constantly vilified and ridiculed by the Christians throughout the play portrays the Elizabethan era of which the play was written, and it is no coincidence that the heroes in the play are Christians and the villain is Jewish. The society, which is mostly Christians, degrades and ostracises the Jews because of the different ways of life and beliefs. Hence, the idea of anti-Semitism is brought into the play. Shylock is frequently called â€Å"the devil† (Lancelot 2:2) or linked with dehumanising imagery â€Å"cut-throat dog, this is evident in Act 1 Scene 3 as Shylock is in conversation with Antonio. Antonio thinks of the Jew when he calls Shylock a â€Å"misbeliever† and â€Å"spat upon his Jewish gabardine†. Consequently Shylock displays the same hatred and disrespect for Antonio as he publicly expresses that he â€Å"hates him for he is Christian†. The use of rhetorical questions is a vivid dramatic change, climaxing in his taunting lines: â€Å" Hath a dog money? In this play, we can see that religious prejudices outweigh justice. In the trial scene (4:1), the way in which they address Shylock as â€Å"the Jew† implies the hearing is unfavorable towards Shylock. Portia argues that there must be â€Å"no jot of blood†¦ in the cutting it†. Though this reasoning is flawed in the actual context, it is done to save a fellow Christian from a Jew. The Duke also tries to defend Antonio and ask Shylock to â€Å"forgive a moiety of the principal†. However, when Shylock is undone by Portia's interpretation of the law, none of them show â€Å"mercy† to the losses he suffers. He loses â€Å"one half of his good† to the state â€Å"the other half† to Lorenzo and Jessica upon his death and most significantly he loses his religion. The Christians put on a veil of â€Å"justice† by stating that â€Å"the Jew shall have all justice†. However, for the state of Venice to take away one's religion unwillingly to be christened shows that the rule of law is in fact, one-sided and does not serve justice for the Jews. Conclusively, it seems evident that prejudice prevails over justice. The role of women is also explored in the trial scene (4:1). The traditional idea of men and women has been subverted as Portia dresses as a man. Portia’s intellectual qualities are highlighted in the trial scene, where she illustrates her ability to reason with a legal approach â€Å"this bond is forfeit†. Portia also shows her wit and intellect as she comments on Bassanio’s will to sacrifice his wife to save Antonio, â€Å" your wife would give you little thanks for that, if she were by to hear you make the offer. Thus Portia can be regarded as the ideal compound of intellect and romance, who blots her copybook only once, and that is in her catlike playing with Shylock. Based on the play, Shakespeare exploits the themes of power of money; the role of women and the prejudice between Christians and Jew. These memorable ideas are represented primarily through the characters of Shylock and Portia , whom give us an accurate idea of Christians and Jews during the Elizabethan era. The Merchant of Venice Parent-Child Relationship Between Jessica and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice After reading The Merchant of Venice, we should ask ourselves if Shylock, who many people perceive as tragedy stricken and victimized, is in fact so hard done by after all. When it comes to family matters, I believe that Shylock is the ultimate cause behind his awful relationship with Jessica. In this play, Shakespeare portrays an old fashioned child-parent relationship in which the child feels inferior to the parent.Shylock and Jessica lack trustworthiness, care, love, and consideration for one another. Their horrible relationship, which is a huge attribute to the play, is not due to conflicting personalities as commonly believed, but rather to the fact that Shylock is a terrible father. Over the course of the novel, Shylock and Jessica have numerous disagreements on certain issues, and Shylock is too stubborn to compromise. Firstly, when it comes to issues regarding religion, the two dispute because Jes sica is ashamed to be Jewish while Shylock takes pride in it.Jessica clearly shows how upset she is to be Jewish when she says, â€Å"Alack, what heinous sin it is in me to be asham’d to be my father’s child! But though I am a daughter to his blood, I am not to his manners† (2. 3. 