MOV notes - Contextual information and deep analysis on the Merchant of Venice for common PDF

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Contextual information and deep analysis on the Merchant of Venice for common module in Eng Adv....

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COMMON MODULE: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

In this common module students deepen their understanding of how texts represent individual and collective human experiences. They examine how texts represent human qualities and emotions associated with, or arising from, these experiences. Students appreciate, explore, interpret, analyse and evaluate the ways language is used to shape these representations in a range of texts in a variety of forms, modes and media.

Students explore how texts may give insight into the anomalies, paradoxes and inconsistencies in human behaviour and motivations, inviting the responder to see the world differently, to challenge assumptions, ignite new ideas or reflect personally. They may also consider the role of storytelling throughout time to express and reflect particular lives and cultures. By responding to a range of texts they further develop skills and confidence using various literary devices, language concepts, modes and media to formulate a considered response to texts.

Students study one prescribed text and a range of short texts that provide rich opportunities to further explore representations of human experiences illuminated in texts. They make increasingly informed judgements about how aspects of these texts, for example context, purpose, structure, stylistic and grammatical features, and form shape meaning. In addition, students select one related text and draw from personal experience to make connections between themselves, the world of the text and their wider world.

By responding and composing throughout the module students further develop a repertoire of skills in comprehending, interpreting and analysing complex texts. They examine how different modes and media use visual, verbal and/or digital language elements. They communicate ideas using figurative language to express universal themes and evaluative language to make informed judgements about texts. Students further develop skills in using metalanguage, correct grammar and syntax to analyse language and express a personal perspective about a text.

DISECTING THE RUBRIC 

The “human experience” 

What does it mean to be human? What makes humans special? 

means to have emotions, feelings and be able to communicate with others

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the idea of curiosity

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language (makes possible the accumulation of culture) AND representation AND linguistic communication? 

language: can be literal, or the language of art for example, the language of music, history etc.

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animals have language, but can they represent this in an artwork or novel?

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Our ability to think in the future tense (e.g. future planning and being able to conceptualise what our future is like and a path to get us there), co-operative trade

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memory

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reason

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creativity

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religious and scientific impulses 

knowledge and technology 

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animals have this but humans have it to a larger extent

cumulative culture 

increasing complexity, number of innovations and cultural adaptiveness

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this makes humans special

What is humanity? What does it mean to be inhumane? 

humanity  positive connotations

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the qualities which make us human – such as the ability to love, having compassion, values, having empathy, flaws, wanting to search for meaning

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morality and spirituality

inhumanity  negative connotations 

inhuman treatment of behaviour  e.g. abuse

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to be cruel

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act without compassion

What is the human condition? 

THE HUMAN CONDITION IS “the characteristics, key events and situations which compose the essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict and morality”

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our awareness of our awareness

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human existence precedes its essence 

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the deep-seated sense of alienation that follows from all this 

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defining our own purpose  since we don’t have a purpose which is externally imposed

existential angst  so much freedom, therefore feel angst  this is where alienation comes in

Types of collective human groups 

we take care of ourselves  the individual

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we then take care of the people who were are most close to  friends and family

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after family, we take care of people who are similar to us  class

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we take care of our own nation, e.g before helping kids in Africa, we help the homeless people in our own streets because it is  our nation

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we then take care of other countries  we coalition of nations

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after all of this, we take care of and are concerned of  all of humanity

What are experiences that all humans experience? 

human commonalities: WE ALL EXPERIENCE THESE THINGS 

basic needs e.g. food and water, not wanting to feel pain

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environmental concerns  all want to be safe

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birth, life and death

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dreams, hopes and visions

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interpersonal relationships

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history; all humans, at some point, recall the past and look to the future

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search for meaning

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language  all humans use symbols to express their thoughts, feelings and emotions

the concept of personal names

human emotions associated with, or arising from individual or collective human experiences 

different emotions you can feel from different human experiences

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“primary” or “basic” emotions which everyone feels 

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anger, sadness, joy, pain, fear and disgust

can emotions like shame, sorrow and sensitiveness be attributed to animals?

human behaviours and motivations 

the way we behave become of some certain human experiences

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the idea of motivation 

something which motivates people is their needs

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1. basic needs drive us and motivate us e.g. food

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2. psychological needs  safety needs

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3. self-fulfillment needs  achieving one’s full potential

Anomalies

Paradoxes

Inconsistencies in the human behaviour

we have established norms in society which determine behaviour

Examples:

likely you would engage with this in reality

there is actually a small

aggressive self-confidence is a reflection of inner feelings of weakness and inferiority

difference between normal and abnormal

sexual promiscuity is a reflection of inner feelings of ugliness and worthlessness

behaviour which is unlikely to engage with in reality

the sweeter a person is, the more savage they are the funniest people are often the saddest people

Role of storytelling throughout time to express and reflect particular lives and cultures  “through the telling and receiving of stories, we become more aware of ourselves and our shared human experiences”

CONTEXT THE ELIZABETHAN AGE: 1596-97 o SS was writing towards the end of the era (last 10 years) o Historians divide the age into two sections  In the second part there was a terrible war, Elizabethan was dying, huge famine, travellers to the new world (STI transition) o Elizabethan was good at propaganda  Everyone had to be in love with her o Why is this relevant?  Underneath the glamour, wit and fun, there is a much darker side to the play  What you see on the surface is not the reality  Like with Elizabeth: her appearance was fake, when she was dyeing she was very old and ugly, but tricked people into thinking she was beautiful  What sorts of worlds does the play represent? o Belmont vs Venice o What are the characteristics of the each world? o In what ways were they different/similar? o What are the experiences of the characters as they encounter these worlds? 

