Merchant of Venice – Shylock

Shylock is â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† In William Shakespeare’s â€Å"The Merchant of Venice,† there are many themes, symbols and words alike which take on a complex and dual nature. Not only can lines in the play be interpreted by the audience in multiple ways, they are meant to have multiple meanings. This duality can be seen in the characters as well. Shylock is portrayed as both a victim and a villain and our sense of him evolves as his character is revealed to us as â€Å"The Merchant of Venice. We are first introduced to Shylock in Act I Scene III when we learn about his job as a moneylender. During this period of time, Jewish people were very limited in the jobs they could obtain; they were looked down upon by, and on the fringe of, society. While the Christians could lend money, it was immoral and against church rule for them to charge any type of interest, it was usurious. However, there was nothing to forbid Jewish lenders from making a living by cha rging interest. They did so to survive and were despised for such an â€Å"immoral and disgraceful† practice. Bassanio goes to Shylock for a loan to be given in Antonio's name. Upon Antonio’s entering, Shylock displays his disdain for Antonio in an aside, â€Å"How like a fawning publican he looks! / I hate him for he is Christian, / but more for that in low simplicity / he lends out money gratis†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1. 1. 41-45). His hatred is dual in nature; Antonio lends money without interest threatening the existence of his job as a moneylender. Also, Antonio is prejudiced against the Jews and has humiliated and insulted Shylock publicly for both his lending practices and his religion. This is revealed when Shylock asks Antonio why he should lend money to someone who has, â€Å"†¦rated me / About my moneys and my usuances†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1. 3. 117-118) â€Å"You call me misbeliever, cutthroat dog / And spet upon my Jewish Gaberdine†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1. 3. 121-122). Shylock could not retaliate the prejudice, and had to tolerate the abuse, â€Å"Still have I borne it with a patient shrug / for sufferance is the badge of all our tribe† (1. 3. 119-120). This portrays Shylock as a person who is victimized and helpless against the prejudice and racism present in that society. Antonio asks that Shylock see the loan not as a lending of money to a friend, but â€Å"rather to thine enemy, / Who, if he break, thou mayst with better face / Exact the penalty† (1. 3. 145-146). Shylock is now given power over the fate of the loan, Bassanio’s desired pursuit of Portia and the choice of bond for the loan. It is a chance for Shylock’s to seek retribution not only from Antonio personally, but on a larger scale Christian society as a whole. To further advance his position, he speaks to Antonio as a friend, â€Å"I would be friends with you, and have your love, / Forget the shames that you have stained me with† (1. . 149-150). Shylock’s cynically toned change of heart toward Antonio makes it clear his feigned friendship may, quite probably, be motivated by ulterior interests. At this point, there is a substantial shift in the character of Shylock from being that of a victim to that of a villain. Shylock is not interested in receiving m ere interest on the money he lends, he wants a redemption and revenge for himself and his people which no amount of money will satisfy for him. The selfish, greedy, usurous Jew many want to make Shylock out to be is no longer being guided by a monetary beacon. He is now seemingly overtaken by a cruel morbid desire for revenge. He has become passionately cunning, malicious and vengeful, â€Å"†¦let the forfeit / Be nominated for an equal pound / Of your fair flesh, [possibly as opposed to his slightly darker Jewish flesh] to be cut off and taken / In what part of your body pleaseth me† (1. 