Merchant of Venice generic confusion

Merchant of Venice generic confusion

Introduction

The generic kind of confusion in the classification of the Shakespeare merchant of Venice generally shapes a readers understanding of the book. The grouping which is not clearly defined and which falls in between being a comedy and tragedy. The different paths which the story takes do determine the understanding of the book as it keeps the reader both active to the actual tragedy that befalls the two communities in Belmont and Venice. This confusion develops two sides of understanding.

On the other hand, the element of the drama in the story, which mostly appears in the city of Venice create the much important aspect of a good readership which also enhance the understanding of the book. As such, the confusion is vital in the development of the care theme understanding while at the same time improving the urge of reading through the element of comedy (Shakespeare,56). This essay examines how the generic confusion of either tragedy or comedy in William Shakespeare merchant of Venice determines the readers understating of the book.

This element of confusion remains a fundamental pattern in Shakespeare’s more opulent art. Shakespeare muddled through a love story that ties with justice, crime, and more so confusion. The characters are the principal source of the generic confusion of pleasure in the play through their interactions and reactions. In the first scene, Salerio and Solanio are making jokes with Antonio about the desolation; Antonio’s response, therefore, puts the reader in a concerned state. The author shows that the reader should realize the magnificent theme is just about to unroll. The story is driven by the romance motifs, the three caskets choice and the human flesh bond as the final penalty (Moisan, 45).

The confusion over the classification of the story into either tragedy or comedy duties he readers understanding of the book in a way which he or she chooses. In the story, Shakespeare creates the two sides of the story through a demonstration of the tragedy which occurs most of the characters in the play. The tragedy first develops when Antonio laments about his ship being overdue. This shapes the understanding of the key tragedy in the story as he is forced to borrow from a Jew.  However, the major tragedy which he develops in the tragedy that occurs between Antonio and Shylock, where Antonio lends money from Shylock and is unable to pay within the stipulated time forcing Shylock to turn into the agreement which they had, chopping a pound of flesh from Antonio. The sense of humour and the comic relief that surrounds the specific scenes in the story shapes how an individual would understand the story (Shakespeare, 112).

The Merchant of Venice is however considered the most of Shakespeare’s comedy during the queen’s reign. One is likely to say that his fantastic plots were portrayed with familiarity because most were basing on popular stories at that time. In this play, Shakespeare had exploited the norms of comedy by a challenging extension into moods of wonder, sceptics or tragedy.   When the match is at its most integral part, the characters help to take the attention out of what is being said. For instance, the court scene, Portia strips Shylock’s dignity and manhood in a questionable legal interpretation. Confusion is also evident in the way Portia sets out an opposite example by obeying her father’s will. Lancelot, on the other hand, greets long lost old father by giving him a confusing direction and confuses his father by telling him that Lancelot is long dead. This moment can be understood as essential to the comedy of the Merchant of Venice. Jessica gives no clear complaints when she says she wants to leave Shylock’s house, but in the next scene, she is seen appearing with Shylock.  Her desire to leave Shylock’s home is seen by how far she distances herself from her father (Moisan, 23).

The confusion seems to infect almost everything in Merchant of Venice, and the three intersecting storylines seemingly traverse the famous text. The first involves the Bassanio’s attempt to woo Portia; he seeks a short term loan from his friend Antonio. With his assets still tied up, he accepts to loan the funds on Bassano’s behalf from Shylock. Antonio fails to repay the loan after the ships carrying his merchandise get lost in the sea. Secondly, Portia juggles a raft of suitors, Bassanio wins the day. Still, just before the marriage is organized, he must go to Venice to help Antonio deal with Shylock, its finally Portia arriving to parse the loan contract saving Antonio(Moisan, 26). This tragedy sets the basis of a larger understanding of theme love and hatred, which the author Shakespeare is working to develop among the readers (Adelman,61).

