The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare Fairy Tale or Problem Play free essay sample

An in-depth look at the underlying themes of prejudice, loyalty and love, in this well known Shakespearean play. In this paper the author discusses whether the Merchant of Venice is a fairy tale, as exemplified by the romantic comedy genre, or a problem play. The author looks at the three themes he suggests run through the play: Prejudice, Loyalty and Love. He looks closely at the character of Shylock and how he has been depicted over time, from villain to someone who should be pitied and at the hypocrisy shown by the Christian characters; he examines the relationships between Antonio, Bassanio, Portia, Gratiano, Nerissa, Lorenzo, and Jessica and the resulting marriages and love is examined with respect to the platonic loyalty between friends and in the romantic exchanges between suitors and spouses. From the paper: The theme of loyalty in the play comes out through the interactions of several sets of characters. We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare: Fairy Tale or Problem Play? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page First, there is Bassanio, who is close friends with Antonio friendship which survives many stressful situations in the play. The loyalty between Bassanio and Antonio becomes evident I the first act of the play when Antonio loans Bassanio a large sum of money and takes him on his word that he will repay it.