18). When Jessica is speaking to Launcelot, she essentially says that she would never act like she a Jew, which displays the lack of pride and hatred she has towards this â€Å"flaw† of hers. Secondly, Shylock persistently will not give Jessica any more freedom, and the ability to make her own decisions. Before the party that Shylock decides to attend, he says to Jessica: †¦ Hear you me, Jessica.Lock up my doors, and when you hear the drum and the vile squealing of the wry-necked fife, clamber not you up to the casements then, nor thrust your head into the public street, to gaze on Christian fools with varnished faces. But stop my house’s ears—I mean my caseme nts—let not the sound of shallow foppery enter my sober house (2. 5. 27-35). Shylock gives strict instructions to Jessica to lock up the house, not reveal her face to anyone outside and not participate part in the Christian activities taking place, showing his lack of trust in her and demonstrating the restriction that Jessica is under.In many novels and other literature, not only are characters able to overcome conflicting personalities but in some cases, those are the characters that compliment each other best. Therefore, Shylock is simply stubborn preventing his relationship from progressing with Jessica. Throughout the novel, it becomes apparent that Shylock values materialistic things, putting them before Jessica. Firstly, when Jessica escapes home and her well being is questionable, Shylock’s concern lies in his possessions that she had taken with her. While speaking to Tubal, Shlock says, â€Å"I would my daughter were dead at my food and the jewels in her ear! Would she were hearsed at my foot and the ducats in her coffin! †¦ The thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief—and no satisfaction, no revenge†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (3. 1. 79-84). This shows that Shylock is a very materialistic person and considers his daughter to be of less importance than his goods. He even goes to the extent of wishing that she was dead in front of his feet so he could take all of his precious jewels back. Secondly, throughout Venice, Shylock is known as the ‘greedy money lender’ and we see him live up to his name on a few occasions.Shylock speaks to Jessica and says, â€Å"There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest, for I did dream of money bags tonight† (2. 5. 17-18). This tells us that he knows things aren’t going in his favor because he had dreamt of money bags previously and therefor he lives up to his name of being greedy and money-oriented. As a parent, Shylock should set his priorities straight and put Jessic a before material possessions and money. Shylock is uninvolved in Jessica’s life and doesn’t invest enough effort or consideration into her. Firstly, Jessica is in love with Lorenzo, a christian, but Shylock resists stubbornly.Jessica says, â€Å"O Lorenzo, if thou keep promise, I shall end this strife, become a Christian and thy loving wife† (2. 4. 18-20). Jessica is basically admitting that life with Shylock is unpleasant and if all goes according to plan, she can marry Lorenzo and leave. Shylock is restricting her from doing this. Secondly, Shylock spends too much time worrying about his own issues in the book such as interacting with Lancelot, moneylending to Bassanio as well as others, and seeing through his promise for a pound of Antonio’s flesh. In act three, we can see a segment of Shylock’s busy life when he says: I’ll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak;I’ll have my bond, and therefore speak no more I’ll not be m ade a soft and dull-eyed fool, To shake the head, relent, and sigh, and yield To Christian intercessors. Follow not! I’ll have no speaking, I will have my bond (3. 3. 12-17). This is one of many examples of Shylock seeking Antonio’s flesh intently. As a caregiver, Shylocks priorities need to be in his children but it is apparent that his time is consumed adversely. Shylock is a terrible father because he does not involve himself in Jessica’s life enough and make time for her.Wether it’s in being too busy to take interest in Jessica, persistently restricting her, cringing at the thought of his inheritance to go to her, or being extremely money orientated, Shylock is most definitely the source of the poor father-daughter relationship between himself and Jessica. At numerous points within the novel, we can see Shylock’s lack of care, acceptance, involvement, love and trust that he has in Jessica. These are all essential behavioral traits that a caregi ver and role model should have. In conclusion, Shylock is an inadequate father to Jessica and therefore, he is more of a villain than a victim. The Merchant of Venice How is your prescribed text made memorable through the interaction of ideas and the ways these ideas are