There are different intents to illustrate in each of Shakespeare’s plays. In one of his plays, The Merchant of Venice, his intent was to illustrate that whatever you do to a person or to a group at the start, will always come back to you at the end. (karma) However, if we take an honest look at those thing that we have done, it doesn’t always come back as the same. Just as judging a person by the cover isn’t always right, you need to dig deeper into him, become friends with him, and give more time to realize he isn’t what you thought he was.
The protagonists in The Merchant of Venice, Shylock, Bassanio, Antonio, and Portia, has deal with this kind of issues. They demonstrate in the play that it is important to know what family really wants, abide the roles of parents, and the courage to do anything for friends. Also the revenge between antagonist and protagonist, because it could truly foreshadow the events that will happen to you later on. The basic structure of Shakespeare’s play underlines the karma that is hidden in life.
One of the main characters, Shylock (the Jewish moneylender), underlines the karma very well by being hypocritically to Antonio and says, “I would be friends with you, and have your love, Forget the shames that you have stain’d me with, Supply your present wants, and take no doit Of usance for my monies, and you’ll not hear me. This is kind I offer. ” (1. 3. 134-138) when he, a christian ship merchant, going to borrow money from him for his friend, Bassanio, after all the rude things and condescend attitude he did to him just because he is Jewish. He spat on him, kicked him, and called him as a dog.
However, at the end of conversation Shylock did let Antonio borrow money from him, but with a pound of fresh meat of him as a bond. Through the attitude and the karma between Shylock and Antonio in this scene, we learned that you never wilful satirize on someone, because you might need some assist from him or her in the future. There is immoral betrayal that even exists within one’s own family, such as a wife exposing her husband and children denouncing their parents. In the play, Jessica, Shylock’s daughter, who has no freedom under her stingy father’s protection and authority by locking her in the house all day.
Which leading her to discuss with her servant, Lancelot, “Our house is hell. ” (2. 3. 2) Furthermore, she shortly decides to elope with her lover, Lorenzo, and says, “But though I am a daughter to his blood I am not to his manners. O Lorenzo, If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife, Become a Christian and thy loving wife. ” (2. 3. 17-20) Other than eloping with a person from another religious, Christian, which her father loathes, she also steals all of her father’s money and jewels when her father had gone to Bassanio’s house for dinner.
By the time when Shylock discovers that all of his wealth has stolen by his own daughter, he angrily exclaims, “I would my Daughter were dead at my foot. ” (3. 1. 79) Therefore, too many protections might be the reason that children denouncing their parents. Sometimes parents just have to let go their hands and let the children fly out their own ways with their own wings. A close friend is better than lots of scoundrels friends. In the play, Antonio and Bassanio is an perfect example of close friends.
They show us of how close friends should do for each others. For Antonio, he lent money to Bassanio so he can pay his debts while living a full of happiness and fun life. In addition, he even sacrifice his own life to Shylock so that Bassanio can have three thousands ducats to pursue Portia, who was a rich inheritress from Belmont. Bassanio on the other hand urgent to save Antonio’s life from Shylock than marry with Portia. Moreover, he even gave the ring, that Portia said solemnly to him, “This house, these servants, and this same myself Are yours, my lord’s.
I give them with this ring, Which when you part from, lose, or give away, Let it presage the ruin of your love, And be my vantage to exclaim on you. ” (3. 2. 170-174), to the lawyer as reward for helping to save Antonio’s life. In which, it shows how truthful he is to his friend. From this scene we saw how important it is to choose your friends carfully. . Again, some friends we can make and some other friends we should never have any connections with. Once again, some friends will stay even when you are in the worse case and some friends does not.
As do some friends will do anything for you and some friends does not. Through the karma that Shakespeare put into the play, it taught me lots of things like I should think decisions over before deciding,because that decision could become one of my most important life events. As I read it deep over, it also tells me that everything is possible, but once if you don’t try it, you never will get it. From that, I will begin to understand that everyone has their own karma, the difference is what you do to effect your karma.
