Shakespeare's play Othello and Good Will Hunting directed by Gus Van Sant are two such texts, exploring the human condition through the archetypal idea. In Othello, we see a black man driven to mad jealousy, and the demise of his world as a result. In Van Sant's film Good Will Hunting, we explore an intelligent man struggling with issues of his own. In both texts, the complexities of love and trust, and segregation are explored through the outsider archetype. Shakespeare's England was not a very accepting society when it came to foreigners.
The narrator is not afraid to speak his mind throughout the book by leaving a trail of witty or sarcastic remarks and even says, “It kills me sometimes, the way people die” (464). This quote can not be taken literally, but it can be taken to heart if the readers are not a fan or the narrator. Another example of New Historicism is when the book changes culture. Normally, in Germany from 1939-1942, the culture is to hate the Jewish religion and all who believe in it. The narrator says, “The Germans in basements were pitiable,
Firstly, shylock is seen to be a racist person in this play who is being racist towards Christian people like Antonio. “I have him for he is a Christian” this is showing that he has something again Christian people. This is very appalling to the audience as he is very rude to Christian people. Shylocks speech “be nominated for an equal pound of your fair flesh,” I will have the heart of him if he forfeit” this shows that he wants a pound of flesh near Antonio’s heart.to be cut off and taken.” this proves to us that shylock is a villain as he is heartless and doesn’t think of others. This quote suggests that if Antonio the Christian won’t bring the money on time to shylock, then he will take a pound of flesh of Antonio’s body, showing cruelty.
Shylock and Jews Treatment Introduction William Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice is an ingenious play which elicits many themes and stereotypical characters depictions which have also been brought out in other literary works. In the play Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare candidly builds up the mean character of Shylock who is a Jewish money-lender which is on broader spectrum depicted the ill-treatment of the Jews in the sixteenth century. Ironically, Shylock lends money to a Christian adversary, who is Antonio and they agree on Antonio’s pound of flesh as collateral security. Things escalate up to the edge when Antonio becomes bankrupt and consequently defaults on Shylock’s loan where he demands as they had agreed on Antonio’s pound of flesh in what is ultimately seen as revenge for the spit and insults Antonio had previously hauled onto Shylock. To add salt into the injury Shylock’s daughter, Jessica elopes with Lorenzo who is Antonio’s friend and is converted into a Christian which heightens his rage (Gibbons 36).
The 1920s were filled with xenophobia, fundamentalism and extreme conservatism and so to say that this was an age of tolerance would be incorrect. Many immigrants and foreigners were discriminated against and unfairly treated. The revival of the vigilante group, the KKK, showed the lack of tolerance for those that were described as Un-American. (Unbelievers, bootleggers, those guilty of marital infidelity, criminals and the correct) This group was made up of immigrants, Jews, Blacks and Catholics. An example of how the 1920s were not an age of tolerance was how immigrants were treated badly; a demonstration of this was the case of Sacco and Vanzetti, two Italian-American men, who were arrested and charged with murder and robbery in Massachusetts.
The Forgotten Holocaust The video shockingly depicts the sufferings and despair of the Gipsy people during World War II. The mere title implies that this discrimination was completely disregarded. Many people, even nowadays, are still not aware of the horrors of the Roma population. Moreover, many scholars also consider the Holocaust as explicitly Jewish, and tend to overlook other victims that had equal part in this persecution. It seems that the Roma people have always been looked down upon.
It was from the Jews, and only from the Jews, that the early Church was to suffer persecution. The Roman authorities ignored this; viewing it as an insignificant argument between two factious groups of Jews. The outbreak under Nero was because of the fire that had taken place in Rome. Many accused Nero of starting the fire because he was considered a mad man. The reason they accused him because they believed he wanted to rebuild the city the way that he desired.
Jewish people, even before Hitler and the Nazis gained control, were heavily judged for their religion and were often blamed for economic crisis in Germany, due to their “cheap” business transactions. These stereotypes were not helped by people like Alfred
Stephanie Webber How far does Shakespeare present Shylock as a victim or a villain? “The Merchant of Venice”, one of Shakespeare’s famous plays, heavily and unsubtly explores the issue of prejudice, through a Jewish character called Shylock. It was written during Elizabethan England. Historically, during this time the Jews had been banished for 300 years. As a result, Shakespeare’s audiences’ knowledge and opinion of Jews would have been solely from prejudice and rumour, not first-hand experience.
Variety Shylock sees himself as an outsider, alienated by his society which spites him for being a Jew. Shylock makes it very obvious he hates Antonio, because he is a Christian, "I hate him for he is a Christian”, but also because he lends money without interest. Shylock is a man who deals more with money than with people. Shylock deliberately lent Antonio money to trick him so he could get his revenge. He takes revenge because Antonio has been horrible to him in the past by calling him a “Misbeliever, cut-throat dog,” and was spat at on the streets of Venice.