represented? â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† by William Shakespeare contains many memorable themes. Through the use of techniques ideas are represented. These ideas are the power of money, conflict/prejudice between Jews and Christians and the role of women. The memorable ideas represented throughout the play are extremely important to â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† and is the reason why it is called a ‘problem play’. Shylock is often classed as the stereotypical miserably Jew, and some use his repetition of â€Å"Three thousand ducats† to show how his life is dominated and ruled by money. Shylock is obsessed with money this becomes clear in Act 2, Scene 8 as Solanio mimics Shylock’s anguished cries of repetition â€Å"My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter†. In Act 3 Scene 1 as Tubal notifies Shylock of Jessica spending â€Å"fourscore ducats† in one night, Shylocks reaction supports the fact that he is obsessed with money, â€Å"I shall never see my gold again†. Christians and anti-Semitism are extremely important to â€Å"The Merchant of Venice†. Shylock who is constantly vilified and ridiculed by the Christians throughout the play portrays the Elizabethan era of which the play was written, and it is no coincidence that the heroes in the play are Christians and the villain is Jewish. The society, which is mostly Christians, degrades and ostracises the Jews because of the different ways of life and beliefs. Hence, the idea of anti-Semitism is brought into the play. Shylock is frequently called â€Å"the devil† (Lancelot 2:2) or linked with dehumanising imagery â€Å"cut-throat dog, this is evident in Act 1 Scene 3 as Shylock is in conversation with Antonio. Antonio thinks of the Jew when he calls Shylock a â€Å"misbeliever† and â€Å"spat upon his Jewish gabardine†. Consequently Shylock displays the same hatred and disrespect for Antonio as he publicly expresses that he â€Å"hates him for he is Christian†. The use of rhetorical questions is a vivid dramatic change, climaxing in his taunting lines: â€Å" Hath a dog money? In this play, we can see that religious prejudices outweigh justice. In the trial scene (4:1), the way in which they address Shylock as â€Å"the Jew† implies the hearing is unfavorable towards Shylock. Portia argues that there must be â€Å"no jot of blood†¦ in the cutting it†. Though this reasoning is flawed in the actual context, it is done to save a fellow Christian from a Jew. The Duke also tries to defend Antonio and ask Shylock to â€Å"forgive a moiety of the principal†. However, when Shylock is undone by Portia's interpretation of the law, none of them show â€Å"mercy† to the losses he suffers. He loses â€Å"one half of his good† to the state â€Å"the other half† to Lorenzo and Jessica upon his death and most significantly he loses his religion. The Christians put on a veil of â€Å"justice† by stating that â€Å"the Jew shall have all justice†. However, for the state of Venice to take away one's religion unwillingly to be christened shows that the rule of law is in fact, one-sided and does not serve justice for the Jews. Conclusively, it seems evident that prejudice prevails over justice. The role of women is also explored in the trial scene (4:1). The traditional idea of men and women has been subverted as Portia dresses as a man. Portia’s intellectual qualities are highlighted in the trial scene, where she illustrates her ability to reason with a legal approach â€Å"this bond is forfeit†. Portia also shows her wit and intellect as she comments on Bassanio’s will to sacrifice his wife to save Antonio, â€Å" your wife would give you little thanks for that, if she were by to hear you make the offer. Thus Portia can be regarded as the ideal compound of intellect and romance, who blots her copybook only once, and that is in her catlike playing with Shylock. Based on the play, Shakespeare exploits the themes of power of money; the role of women and the prejudice between Christians and Jew. These memorable ideas are represented primarily through the characters of Shylock and Portia , whom give us an accurate idea of Christians and Jews during the Elizabethan era. The Merchant Of Venice Portia is also manipulative, using silent humor as to not embarrass herself, having discussed with Inertias her displeasure in the choice of suitors, she cleverly replies, ‘Yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fair as any comer I have looked on yet for my affection. ‘ (Act 2, Scene 1, Line 20) this demonstrates the use of her words as not to cause embarrassment, whilst being honest and telling Inertias he