There are many instances where if one were not laughing, one would cry; that is to say, the difference between the laughable and the lamentable is often narrow. In fact, the irony of tragedy and comedy is naturally linked by its relationship to pathos, to the point that comedy rejects empathy and pity, while tragedy demands it. From Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard to Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five, through to their beginnings with the burlesque and often dark plays of Plautus, tragi-comic elements have been used in short stories, plays and literature throughout time to providing an ironic commentary on the spirit of the age and the state of being human. However, none surpasses Shakespeare in his work in providing insight into the human condition and its affinities between the tragic and the comic. This is why, after a review of The Merchant of Venice and its management of intolerance towards Jews and homosexuals, of the hypocrisy of Christian judgment by mercy, and in particular of empathic wickedness and the fate of the play's antagonist, Shylock, it becomes clear that Shakespeare deliberately blurs the lines between tragedy and comedy and what is moral and immoral to provide humor, or at the very least, irony, to describe the human condition. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Right from the start with Antonio's first line, "'In truth, I don't know why I'm so sad,'" the reader is introduced into the play with an air of speculative sadness. When Solanio and Salerio insist that Antonio's sadness might stem from the risky nature of his offshore business ventures, Antonio responds by explaining how strong his estate is, regardless of the future of his current business prospects. ; However, when asked if the merchant's misery can be linked to love, Antonio replies: “Fi, fi! » The hasty response seems to suggest that Antonio is certain that he could not be in love, but soon after, when he and Bassanio are left alone, the two share an exchange that would seem contrary to this assertion. Although their exchange is not an open confession of homosexuality, it is undeniable that Bassanio, who says, “'It is to you, Antonio, that I owe the most. , in money and in love”, and Antonio, who promises ““my handbag, my person, my most extreme means are all unlocked for your occasions”, are in love with each other. At the very least, Antonio's undying affection and. “the devotion to Bassanio suggests the intensity of male same-sex bonds.” If Antonio has such a romantic relationship, then why is he sad. It could be that Bassanio is seeking to woo Portia, the wealthy heiress of Belmont, and what? marriage could end Antonio and his relationship, but Bassanio explains that they both expected this to happen given the dilapidated state of his estate, or in his own words, "'It is not unknown to you, Antonio, / How much I have disabled mining estate” If it was planned, why would Antonio declare at the very beginning of the play that he did not know the reasons for his sadness? One possible answer is that Antonio is conflicted by his homosexual desires for Bassanio Antonio, a merchant with Venetian sensibilities of the time, including homophobia and anti-Semitism, may be conflicted by his homosexual desire for Bassanio. and his revulsion towards the very idea of ​​homosexuality The implied irony on the part of a "gay homophobe" could certainly be seen in a humorous light, but it is almost impossible to erase the elements of tragedy,considering how easy it is to empathize with the truly love-confused trader. the bigotry in the play extends much further than sexual orientation and eventually morphs into blatant prejudice and racism, or more precisely, anti-Semitism. The irony behind the opposition between Christians and Jews throughout the play is obviously the Christian message of compassion towards neighbors in conflict with the overt anti-Semitism prevalent among the Christian characters. Even more ironic, intolerance toward Jews is not so much religious intolerance as racial. Although the Christians in the play should in no way be seen as religiously tolerant, the persecution of Shylock, as well as his daughter, is more of a xenophobic disregard for "the particularities of lineage and, increasingly, of the nation.” '. This is highlighted by the exchange between Jessica and Lancelot, when Lancelot explains that Jessica by birth is inevitably "damned", except for a "bastard hope", explaining that Jessica "can partly hope that your father got you. no, that you are not the Jew's daughter. In other words, Jessica's persecution is not necessarily because she shares her father's religion, but because of his blood, which produces a tragicomic irony, so much so that the Christian characters n do not hesitate to persecute Jews, even in the name of Christianity. , a religion that preaches just the opposite. It would be unfair to say that only Lancelot expresses an anti-Semitic attitude; in truth, almost every Christian character expresses some form of Jewish racism at some point in the play. Gratiano, one of the "most virulent anti-Semites in the play", embodies many of the character's prejudices, even to the point of uttering lengthy, radical hate