Many characters are subject to the betrayal that is subject along with confusion. Jessica abandons her father, thereby betraying him, in the courtroom Bassanio betrays Portia. Portia, on the other hand, reveals her role as a wife. Antonio is left alone, showing the ideal of male friendship cannot, however, be maintained in the world of heterosexuals.  The characters who have seemingly engaged the readers’ thoughtful attention are at the centre of escape from confusion. In them, the reader gets an experience of an intimately a pattern that is fundamental to comedy and the human experience being very creative (Adelman, 67). Shakespeare’s original art, the norms of expectations are never satisfied; the act of confusion comes through when Antonio lends money from Bassanio even when his life is still on the line.  The generic trouble comes in Shakespeare’s work in comedies that is funny arising from the misconceptions of the lovers (Sierra, 38).

Shakespeare’s to some effect had the best option of using the characters from the play as comic relief themselves and also to skew their interactions and reactions so subjects that have so far held more profound ideology of generic confusion. We see the representation of the fundamental clash between the cultures between the reviled Jews and the dominant Christians. Trouble is however objective in that, however mysterious some characters seem to be, the explanation is given clearly to the whole audience. The confusion is always not external rather internal, the situational comedies where characters are implausibly bewildered in the world. The Merchant of Venice’s climactic scenes is of a tragic intensity mixed with moments of comedy (Sierra, 59).

It is still in the way of keeping with this demanding play that makes a generic confusion end. It is a comedy that leads to loss, death, and in the end, the main sympathetic character is given a cruel penance.  This brings forth the instance of general instability and confusion, which unsettles the reader throughout the play. However, nothing looks more fundamental to a literary work than the sense of works genre. In Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, much turns of confusion has been generated by the characters in knowing much than others of what is actually taking place and the audience really knowing it all. Some really present the nature of comedy in similar terms. When Portia finally arrives and manipulates the law in a most skilful way, the outcome is a confusing and happy ending (Sierra, 29).

Despite the tragedy which is demonstrated in the scene where Antonio falls a victim of the terms of lending that they had, the various elements of humour come out from the story. Shakespeare does demonstrate a more significant portion of fun in the judgement room through the conversation and the action of the characters present in Venice at this time. The comedy part of the story appears in the courtroom when the duke presiding over the case seeks legal advice from Portia who is disguised and is pretending to be a judge. She saves the day. Shakespeare integrates the two elements in the story with the motive of developing a wide range of understanding concerning issue in the story. Shakespeare uses the humour in the tragedy that faces Antonio to produce a pleasant side of the story, which shapes the knowledge of the story (Shakespeare, 138).

From tragedy which faces Portia’s suiters in the story through the selection of the three caskets is engaged with a taste of humour to perhaps create a longer-lasting kind of memory and a deeper understanding of the story. Shakespeare uses this element of confusion on the type of account between comedy and tragic tale to determine how one chooses to. For most people, the dominant understanding would be best of the tragedy over the humour. In my view, tragedy overrides the element of comedy. The religious tragedy which is between the Jews and Christian is so huge in the play. This perfectly integrated by Shakespeare though the revenge that Shylock intends to take on Christ, Antonio. The development of the better sense of humour in the story by Shakespeare do determine how an individual would understand the common theme which he portrays.  Being very open, the account through confusion do represent Shakespeare motive of a deep understanding (Shakespeare, 228).

Conclusion

The story of a merchant of Venice is a typical case of generic confusion on the context. With a challenge being in differentiating whether it’s a comedy or tragedy, Shakespeare does develop a full new understanding for the readers through the creation of the different perceptive on the mind of the reader. This confusion does determine the way in which the readers understands the book.  In the story, most of the tragedy that happens such as that Shylock and Antonio, Portia and Bassanio, among others. The confusion which is witnessed in the story is the critical guide to the understanding of the story. It determines how good one will be able to understand the various elements of the story with a greater focus on how each tragedy comes to an end.