'How does Shakespeare explore the theme of love against self-interest in the Merchant of Venice?\r'

'How does Shakespe atomic number 18 explore the theme of eff against self-interest in the merchandiser of Venice? In the Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare explores the themes of do it and self-interest; the char players profess self-interests seem to bewitch all feelings of affection towards other characters through property, penalise and transgress. The play is about a Christian merchant called Antonio who borrows money from a Jewish money loaner called loan shark; hence his friend Bassanio bay window hear the women he claims to love in the fictional put in of Belmont.However, loan shark creates a bond which states that if Antonio does non carry back the money lent to him, usurer shall acquire a pound of Antonio’s flesh. In format to understand the characters’ conflicting emotions and incentives, it is important to understand the definitions of love and self-interest.For now, I will define love as an altruistic affection for someone that may stir sacr ificial acts. As for self-interest, I conceive of this can line of businessingly be defined as an conceited focus on one’s have got needs and desires, regardless of those around you. Love is demo in the play by acts of devotion.Portia helps save Antonio from a gruesome death by dressing up as a small-arm and a moreovernessyer. This is an act of devotion towards Bassanio because she is trying to help a man she does not know in order to punish Bassanio. She says â€Å"I have within my mind a thousand raw trick of these bragging jacks, which I will practice”.This illustrates her affection for Bassanio because she immediately forms a biased opinion of the men unknown to her who threaten Antonio’s †Bassanio’s greatest friend’s- safety device. Shakespeare uses the interchange â€Å"raw” weting rude to imply how mean Portia wants to be to these men hurting Antonio.The fact that she is so passionately against these men leads us to believe that Portia cares a great deal for Antonio’s welfare. Portia’s probable care for Antonio illustrates her affection for Bassanio who regards Antonio highly as a ‘dear friend’.This affection is increased to the boundary that it could be called love as Portia sacrifices her own time, safety and comfort, by traveling a great outperform and illegally impersonating a lawyer. However it is problematical as to whether the character of Portia helps Antonio in order to condemn usurer because he is a Jew.Anti-Semitism and the conflict between Jews and Christians highlights the place theme of self-interest. For example, one could question if Lorenzo only marries Jessica to spite her father because of his worship. He states â€Å"Here dwells my father Jew”.The record dwell is often associated with beasts living in caves and and so shows that Lorenzo dis give cares Shylock and finds him uncivilised. Also, he uses the word â€Å"father” wh ich literally means Lorenzo is Shylocks son which is not true. Dramatically, this particular confines is often portrayed sarcastically, giving new implication to the word â€Å"father”.This sarcasm demonstrates that Lorenzo thinks it humorous that Shylock is, or will be, his father in law because he doesn’t like him. This acts in contrast to the common perception of the strength father-son relationships.It also implies that as a son, Lorenzo will receive an inheritance or dowry from Shylock, foreshadowing the future as Jessica steals Shylocks gilt and jewels for Lorenzo when she runs away with him. Next, the word ‘Jew’, referring to Shylock’s religion Judaism is used with no definite or unclear article before it.This could be portrayed as insulting towards Shylock as by utilize no article, Lorenzo has made the word bitter like he struggles with himself to speak it. This emphasises Lorenzo’s dislike for Shylock and turns his feelings into hate.Through understanding the effects of all these language choices, it is debatable as to whether Lorenzo and Jessica’s relationship is genuine or simply a contrivance created to spite Shylock. The fact that Jessica brings Shylock’s money to Lorenzo links to how money is often associated with self-interest and we can compare the strength of avarice over that of love. Shylock cries ‘O, my ducats!O, my little girl’. This ab initio indicates that he care fors his money over his daughter, implying that his rapaciousness outweighs his love. However, when we see Shylock slowr on he appears more hurt by the fact that his daughter sold a ring, which was given to him by his late wife, than he is by the loss of the ring’s value.He says ‘I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys’. The fact that a â€Å"wilderness of monkeys” would be large and valuable shows a softer side of Shylock which we can sympathise with, and sho ws that sometimes love and the tokens of that love, way out more to him than his covetous egotism.In conclusion, I think that if we think of the love in Shakespeare’s play ‘Romeo and Juliet’, where the â€Å"star-crossed lovers” â€Romeo and Juliet- value each other’s lives above their own in their extreme self-sacrifice, then I do not think this type of love exists in the Merchant of Venice.However, if we define love as a feeling of affection for another individual then we see this clearly, although not without its drawbacks. For instance, although Portia and Bassanio claim to love oneanother, Bassanio seeks Portia in the first place because he is greatly in debt and needs her money. Also, Shylock argues that Jews are human beings just like Christians. He says â€Å"If you prick us, do we not bleed? ”Nevertheless, Christians like Lorenzo hate Jews simply because they are Jews. Therefore, although Christians seem to speak more about leni ence and love, they do not exhibit these qualities regularly, producing the debate as to whether love in this play is merely a false pretence for self-interest and spite.\r\n'