3. 160-163). He reveals the depths of his discontent and his desire for vengeance when he says, â€Å"I will have the heart of him if he forfeit† (3. 2. 125-126). It is not long before Shylock receives news from Tubal that some of Antonio’s fleet has come upon misfortune and he has no choice but to break his bond. Shylock declares, â€Å"I am very glad of it. I'll plague him, I'll / torture him, I am glad of it† (3. 1. 115-116). The arrest of Antonio for failure to timely pay his bond solidifies what is lawfully owed to and bought and paid for by Shylock. There is no doubt that Shylock has every intention of collecting this bloody bond, his obsessive hatred for Antonio becomes apparent, â€Å"I’ll have my bond. Speak not against my bond. I have sworn an oath that I will have my bond†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (3. 3. 5-6). Shylock has transformed from discriminated repressed Jew to despised money lender to murderous vengeful sinner. During the trial scene, Shylock clearly enjoys the forthcoming bond which is due to him, he whets his knife on his shoe in the courtroom so that he can, â€Å"cut the forfeiture from [Antonio]† (4. 1 . 124). Shylock is unyielding in his desire. The pound of flesh is worth more to him than ten times the amount of ducats owed. More so, he rejects any appeal to the divine sanction of ercy, and believes to have his bond is lawfully and morally â€Å"right. † Shylock asks the Duke, â€Å"What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong? † (4. 1. 90) and states, â€Å"I crave the law† (4. 1. 213). Even though he is legally entitled, Portia tries to appeal to his moral obligation to show mercy. He is not moved by this, and readies to collect his bond. At this point, the law is turned on Shylock. Portia tells Shylock he may have his bond, but that, â€Å"This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood†¦if thou dost shed / One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods / Are by the laws of Venice confiscate† (4. . 319-324). Shylock, realizing his desired pound of flesh will not be his bond, agrees to accept the payment of the ducats. To this, Portia replies, à ¢â‚¬Å"The Jew shall have all justice. Soft, no haste! / He shall have nothing but the penalty. † Further, Portia declares, â€Å"It is enacted in the laws of Venice, / If it be proved against an alien / That by direct or indirect attempts / He seeks the life of any citizen†¦the offender’s life lies in the mercy of the Duke. † Shylock is forced to his knees to beg the Duke for Mercy. He is again, the â€Å"Jew dog. † His life as it is a physical existence was spared. Shylock, would choose death over the mercy shown to him by the Duke and Antonio, he asks the court to, â€Å"Take my life and all† (4. 1. 389). In granting him to keep half of his goods, Antonio takes his identity, his religion, his heart and soul. Antonio seeks that Shylock, â€Å"presently become a Christian; / The other, that he do record a gift, / Here in the court, of all he dies possessed / Unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter† (4. . 403-406). Life and Christianity have defeated Shylock, they have taken his daughter and given him a Christian son to which he is bound to leave everything he owns. Shylock has been stripped of any power he may have once, if fleetingly, had. He has been broken down and stripped of his â€Å"merciless† religion. He is no longer villainous, he is piteous. Shylock evolved and transformed as a character, before us as an audience just as our feelings, perceptions and sympathies for him.

