Unlocking meaning: The act of reading in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice
In this article, I argue that Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice is fundamentally a 16th-century dramatization of religious reading strategies in conflict—allegorism and literalism. In Act 1, Shylock attempts to justify his profession by reading Genesis allegorically. Antonio objects to Shylock’s unwa...
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| Medienart: | Elektronisch Aufsatz |
| Sprache: | Englisch |
| Verfügbarkeit prüfen: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Lade...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Veröffentlicht: |
Johns Hopkins University Press
[2015]
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| In: |
Christianity & literature
Jahr: 2015, Band: 64, Heft: 4, Seiten: 377-399 |
| RelBib Classification: | CD Christentum und Kultur KBF Britische Inseln TJ Neuzeit |
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Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Zusammenfassung: | In this article, I argue that Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice is fundamentally a 16th-century dramatization of religious reading strategies in conflict—allegorism and literalism. In Act 1, Shylock attempts to justify his profession by reading Genesis allegorically. Antonio objects to Shylock’s unwarranted use of the scriptures. Later, Bassanio wins Portia’s hand by refusing to read closely the caskets because he’s racked with love. The readings converge and culminate in Act 4 when Portia discards her appeal to mercy and reads the bond in absurd terms. Through an act of reading, she delivers Antonio’s life and becomes the play’s heroine. |
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| ISSN: | 2056-5666 |
| Enthält: | Enthalten in: Christianity & literature
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/0148333115588034 |