Looking at SS in terms of Ethics??? o Looking at human experience; look at the ethical concepts that are challenged and sustained in the play? o Tzachi Zamir refers to “the gratifying insights” Shakespeare’s writings yield “when brought into close dialogue with philosophical concerns” o Looking at the philosophical ideas that the play explores

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Divide discussion of the play into three sections:

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Friendship between men What is the nature of the nature of the relationship between Bassanio and Antonio? ii. Different modern interpretations to the friendship E.g. Godfather relationship (older and young), or a sexual relation iii. What we regard as homosexuality was not the same in that time? They had different attitudes to male friendship that were based on Roman and Greek writings Cicero De Amicitia “He who looks upon a true friend, looks, as it were, upon a sort of image of himself” because “the whole essence of friendship” is “the most complete agreement in policy, in pursuits, and in opinions”. Looks to the modern concept of AMITY  Erasmus: "A friend is another self, friends are alike, the same, doubles of each other" i.

HOMOSOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS Kissing, hugging, not necessarily a sexual relationship but it could be Eve Sedgwick - applied the term 'homosocial' to describe these relationships that MAY have a sexual relation E.G "Damon and Pithias"  Tragicomedy Richard Edward affirms the classical conceptions of Amicitia (one friend willing to die for each other)  How does this story relate to Antonio and Bassanio? Also the relationship within women (SS often makes parallels in his plays)  The friendship between Portia and Nerissa survives vs Bassanio and Antonio

THE LOVE PLOT To meet the happy ending of getting married Attitudes to women:  Restricted social, economic and legal standing  Single women could inherit and administer land but married women COULD NOT  When women are married, they give everything they own to their husband  Aligns with Portia giving B the RING  Women are completely dis-empowered when they get married

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How does SS show Portia renegotiating the terms of her marriage that WILL leave her empowered at the end? Women were not expected to voice their opinion in public debate or even express their views in ordinary conversation  Had to do it under the guise of being dressed as a man Women were associated with passion, men with reason  Representation of Portia: what is SS doing with her vs Bassanio?

Changing attitudes to marriage  Traditional attitudes laid down by the Church  Celibacy is the desired state; if you can't be celibate, get married  In social terms it was about making suitable alliances, for making children, curbing lust However, there was the growing interest in the possibly of making a companionate marriage (developed in the 16th-17th centuries), that you didn’t marry just for fulfilling religious / social reasons  Rom/com are born from this idea, that people will marry for love

THE MYTH OF VENICE    

Looked as amazing place in EU It had binaries/oppositions/paradox: associated with the goddess Venus but also the virgin Mary, the land and on sea, people created a mythology about Venice as this wonderful place, also sexuality etc... Another contradiction: republic but had 3 levels of gov: monarch, aristocratic, democratic SS just makes the Duke Looked to Venice as alternative, (other countries = autocratic), a place of virtuous civic institutions, this idea of Gov also came from Cicero and Aristotle  Cicero "the common good could be achieved through virtuous civic institutions"

Il Pecorone In SS source, Fiorentino Giovanni presents Venice as a city with a reputation for administering strict and consistent justice - ideas the Venice was a place of justice Revisiting historians saying it wasn't like that

Revisionist account: English ambassador to Venice (Henry Wotton …. How is SS representing the republic of Venice? The Book of the Courtier 1528 A prince should behave with "justice, liberty, magnanimity and gentleness" - does the Duke exhibit these qualities? The Serpent as a Symbol of Wisdom  Portrait/poster as propaganda, she had serpents on her posters, associating her ruling with justice  There was assassination attempts on her  She only had a government sometimes  Her minister established the first "spy" system in England, people were watched etc.. Arrested, and tortured  What was justice really like in England? Did they get a chance for a fair trial?

Mercantilism Venice was the prime example of trade  EU trade attained its powerful global position from systematic colonial plunder  Columbus got to the Indies  They opened routes to India o Trade is increasing o A lot of this trade came as a result of dispossession and exploitation o Modern historians feel that under the surface many Europeans felt guilt about the Moral impacts of their trading  Originally the Church banned Christians from lending money and gaining interest o C began reliant of the Jews o They became notorious for the high rate of interest  From 1571, Christians were permitted to lend money and charge 10% interest o Economically, difference between Christians and Jews was lessoning o Portia comes into the court and says "Which is the Christian and which is the Jew" o This play reflects INCREASING anxieties between J and C  Also reflects cotemporary anxieties about English involvement in mercantile capitalism o Christians treating Shylock as a scapegoat: they want him to be guilty not themselves Is SS anti-Semitic in his representation of Shylock? Or is he challenging prejudice?

