Shakespeare versus marlow
“We find in Shakespeare’s rendering of Shylock the most realized expression of the repeated pattern in which he tries to recall, outdo, and the reject Marlow. Perhaps the most decisive revisionary strategy was Shakespeare’s repositioning of the trial scene-in which the Jew is required to render up his good and is threatened with conversion- from the opening act of Marlow’s own play to the climax of Shakespeare’s play. In doing so he takes what in Marlow’s play provided a barely plausible justification for Barabas’ desire for revenge and transforms it into a harrowing and nearly tragic confrontation, reversing the movement in Marlow’s play from potential tragedy to farce and steering the play towards the verge of tragedy. Indeed, productions that have ended the play at that point, or have Shylock stab himself as he exists, are really only pushing the tragic potential of this scene a small step farther that Shakespeare allows.” Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice is an example of how the playwright uses his mentor’s influence and makes it his own. Shakespeare differentiates his Merchant of Venice from Marlow’s Jew of Malta by repositioning the trial scene, which is also the climax of the play, to the
Because of all the anti-Semitic views in England at the time that the play was written and performed, Jews that suffered were seen as entertainment. So when Shylock was punished and then forgotten, and the lovers moved on to their happy lives in Belmont the audience applauded. It was also seen as funny that a Jew would actually defend himself in court and expect to win. Many productions that have ended with the trial scene and with Shylock’s punishment have only tried to push the tragic angle in the play. Marlow’s Jew of Malta is a tragic play because almost every one dies, including the villain, Barabas. When we compare The Merchant of Venice to a play such as The Jew of Malta we can see just how far Shakespeare rose above the prejudices of his times. Shylock may be a comic villain, a stereotypical figure to some extent exploited for comic effect in the play; but the play also insists that the audience accept him as a human being. It is no accident that many readers today find Shylock the most fully realized, even the most sympathetic character in the play. Harold Bloom is fond of conveying that Shakespeare sought to come out from under the shadow of the great Marlowe, whose reputation was made before Shakespeare had started writing, and that characters such as Shylock are further attempts to poke at Marlowe's weaknesses and reveal Shakespeare's true ascendancy. We are left with one of the most original literary creations of Shakespeare or of any one else, and Shylock remains a great scene-stealer in this comedy -- not bad for the villain who is destined for punishment in the end.
Some topics in this essay:
,
Jews Shylock,
Venice Comedy,
Nevertheless Barabas,
Harold Bloom,
Merchant Venice,
Malta Shakespeare,
Jew Malta,
Europe Jews,
Christian Shylock,
merchant venice,
jew malta,
shakespeare’s play,
manley par 16,
scheme revenge,
marlow’s play,
play jew,
par 16,
convert christianity,
sympathetic character,
play jew malta,
marlow’s jew malta,
becoming christian,
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Approximate Word count = 1366
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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