Racism is used in by many people and societies throughout the ‘Merchant of Venice’. Some can be brutal and some not that ruthless.
From black people to ‘Jews’, you will find many of the cruel jokes and remarks in this book. Some examples include different religions mocking other religions like the Christians and the Jewish people, building war for their religions, white people make rude remarks about the black people and Portia continues to find things that are bad about different races.In ‘Merchant of Venice’ Christianity and Judaism are at war with each other one remark or joke and they are at war with each other again, all they needed to do is change those words from wicked to wonderful . This is an example of how much Judaism disgusts Christianity “I am bid forth to supper Jessica.
There are my keys. But where fore should I go? I am not bid for love. They flatter me. But yet I’ll go in hate to feed upon the prodigal Christian.
– Shylock Act 2 Scene 5 But the Christian religion abuses their wealth and makes the Judaism fell even worse by making them wear red hats which tells them if they are Jewish or not and by spitting on them they think it’s going to make this any better. Here is and example of what types of thing Christians say about the ‘Jews’ “let me say ‘Amen’ betimes, lest the devil cross my prayer, for here come the likeness of a Jew. ”- Solanio Act 3 Scene 1 This shows of the hate between Judaism and Christianity and how much the Christians think the ‘Jews’ have come from the devil even though Jesus was a Jewish person.Portia is one of those people you would think never to say anything racist about anyone but she has said many racist things in her life.
In this quote Portia is talking to Nerissa about the prince of morocco “If he had the condition of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I’d rather he should shrive me than wive me. ”- portia Act 1 Scene 2 Portia is saying that she rather confesses that she doesn’t like him because he is black rather than he would ask her to marry him, but portia doesn’t have the courage to tell him that… in terms of choice I am not solely led by nice directions of a maidens eyes besides, the lottery of my destiny bars me right of voluntary choosing.But if my father had not scanted me and hedged me by his wit to yield myself his wife who wins me by that means I told you, yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fair as any comer I have looked on yet for my affection. ” Portia is saying that this isn’t only one way to her other than being good looking, her father had taken away her choice of choosing a husband, but if her father hadn’t of done this he would have a good choice of her marrying him.