Impossible to look at SS without anachronism - In the wake of the Holocaust it is not correct to reduce Shylock to a 'figure of fun', he can't just be the villain with a big nose

THE SHYLOCK PLOT Shylock is a Jew Very few Jews, some who had converted to Christianity There was only a few hundred The 'outroar' that they caused was disproportionate to the actual 'problems' that they caused The Christians blamed the Jews for the death of Christ (church taught they were the enemy) o Terrible lies, really weird stories invented about Jews to segregate them Christopher Marlowe - characterise of Jews, plays into the stereotypes "I walk abroad o'night, and kill sick people groaning under walls, sometimes I go about and poison wells" Does terrible things, kills people This is what PEOPLE EXPECTED to see about Jews Early productions of the play characterised him terrible with evil features The Trial of Doctor Lopez (1594) Lopez was a Portuguese Jew who converted to Christianity. He was FRAMED and accused by someone who wanted to get in good books in the Queen that he was conspiring to murder Elizabethan. Publicised trial that vilified Jews, He was sentenced to death, being drawn and quartered o He died with dignity, saying he 'loved the queen as he loved his god' = everyone laughed o Gives insight into the extreme anti-Semitism o Not short after Marlowe wrote his play "the Jew of Malta" and staged it o Contextually; emphasises the bouts of anti-Semitism When SS is writing the MOV, he's writing it soon after the Lopez trial what is he doing by writing it? Jews in Venice were discriminated against, despite Venice being very diverse and cosmopolitan Confined to a Ghetto Had to wear a special red hat They had to pay higher taxes SS did not know this or chose to ignore this It is debated that the play could've been called the "Jew of Venice" The Outsider

What What -

is the human experience of the outside in a community? is the human experience of the people who marginalise him? Cicero " the common good" Henry Turner: "how is the common good of the community to be reconciled with the rights and the claims of singular members" … who is the non-citizen? What is owned to the noncitizen?" What gets Shylock in the end is that he is NOT a citizen, they can take his money but not give him rights (parallels today) Julia Lupton doubts that civic life can survive "as a valid and authentic

The Trial Scene Some see Antonio as a God like figure and Shylock as demonic This scene foregrounds SS philosophical discussion between revenge, mercy and justice Decide - is Portia actually admirable? Forgiveness? The Duke says "I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it?"  From a modern perspective what is the level of forgiveness of the Christians?  In the Elizabethan era they would think - "saving his soul" To what extent does Portia attain environmental mastery and become an agent of social change? Or does she just go back to Belmont and live her married life Act 5: two interpretations of the ending 1. “No other comedy … ends with so full an expression of harmony” C. L. Barber, Shakespeare’s Festive Comedy Act 5 is a festival of love that is presented in terms of mutual compatibility, consent and partnership. Catherin Belsey “Love in Venice” Belmont is a pastoral aristocratic fantasy where the dilemmas of the city and the court are “tested and validated by its ability to master the deepest conflicts” of the alternative world. Walter Cohen, “The Merchant of Venice and the Possibilities of Historical Criticism”

2. “Shakespeare stresses the artifice involved in his resolution … it pointedly emphasises the distance between the final act’s charmed fictional world and the intransigent real one” Katharine Eisaman Maus, The Norton Shakespeare

HYBRIDISING GENRE The Genre of Romantic Comedy  Love plot, happy ending, marriage, no one dies  Portia subverting her father’s wishes, gets the guy she wants

The Genre of Revenge Tragedy  Shylock plot; he feels he has been mistreated, Antonio has abused him, stolen his clients, Shylock wants revenge  A character determined to take revenge for a wrong that the LAW will not punish  Decides to take revenge into his OWN HANDS without the support of the law Two incompatible genres - SS was very interesting in bringing two genres together But in the end - bc it is a Rom/Com, the ending cannot be tragic, no one can die REVENGE TRAGEDY   

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Although this is a romantic comedy: what happens if you introduce aspects of a revenge tragedy Revenge tragedy comes from the Roman tragedy There is always a protagonist who wants to take revenge because he has been wronged o The convention of the RT is that he has been wronged by a person in a way that the law cannot execute justice for (E.g. someone they love has been killed) o Brings in the idea of the NATURE of the justice system in society  E.g. in Hamlet he cannot get revenge without illegal murder You start of feeling a sense of sympathy for the protagonist aiming for revenge o In Elizabethan times the act of revenge was forbidden by the state and church o As a result, at the end of a RT, the play shows that the process of taking revenge aligns with the process of becoming morally jeopardised o The process of taking revenge is worse than the original crime  To take revenge you must die Shakespeare is playing around with this idea, Shylock exhibits some of the aspects of a RT protagonist What features of a RT protagonist tragedy does S show? o He is horrendous at the start; requesting flesh o But he does become more morally compromised o S feels wronged, the law won’t protect h...