The Merchant of Venice Background Reading

After reading multiple background readings on social class and gender along with an essay analysis on the The Merchant of Venice, I find this text to be a complex drama revolving around social issues. What stood out for me the most when annotating the essay was how it began with the emphasis of antisemitism and thought provoking questions on the controversy surrounding the play. Juliana in her blogpost discussed how the exclusion of Jews was central to the formation of a group and its identity. In the psychological social identity theory, the concept of "us" versus "them" is what allows for stronger group bonds and identity.  The video definitely highlighted violence surrounding the discrimination of Jews but I thought the essay focused more on the differences between Jews and Christians which build the plot.

I think another important concept in the play is the presence of hypocrisy in the society. In the essay, Jews are described as following the law but also highly motivated by money and usurpation. Shylock, a Jewish man, is mentioned in the essay as prioritizing sentimental value rather than monetary value when his daughter traded an object for monkeys that was dear to his wife. It demonstrated that although Jews are viewed as greedy and wealth-centered, Shylock's sentimental value overrides the loss of his wealth. Christians on the other hand emphasize divinity and Christ as the savior who calls upon his people to be kind to their enemies. However, Christians look down upon Jews because they perceive them as non-human and they also owned slaves, thus placing monetary value on human beings. Furthermore, Christian marriages were usually interconnected with economic interests and was usually sought for due to financial security.

On the topic of marriages, I think the role of women will also play a significant role in the play. When reading the background passages on the role of women in society, I think that women will somehow bridge all the different sociocultural factors together because women most probably play subordinate roles in both Jewish and Christian households. Overall, The Merchant of Venice definitely seems to involve many different social issues.