The depths of human experiences in The Merchant of Venice Talia Stewart 12th Grade

Quality literature provides responders with an insight into its world and its inhabitants, revealing the inconsistencies, qualities, and confrontations that further the understanding of the context itself. It is through the paradoxical outlook of texts, as the inconsistent behaviors of the dominant collective are highlighted, that the depths of impact and understanding of ourselves and humanity at large are entrenched. William Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice exhibits contextually transcending themes, highlighting the human experiences of prejudice, romance, ideology and religious thought, perpetuated through the divergent perspective of culturally conflicting individuals. Shakespeare provides insight into the systemic workings of flawed individualistic beliefs when beset against a racially and gender-stratified society. The conformist and xenophobic ideologies of the religious dominated Italian society, primarily within the bustle of 16th century Venice, illuminates the anxieties and fixations of leading characters confronting the responder with the stark familiarity of embedded personal flaws at the core of the human experience. Through the vibrant depiction of societal complexes, mutual bigotries, and social...