Anti-semitism In The Merchant Of Venice :: Free Merchant of Venice Essays

Anti-Semitism in The merchant of VeniceIt is my rigid belief that the play, "The Merchant of Venice", should betaught in classes. If this play was banned from schools it would about certainlybe a form of censorship. While minors rights ar somewhat limited when it comesto this right, I recall that regular Minors should non be censored from this writing.The play teaches us about prejudice, and why it is wrong. passel would seehow everyone was hurt at one time or some other by a prejudice, whether it was theChristians making fun of usurer or Shylock showing his prejudice to theChristians. I imagine that bothone watching, listening or rendition this playwould see how everyone was hurt, and would learn of racial discriminations faulty basiss forjudging someone.Some muckle would consume you think that the play itself is racist, andprovides a meeting place in which racism can grow and drive only a bigger problem. Ithink that this is a flawed way of looking at it. I see the play as aconfrontation of a red-brick day problem which society still faces. Rather thanproviding a forum for racism to grow, the play provides a forum for anti-racismdiscussion, if all proper go be taken. When I say if all proper steps aretaken, I am referring to having this play taught by a teacher, who can apologisethe plays meaning in its fullest so that the students do not miss any importantpoints from it.Another point that may have been missed when the intromission was made tothe school board to ban the material from macrocosm taught inwardly the school systemwas that everyone is bad in the play. The Christians portrayal was just as badas the Jewish man, Shylocks portrayal. In fact I think that the play gave aworse portrayal of the Christians because they ended up being the most evil,through taking away everything that Shylock had and making him become Christian.While Shylock did want to kill someone, the punishment invoked on him was evenworse.As you can see, t here are many reasons why "The Merchant of Venice" shouldbe taught in classrooms. A. Whitney Griswold said in a speech (1952), "Bookswont hindrance banned. They wont burn. Ideas wont go to jail. In the long run ofhistory, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost.