Racial and Religious Issues in The Merchant of Venice

The ‘Merchant of Venice’ is filled with racial and religious issues that appear possible from almost all characters. These contrasting actions are displayed by many people throughout the Merchant of Venice text, and can easily relate to the actions and motives of people in this modern day. This is more evidently shown in the main characters, Shylock, Antonio, Jessica, Lorenzo and Portia.

Race and religious issues are first apparent in the first scene where Antonio spits on Shylock and his clothing. Shylock stated. “How like a fawning publican he looks! I hate him for he is a Christian, but more for that in low simplicity He lends out money gratis and brings down the rate of usance here with us in Venice. If I can catch him once upon the hip, I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him. He hates our sacred nation, and he rails, even there where merchants most do congregate, on me, my bargains and my well-won thrift, which he calls 'interest.' Cursed be my tribe If I forgive him!”. This quote displays the hatred and racism towards Antonio because Shylock persists that he only hates him for he is a Christian.

Shylocks’ statement is evidently clear in our modern society today. Clearly Donald Trump is a good example of racist derogatory comments. As Shylock quoted “I hate him for he is a Christian”, is the same as Trump when a US Army Veteran says, “Too many illegals are taking advantage of United States taxpayers with no means of ever contributing to our society.”

Mr Trump stated, “I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I'll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great great wall on our southern border and I'll have Mexico pay for that wall.” Both quotes can evidently correspond to the quote by Shylock when he calls Antonio “for he is a Christian” and says I hate you just because you are Christian, because trump hates most Mexicans and Muslims because ‘all Mexicans and Muslims are terrorists

Another prime example of race and religion in the ‘Merchant of Venice’ is Portia and the prince of Morocco. Portia doesn’t want to marry the price because of his dark complexion. “If I could bid the fifth welcome with so good heart as I can bid the other four farewell, I should be glad of his approach. If he have the condition of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me. Portia said, “I would not marry him even if the guy were a “Saint””. These quotes distinctly show race and religion between characters but more commonly showing the race side. In ‘Shakespeare’s’ era black people were considered and associated to be evil and devils. Even if these men and woman were the nicest people one could meet you would never to consider them for anything especially the heart of a princess.

The ‘Duke of Venice’ is an underlying example of this issue that most people won’t even consider to be part of the issue of race and religion. The Duke stated, “Make room and let him stand before our face. — Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too, that thou but leadest this fashion of thy malice to the last hour of act, and then, ‘tis though”.

Thou wilt show thy mercy and remorse more strange Than is thy strange apparent cruelty; And where thou now exacts the penalty, Which is a pound of this poor merchant's flesh, Thou wilt not only loose the forfeiture, But, touched with human gentleness and love, Forgive a moi'ty of the principal, We all expect a gentle answer, Jew.” This quote tells us that the Christians are ignorant of their prejudice. All the Christians within the text treat Shylock as if he needs to give them respect and mercy when they fail to admit that they never gave Shylock the respect that he deserved. When the ‘Duke’ says, “Thou wilt not only loose the forfeiture, But, touched with human gentleness and love, forgive a moi'ty of the principal, we all expect a gentle answer, Jew.” Gentleness was mentioned as many suggest that the Duke thinks of Christians when the word mercy is repeated. This may be a characteristic that some characters may not value or have in the ‘Merchant of Venice’.

The ‘Merchant of Venice’ has several issues evident in our modern society, but the one that is most evident is race and religion. Race and religion is a nicer term for racist people that don’t care about people their beliefs and ethnics. The ‘Merchant of Venice’, Shakespeare’s’ play has themes, attributes and qualities that were around in the 1600s, that are evident and are used all around the world still today. This text relates to Shakespeare’s time and our time. Therefore, in another couple of hundred years these issue will still be present not only in their time but in our time and Shakespeare’s. This evidently means that all these issue and themes will be present all the time and not only in written texts. Therefore Shakespeare’s ‘Merchant of Venice’ and our modern society can be linked.