Comparing Merchant of Venice, Taming of the Shrew, and Much Ado About Nothing :: comparison compare contrast essays

Trickery and Disguise in Merchant of Venice, Taming of the Shrew, and Much Ado About postal code Shakespeare uses similar comic elements to effect similar outcomes in his works. Many of his plays utilize hypocrisy and disguise to accomplish similar endings. Trickery plays a major section in The Merchant of Venice and drives most of the action, while mistaken identity, specifically Portias disguise as the learned attorneys representative, plays a major role in the resolution of the play. The initiative instance of trickery in the play is Bassanios plan to present himself as a financially sound suitor, when in truth, he is not. Bassanio believes that he would stand a very good chance of being the successful suitor if he had the proper money backing him. Bassanio then goes to his friend Antonio to try to secure a loan to provide for his wooing. O my Antonio, had I but the means/To hold a rival place with one of them other suitors/I have a listen presages me such thrift/That I should questionless be fortunate (Shakespeare, Merchant 1.1 173-176) However, Antonio has, neither the money, nor commodity/to raise a present sum but urges Bassanio to go done Venice to try to secure a loan using Antonios bond as credit (Shakespeare, Merchant 1.1 178-179). One of the resident money-lenders of Venice is an individual called loan shark, a person of Jewish descent. The practice of usury was traditionally banned by the Christian church. This allowed many Jews, because their belief system contained no objection to profitable money-lending, to become the de facto loan officers. Bassanio approaches Shylock to ask for a loan, and Shylock seems as if he is going to agree, however, he first asks to speak with Antonio. It is revealed in an aside that Shylock harbors a secret iniquity of Antonio because of his religion and Shylocks belief that Antonios practices drive down the interest rates that Shylock can charge in Venice. Here we see the s econd instance of trickery and deception within The Merchant of Venice. Shylock seems to have great knowledge of the positions of Antonios fleet and ominously notes that, ships are but boards, sailors but men (Shakespeare,