speeches against Jews. Gratiano, in one of these tirades, comically alludes to the questioning of his faith, an ironic notion given that his anti-Semitism does not coexist with his Christian beliefs in the first place, when he says to Shylock: “'Oh, be damned. , inexecrable dog, / And for your life may Justice be accused! / You almost make me waver in my faith. » Whether Shakespeare is consciously making an ironic comment on the injustice of Christian racism or simply cultivating "the soul of English culture" and "the long history of the Jewish religion". suffering,” is debatable. Regardless, it is impossible to suppress the tragic nature of the Jew's situation, even when it is illustrated in such an exaggerated and perhaps humorous way. Christian foul play continues throughout the play, particularly with Shylock's trial. Throughout the trial, Portia pleads with Shylock for showing mercy to Antonio, stating "'then the Jew must be merciful'", but when Shylock questions why he must do so, she recants, saying “ “The quality of mercy is not strained” Later. , it suggests that mercy in law “is not possible for anyone, but only in and through Christ”. His "capitalization" of Christian principles to gain an advantage over the Jew Shylock during the trial could be interpreted as "psychospiritual attrition", especially given the hypocritical ending of the trial, where mercy is not fully exercised with the sentence of Shylock. If mercy was the Christian character's intention, then why publicly humiliate Shylock by forcing him to convert to Christianity, which obviously goes against his own beliefs and family tradition? The use of Christian ideologies in the trial is not only ironic but also hypocritical, since the ideology's spouses do not even support their ownpreaching, even to the extent that Antonio's words earlier in the play that even "the devil can quote Scripture for his purpose" could be used against them. Whether subliminally or deliberately, there is no doubt throughout the trial that the Christian characters demonstrate "'hypocrisy by projecting their worst traits onto the scapegoat figure of the Jew'." Because Shakespeare writes the play with the intention that the Christian characters identify with the audience, the subtle irony behind the Christian hypocrisy is ambiguous; However, if one emphasizes "the importance and centrality of irony", it becomes clear that the play describes "the way in which Christians succeed in the world by not practicing their ideals of love and mercy.” The justice of Christians is completely arbitrary, and not at the mercy of Christ (the only just mercy according to Portia earlier), but only to Antonio's liking when Portia pronounces the sentence upon him asking: "'What mercy can you give back ? him, Antonio? The procedure is nothing less than "mercenary justice" and "does not so much celebrate Christian virtues as expose their absence," which ultimately does not describe "justice by love and mercy.” "but becomes "something of a parody of heavenly harmony and love." The irony behind the legal scene, and certainly the potentially deliberate pathos rendered by Shylock's mistreatment, is quickly swept aside then that Shakespeare immediately shifts the focus from Shylock to the lovers and their rings at the end of the first scene of Act IV, reinforcing the romantic comedy elements throughout the play. But even if irony is deliberately put aside to continue the comic narrative, one cannot deny its presence throughout the trial. and the hypocrisy and complacency of the Christian figures who allowed it to flourish. Perhaps the most complicated element in critically interpreting The Merchant of Venice is the ambiguity surrounding the character of Shylock. One tendency is to present Shylock as "a potentially good man, twisted by malignant social and religious prejudices, an approach which can only mean that Shakespeare intended the play to be "'deeply ironic'" and about "hypocritical Christians", but in the "other direction", Shylock could simply have been like any villain in a "typical romantic comedy, in which it is only by historical accident that a Jew occupies the position otherwise occupied by (say ) a killjoy steward. » In the latter case, if Shylock was simply a generic villain, then why are there so many complications and instances of pity throughout the play towards his character? It could be possible that Shylock deliberately has the characteristics of both, a sympathetic character and a typical villain. Otherwise, how could Shylock be "presented not as a hateful character, but as one who commands our sympathies" and "a comic, even eccentric character, greedy to the point of ridicule, whose every line and every mannerism is intended to evoke belly laughs,” if it wasn’t for him an ideal platform to bring irony throughout the play? It only seems possible that Shylock was created to embody contradictory characteristics. Why else would the most poignant and sentimental lines in the play be spoken by the man who, to Salerio's question, "thou shalt not take his flesh." What is it for? » replies coldly: “To bait the fish with it. If it feeds nothing else, it will feed my revenge. » With these words, something is revealed " "much more than simple desire »..