Table of ContentsIntroductionDeception in The Merchant of VeniceConclusionIntroductionWilliam Shakespeare achieved literary immortality through his exposition of the various qualities of human nature in his works. These works include the romantic comedy "The Merchant of Venice", which shows the deliberate use of deception. This human quality is a tool used for many purposes which can be harmful, protective or used for personal gain. However, although this quality is generally associated with a heart of malice, imposture differs in both its motivations and its practitioners, manifested in the stubborn characters of Shylock and Portia.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Deception in The Merchant of Venice Shylock, depicted as a Jewish merchant, relies on the practice of usury and deception to earn an income. He uses this technique to conceal the intention of greed and selfishness through the words and face of virtue. He uses deception as a tool when Antonio asked him to borrow money. Shylock resorts to quoting scripture after being confronted with his listless profession. In doing so, he compares his selfish dealings to the actions of holy men. Antonio, at first, sees through the falsity of Shylock's justification and asks the merchant: "Was this inserted to increase interest?" Or are your sheep and rams gold and silver? Shylocks responds to this: “I cannot say; I make it happen again this fast” reveals insight into its true meaning; this is a pretentious declaration of his wealth rather than a righteous rationalization, to which Antonio can only turn to his friend and tell him that "the devil can cite Scripture for his purpose." An evil soul producing a holy testimony is like a wicked man with a smiling cheek, a beautiful rotten apple in his heart. O what a beautiful external lie there is.” However, Antonio begins to reconsider accepting three thousand ducats from the merchant, however, in exchange he must sign a bond entitling Shylock to "an equal pound of his fair flesh." Shylock presents these terms as an attempt to show that "he would be friends with Antonio and have his love." However, Antonio is fully aware of Shylock's friendly pretension, but due to his willingness to help his friends, he ultimately accepts the "merry". bind". The stipulations of his bond apparently appear to have no ill intentions, however, the audience is aware that in reality his true intention is to both harm and humiliate Antionio. The "kindness" of which Shylock has demonstrated in proposing the terms of his loan not only illustrates the need for characters to detect deception, but it also identifies the dangers inherent in a superficial assessment of a person's motives and temperament. to believe in the hypocrisy of others may cause her to face the repercussions of her decision at a later date This thematic concern is also demonstrated through the character of Portia, the heiress of Belmont, is linked to. the lottery determined by her father's will, which allows any potential suitor to choose from three coffins to win her hand in marriage. As a result, she concludes that it is imperative that she use her appearance to deceive her suitors as well. the inhabitants of Venice. She does this by using her appearance to make her suitors believe she is interested in them. She is gracious towards them and even goes so far as to invite the prince of Morocco tosupper before he chooses a coffin. "You yourself, renowned prince, were then as handsome / As any comer I have ever looked upon / For my affection" reveals that she is deceiving the prince into believing that he has a reasonable probability of conquer her. Her deception is so plausible that it eventually leads the prince to believe that she is truly a kind and truthful person. Additionally, the notion of deception is further demonstrated in the play, as evidenced by the end of the play because it depends on a benevolent form of deception that the characters fail to detect. The pleasant harmony of the final act is only made possible by Portia's cleverness in disguising herself as a doctor of law. His pretension is entirely constructive, akin to Shakespeare's artifice, which uses the devices available in a romantic comedy to save Antonio from the knife and his friends from heartbreak. Through her disguise, it is possible to display her intellect while she acts skillfully, like a real civilian doctor, described by her statement; “Therefore, prepare to cut off the flesh. / You shed no blood, nor cut less nor more / But just a pound of flesh: if you take more or less than a fair pound, let it be in the measure / Which makes it light or heavy in substance, / Or the division of the twentieth part / Of a poor scruple, no, if the scales turn / But in the estimation of a hair, / You die and all your goods are confiscated. In the ring scene, this protects Gratiano and Bassanio from disloyalty, as they ignorantly hand over the symbols of their loyalty to their own disguised wives. The ring given to Bassanio is a trap that further illustrates Portia's cunning and deceptive side "which, when you separate, lose or give, portends the ruin of your love." although the characters are influenced by Portia's deception, the audience is not. Viewers are fully aware of the scandalous disguise and intrigues behind the contrived outcome of the trial. This is evident when the audience can recognize the love and social feeling embodied in Portia beneath the guise of her legal chicanery and clothing, just as Bassanio saw through the dull casing of the lead casing, ultimately enabling him to find the desire of his heart. Furthermore, Shakespeare warns his audience not to take the play's comic and jovial ending literally and to disregard the fact that the distractions created in the play are intended to create a strict code of ethics and practical. The notions of deception and deceptive appearances are central themes of Shakespeare's romantic comedy The Merchant of Venice and predominate in the various intertwining plots. This thematic concern is also illustrated through language, via the use of puns and malapropisms. This theme is significant in the plot of the coffins, in which their outward appearance is deliberately designed to test Portia's suitors. Morocco, the first contender, falls prey to the golden coffin which claims: “He who chooses me will obtain what many men desire”. He interprets this in its literal sense, perceiving that the answer is Portia, however, his inability to look beyond the surface prompts him to choose the wrong coffin. This conveys a philosophical message to the audience; “All that glitters is not gold”, reflecting society's perception, in which superficial and materialistic aspects like wealth, beauty and lust shape one's judgment, making them blind to the truth deeper. Even if the Prince of Aragon displays a certain depth of perception, »..