literally that he had no chance. The language Shakespeare uses for Portia and Shylock is different, both Portia and Shylock are very formal in the way they speak.Shylock is formal in a polite way in the judgment scene out of respect, ‘your grace' (Act 4, Scene 1 Line 35). As a sign of nobility Portia is formal in the way that she speaks, mostly she uses verse in more important scenes such as the judgment scene, which further emphasizes her portrayal as a formal male character. However, Portion's language is far more informal when she speaks to Inertias ‘Y ou know I say nothing to him, for he hath neither Latin, French nor Italian' this clearly accentuates their relationship as close; Portia speaks to Inertias in prose.Shylock on the other hand speaks predominantly in prose showing his lower status, particularly in his conversation with Tuba, ‘How now, Tuba, what news from Genoa? Hast thou found my daughter? ‘ (Act 3, Scene 1, Line 71), enhancing the informality of the conversation, and also the lower social status of Shylock as a Jew and Tuba as a Christian. In contrast to the majority of the play where Shylock speaks mostly in prose, in the judgment scene Shylock starts his opening speech with verse, ‘l have possessed your grace of what I purpose†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. .. As losing suit against him.Are you answered? ‘ ( Act 4, Scene 1, Line 35-63) this indicates the formality of where they are and this particular occasion, towards the end of the judgment Shylock language changes to prose making it less formal, when h e no longer has the upper hand, ‘ take this offer then. Pay the bond thrice and let the Christian go. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1 r Line 31 6) Portia however, maintains her style of language throughout the scene which reinforces her position and the formality of the situation they are in. In the beginning Of the scene, Shylock is very in control using lengthy paragraphs and verse.He is knowledgeable about the law, ‘If you deny me, fie upon your law: There is no force in the decrees of Venice. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 101 ) and adamant that he will succeed in the debt being paid, ‘The pound of flesh which I demand of him is dearly bought; ‘its mine and I will have it. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 99) However, Portia is also both very knowledgeable of the law and very cleverly using a literal interpretation of the law to undermine Shylock case ‘The bond doth give thee here no jot of blood. The words expressly are' a pound of flesh'. ‘(ACTA, Scene 1, Line 304) going on to say ‘One rope of Christian blood†¦Are by the laws of Venice confiscate. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 308) The difference between Portia and Shylock is that Portia maintains her control. Throughout this process Shylock responses become much shorter as his confidence diminishes. By literally interpreting the words Portia manipulates Shylock to a point were he becomes submissive, ‘l pray you give me leave to go from hence; I am not well. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 3, Line 97) Portia, even she though is portraying a man still has a higher stature than Shylock even as a woman. Shylock is refereed to as ‘the Jew an insult and a means of singling IM out as a lower class of person.By calling him ‘Jew' throughout the scene the Christians are putting him in his place. By Portion's reference to Christian blood being shed as being ‘By the laws of Venice confiscate' she is indicating that Christians are more special in the eyes of the law. However, Shylock shows a similar prejudice towards Christians as they do toward Jews, by addressing Antonio as the Christian, And let the Christian go. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 31 7) Shylock shows no mercy, at any point during this scene, even when he realizes he may not get everything he desires ‘Is that the law? Act 4, Scene 1, Line 312) he still continues to try to get the best deal he can ‘l take this offer then. ‘ (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 31 6) Portia begins to contradict herself when she appeals to Shylock with her The quality of Mercy' speech (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 182) as throughout the scene she in fact shows no mercy, ‘Soft. The Jew shall have all justice; soft, no haste; He shall have nothing but the penalty. ‘ (ACTA, Scene 1, Line 31 8) Portia then manipulates the concept of mercy, by asking the criminal what mercy he desires towards Shylock, leaving him with nothing, not even his faith.