Kyle E. Coons
ERH-321WX-01
Short Assignment on The Merchant of Venice
10/3/17
Help Received: The Merchant of Venice, Microsoft Word, Class Hand-Outs
Part 1:
During the Early Modern Period in England Religion was in the foreground of culture. The two prominent religions stemming from Christianity of this time in England were the Catholic’s and the Protestants. Both religions take reference to the religion of Judaism as mentioned in Chapter 3 “Religion” in The Merchant of Venice. As Kaplan states “Early Christianity formulated itself both within and against Judaism” (Kaplan 244). Christianity both recognized the Jewish faith as the origin of its creation but differed in opinions on how to view those practicing Judaism. The main focal point was the way both religions followed laws presented “in the Torah, the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament)” (Kaplan 244). The Christians took a more merciful approach (through the New Testament) with their prophet Jesus who was to take away all of their sins while the Jews followed these laws at a stricter approach. This difference lead to many of the disagreements between the two religions during the Early Modern Period in England.
The way the both the Catholic’s and Protestant’s approached this conflict it different ways. According to Kaplan, “Attitudes about the Jews themselves were frequently but not exclusively negative” (Kaplan 245). The differing point between the Catholic’s and Protestant’s comes from the Protestant’s attempts to legitimize their religion. The Catholic’s negative attitude towards the Jewish religion comes from the mercy versus strict view of religious law. While the Protestant’s don’t particularly disagree with this position, they approach the matter differently. According to Kaplan, “Protestants turned to the Jews, especially as the preservers of the Hebrew Bible, as a source of legitimacy by which they could justify their practices” (Kaplan 245). English Protestants went so far as to say that they identified with the Jews. Although viewed in this light, the Christian faith during the Early Modern Period in England viewed the Jewish faith negatively due to differing interpretations of religion in everyday culture.
Part 2:
Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice Act 4 Scene 1 embodies the strong differences between Judaism and Christianity in the Early Modern Period in England. In particular, the altercations between Portia (disguised as Balthasar) and Shylock when discussing the bond. Portia would have been designed to represent Christianity while she gives numerous opportunities for Shylock to show mercy and while doing so she was also showing mercy. Portia even went so far to say, “Then must the Jew be merciful” (IV. i. 177). Shylock had chances to show mercy upon Antonio, while even being offered double the shillings owed to him. Instead he chose to crave the law and what was written within the bond. This represented how Judaism was viewed during the Early Modern Period in England.
Instead of showing mercy, Shylock craved the law and in turn he received just that. Portia was well studied in Venician Law prior to this, and therefore found a loop-hole which found Shylock begging for his life. At first Shylock expected everything the law had in store for him but eventually begged for mercy. Portia asked, “What mercy can you render him, Antonio?” (IV. i. 373). Antonio spares Shylocks life for him to give half his belongings to him and the other half to his daughter and Lorenzo. Also, Shylock must then go ahead and convert to Christianity in front of the entire court. This treatment could be seen to represent the overall negative view Christians had on Judaism during the Early Modern Period in England. This scene also could be interpreted as Shakespeare’s attempt to show Christianity’s triumph over other religions at the time he lived. Act 4 Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice clearly represents the understanding and attitude between Christianity and Judaism during the Early Modern Period in England.

Works Cited:
Kaplan, Lindsay, ed.. The Merchant of Venice. By William Shakespeare. New York: Bedford/St.
Martin’s, 2002. Print.
Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice,. Ed. Lindsay Kaplan. New York: Bedford/St.
Martin’s, 2002. Print.