merchant of venice

[elerrina]

please could some one tell me a bit about the background of the merchant of venice and the social and historical context

thanks

[andy-hughes]

It's a long time since I read the play, but I do remember the historical context involved the anti-Semitism that was common in Shaksespere's time. Jews were seen as unscrupulous profiteers and money-lenders, which is why Shylock is painted in such a negative light. This 'evil' character would have resonated with Elizabethan audiences, especially since his ambition was thwarted at the end of the play.

[jno]

some would say, though, that Shylock is seen more sympathetically than other Jews in art of the same period. 'If you prick us, do we not bleed?' he asks, insisting that he is as human as anyone else. This is subject to a lot of debate.

In the middle ages, Christians were more or less forbidden to charge interest, so had no reason to go into the money-lending business; Jews were not forbidden, and did so. However, borrowers could get very cross when asked to repay the money they'd got and interest too; the very idea of paying someone to lend you money! And that's what happens in the play: you sign a contract, you back out of paying the terms you agreed to, and you get away with it.

[Drusilla1S]

The Merchant of Venice is based on a collection of Italian stories called Il Pecorone by Ser Giovanni of Fiorentino.
One of these stories gave Shakespeare a basic outline, but he also used The Orator by Alexander Silvayn, Confessio Amantis by John Gower and Boccaccio's Decameron to develop his play.
The Jews had been expelled from England in 1290 by Edward I when he no longer required their financial services. He had begun to use Italian financiers in 1275 and these supplanted the Jewish lenders who had always been unpopular. Jews were not allowed to return to England until Oliver Cromwell's time, so we can be reasonably certain that Shakespeare never met a Jew and relied on old tales and accepted caricutures to represent Shylock.
The play fell out of favour for a period in the 20th Century when it was perceived as somewhat racist, along with the portrayal of Fagin in Dickens', Oliver Twist.
I have enclosed a site which should help with the plot overview of The Merchant of Venice.

http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/merchant/summary.html

[sithlord]

Maybe not much use to you, but I remember studying this play for my english lit 0 level (23 years ago!!!) and I remember being shocked that this play was regarded as comedy in the 15th/16th centuary. Anti sematism was for the tudor and stuarts was what Only Fools And Horses is for us!!!

[mike b]

Sometimes thought to have references to Rodrigo Lopez, Jewish Physician hanged a few years earlier for alleged conspiracy against Elizabeth. If you think that M of V is a bit non-PC, compare Marlowe's Jew of Malta, written probably within the previous decade...

[Steve_Luts]

Drusilla - what a great answer. I had to study this for my GCSE back in 1988 and never really managed to express my understanding of the play as much as I should have. If only I could have quoted you 16 years ago!!!!