Appearance vs. Reality in Merchant Of Venice Essay

The theme of Appearance Vs. Reality is used throughout the play to mislead and confuse so things may not always be what they seem. Shakespeare uses deception to enhance the unfolding drama and involve his audience more fully in the play – the audience are party to deceptions which the characters themselves are unaware of. Prejudice was common and the word â€Å"Jew† applied to hardhearted unscrupulous moneylenders. An Elizabethan audience would have been happy to see a Jew, Spaniard or a Moor deceived and Shakespeare clearly tried to give his audience what it wanted. In contrast, many, particularly ladies, would have admired the strong and witty Portia and even though she appears arrogant and racist this would have been accepted in†¦show more content†¦Jessica doesn’t respect her father either and dislikes being a Jew. Jessica tells the audience how she is â€Å"ashamed to be my father’s child† and makes the audience feel sorry for her by d escribing her unhappy home life â€Å"our house is hell†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jessica is to be disguised as a torchbearer. She also steals some of her father’s valuable possessions and money knowing this will cause him great pain on top of her running away. We hear about Shylock’s reaction to the elopement in Act 2 Scene 8 when Salario and Solanio are making fun of him. â€Å"My daughter! Oh my ducats! Fled with a Christian, Oh my Christian ducats stolen by my daughter†. Lorenzo and his friends deceived Shylock out of spite, as they disliked Shylock as a Jew, but also because they know that Shylock would not approve of the marriage and Jessica becoming a Christian. The elopement deception is a major issue because it might have contribute to Shylock’s anger towards and make him want tokeep his bond even more. Jessica also dressed up as a pageboy to disguise her and this is quite similar to Portia who later disguise herself as a lawyer to help Antonio. Portia deceives all of the men that come to choose a casket. To their faces she appears to like them but when they have gone she mocks them and says how she disliked them. She especially deceives the Prince of Morocco. To his face, Portia says she has no problems with his colour and even admires his looks â€Å"Yourself, renowned prince then stood as fair as anyShow MoreRelated Appearance vs. Reality in The Merchant of Venice Essay1058 Words   |  5 PagesAppearance vs. Reality in The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice explores the theme of Appearance versus Reality. The theme is supported with many examples in the form of characters, events and objects. During the discussion of the bond, Shylock says to Antonio â€Å" I would be friends with you and have your love† and â€Å"this kindness will I show†. 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