English Advanced Common Module Marking

[UzaSaa]

Hi Anyone who can mark this!! I was wondering whether you could give me feedback on my Common Module Essay for the Merchant  of Venice?

Evaluate this statement in light of your prescribed text (The Merchant of Venice)       (20 marks)
“Experiences of injustice and loss can provoke the human response of vengeance or mercy”.
Whilst experiences of injustice and loss can provoke the human response of vengeance or mercy, deeper historical, religious and patriarchal contexts play far greater roles. Accordingly, these contexts culminate throughout Shakespeare’s 16th Century play: The Merchant of Venice, that follows a merchant named Antonio, who defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish money lender, Shylock. The audience for this play was predominantly Christian, meaning that Shakespeare was limited in the views he could display. Shakespeare depicts certain characters who have experiences of injustice or loss as the primary reason to their vengeance. However, this essay aims to prove that this is true to a minor extent, as the deeper historical, religious and patriarchal contexts are far more important.
Whilst Shakespeare portrays the hostility between Christianity and Judaism in the play, there is an undercurrent of ancient rivalry between the two religions that pre-dates the events predominantly found through the characters of Antonio and Shylock.  Historically, Christianity and Judaism always had tension from the days of Christian persecution following the beginning of the European medieval era, which explains Shakespeare’s decision to mock the Jewish faith. Shakespeare had to appease his majority Christian audience and introduced scenes that involved insults, bigotry and anti-Semitic beliefs that would please the crowd, were true to society, and yet did not change the teachings of the religions themselves. Shakespeare uses dramatic form in the way he portrays the Jewish moneylender, Shylock, specifically through the character of Antonio, a missionary for the Christian belief. Throughout the play, Shylock is directly addressed as only “Jew” or “dog Jew”, which highlights the type of language that was commended upon by society. This is evident in the use of hypocritical allusion found in the courtroom scene, “We all expect a gentle answer, Jew”. The quote represents the Christians inability to recognise their faults, asking Shylock to show the mercy of a gentile (an outsider/non-Jewish), more specifically a Christian, who would show mercy to Antonio and waive the bond. Both historical and religious contexts pre-dating the publication of the play provide insight into the nature of injustice, suggesting that specific characters are subject to innate vengeance.

The severing of familial ties combined with the patriarchy that constricts most of the women in the play. One subtle but interesting pattern in the play that is sometimes overlooked is Shakespeare’s examination of families and the relationships between father and child. Whilst Shylock is known for his immense hatred for Antonio and Christians in general, his desire comes from the combination of injustice from the mistreatment of the Jews and his loss of his daughter, Jessica, and half of his estate. Jessica, on the other hand feels oppressed by the values that are placed upon her by her father and his expectations of her. Although she feels some guilt, the anecdote in “Alack, what heinous sin is it in me…To be ashamed to be my father’s child! But though I am a daughter to his blood…I am not to his manners” Jessica rejects her father, his way of life, and his religion—although she does take a great degree of his wealth. Shylock is hurt ultimately because of his naivety and attempts to isolate Jessica from the world, but he doesn’t think to distrust her any more than he would distrust his ducats: “Hear you me, Jessica…Lock up my doors…Nor thrust your head into the public street / To gaze upon Christian fools with varnished faces…Let not the sound of shallow fopp’ry enter / My sober house”. He assumes he has her obedience and doesn’t give it a second thought, being much too busy contemplating his money in the imagery found in “I did dream of moneybags tonight” and his revenge “I’ll go in hate, to feed upon / The prodigal Christian”. As a result, Shylock loses his daughter and wealth to Christianity, a loss which leads to more acts of wanting to enact vengeance upon Antonio. The severing of familial ties and the patriarchal constricts are important factors in creating a sense of loss for individuals, leading to an increase in their desire to enact revenge.
The injustice that is found within the patriarchy for women is a major driving force for characters to subvert the traditional values – namely Portia. It is through these unconventional subversions that a persona of prejudice develops, allowing individuals such as Portia to express themselves through vengeance and somewhat, mercy. The patriarchy refers to a society dominated by men and are characterised by systematic, institutionalised and pervasive gender oppression. Portia’s father constructed his will to protect her from suitors only interested in her fortune and to ensure that she married a man who would value everything Portia is and not merely her money and beauty; however, it is also possible to see in his actions a lack of faith in her sense—he doesn’t trust her to make a wise choice on her own, “So is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father”. As such, Portia decides to usurp her father’s wishes by bluntly mocking her suitors such as “I am much afeared my lady his mother played false with a smith”. The dramatic irony in “it is a sin to be a mocker” illustrates that Portia knows that she is mocking these men, but simply does not care as she believes her suitors are “every man in no man”. Thus, she is very prejudicial towards other races and shows no mercy dismissing them after choosing the incorrect casket. However, her condition is hypocritical as she instantly falls for Bassanio, knowing he is of Venetian heritage, a suitor worth for marriage, and is elated when he chooses the correct casket. However, once she submits to Bassanio, she also gives up her prejudicial nature and pledges herself to her husband, which is once again, a feature of the patriarchy, just in a desirable form. As such, Portia becomes intertwined with Bassanio, and changes to even giving mercy to individuals such as Shylock, where she offers a last chance for the Jewish merchant to retract his case against Antonio. The subversion of the patriarchy is an important factor in understanding Portia’s need to act prejudicial towards her suitors – as this is the only method that she can originally enact vengeance. However, once she submits to Bassanio, this prejudice seems to change from ethnic identities to specific people, allowing her to grant mercy in certain situations.   
Whilst experiences of injustice and loss provoke the human response, the violent undercurrent between Christianity and Judaism, type of language and form used and patriarchal contexts play far greater roles in determining the human response of vengeance or mercy. 

Regards, Uzair