Mobile Voting System Essay

Project Background Mobile Technology is most important in the world and current generation. We can get updated information using mobile devices. Such device can be used for personal and business transactions. Moreover, mobile devices functionality has evolved tremendously. Nowadays, it can be used for a variety of purposes like to locate places much like a GPS, to read barcodes, to play games, to browse the Internet, to know weather reports, to vote, and so much more. Significantly the most important uses are the voice calls, video calls and Short Messaging System (SMS). Currently various models of mobile phones have come out in the market and each one having special advantages over the others. The SMS or message facility is important in the mobile device. It allows the sender to send messages from one mobile to another mobiles device. Most business establishments advertise through print media like the newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, brochures, and so much more. They also make use of the radio to promote their product and services. Furthermore, a lot business establishments conduct market survey like allowing consumer to choose which product they like best or selecting the best brands and so on. For example, Nawras Telecommunication is one of the best communications providers in Oman. It makes the communication service very convenient to the customers. During festival or holiday, Nawras send bulk messages to its customers informing them of promotions. Using this marketing strategy, customers will be aware of exciting promos and discounts. The backbone of any business is advertisement. Companies have used mobile technology to get to customers and sell their products and services. With this technology, companies can reach customer base very easy and quickly, thus, improving the business. Problem Statement Although print media is effective in advertising products, the problem lies on the cost. It is very expensive to advertise using this medium. When businesses conduct market survey, they usually do it manually. Example, they visit households randomly and ask them questions pertaining to their product and services or they gave out questionnaires to people on the streets. As seen, it is very time and effort consuming. Project Objectives The objective of this project is to design and implement a Mobile Marketing System. It specifically seeks to: 1. Lessen the cost in advertising; 2. Lessen time and effort in conducting market research or study; 3. Use the mobile phone as a marketing strategy to advertise and conduct market study; and 4. Design, develop and test a Mobile Marketing System. CHEPTER 2: 3.1 Research Research Part is a step of scientific approach and can say as practice based research. How to collect the information, investigate for new project and understand the previous system and study the various information from books material and websites. The main aim of the research is using mobile technology to get to customers and sell their products and services . Before starting this project i read about companies and how to do promotion for electronic products Without the need to buy advertisement may cost many amounts. And read the way advertising through mobile phones So you want to snap the project 2.2 PROJECT PLANNING 2.3 Analysis and Design ANALYSIS Systems analysis is the study of sets of interacting entities, including computer systems analysis. This section will analyze the functionality the software and what programming language will it be implemented. The design section will contain screen layouts as well as the core design of the software and the way it will be implemented.. DESIGN The researcher will analyze and design the database based on the clients requirement. Modeling tools will be used to draw cases and data flows. Design phase also includes the structure of our database. Also will start by designing the site according to our analysis. Then will create the database depending on the previous design. Then will make a connection between the application itself and the database. The detailed design are at the stage of detailed design, working on the computer begins in earnest. At this stage, the design of the system becomes more organized. Are drawn inputs, outputs, and processing specifications is in the details. 2.4 Implementation and Testing After testing is completed, the system will be implemented in the client side. Testing is most important in system development. We need to test the system in all levels. First, it will be tested using unit testing which uses column level test. In this project, each and every column should be validated. Unit is the smallest possible testable software component. This project will start with unit testing by testing each module of the project. Second, stress testing will be performed. It is done when a system is tested with a load that causes it to allocate its resources for develop the product in maximum amounts, this is called stress testing. For example, in this project, bulk messages will be sent and received to and from customers and stress testing will be performed to check the efficiency of the system. It is expected that delays will happen. 2.5 Critical Evaluation It is necessary to evaluate the system after design, development and testing the system for validation purposes. Evaluation of the new system depends on the design, development and test team and users of the project. It traps future error and defines future enhancements as recommended by the user. User evaluation is of prime importance because he/she is the one who will be using the system every day, so their approval must be sought.

The role of women in Japanese Theatre and the portrayal of Japanese Essay

The role of women in Japanese Theatre and the portrayal of Japanese women in western theatre - Essay Example This persona has been carried forward into the Western traditions of portrayals of Japanese females in popular theater which is typified in â€Å"Madame Butterflyâ€Å". The performance of female parts in most Japanese theater is done by male actors. This tradition in both the kabuki and the bunraki is still primarily maintained today. However, the performance of the gidayu is a tradition that has included female performers since the late 16th or early 17th century (Coaldrake, 1997, pp. 13). The performance of the gidayu is similar to the oral traditions of story telling in the Western traditions. However, it is done in a chanting voice that emotes action and the furtherance of the story through a combination of this chanting and of song. The skill of the performer is measured by how well she engages her audience and helps them visualize the play without an actual visual performance. The performance is accompanied by an instrument that is played by the artist. This tradition is part of the geisha traditions and artistries as well as those who are dedicated solely to this type of performance. Traditionally, The Edo period, running from 1603 to 1868 saw a great deal of restrictions in the activities of all people, but even more so for women. During the late Edo period there were attempts to try and suppress global influences that might subvert the Japanese heritage and traditions. One of these attempts was through the suppression of extravagances in art, which included the public performances by women (Coaldrake, 1997, pp. 12). These attempts, however, were largely unsuccessful as seen through the remaining existence of this type of performance in Japan. The onnagata are male performers who portray female parts in the kabuki. The origins of the all male kabuki as the only kabuki did not occur until the early 17th century when in 1629 females were prohibited from performing. Previous to this time all female

Instrumentation System Assignment Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Instrumentation System Assignment - Lab Report Example The movement is then transduced into an electrical output. Finally, the signal conditioning is needed, depending on sensor and type of application. The Bourdon tubes are example of the major types of sensing elements; they are sealed and deflect in response to any applied pressure. The Pressure gauge is a self-contained indicator used in converting the detected process pressure into proportional mechanical motion of the pointer. The pressure transducer might be a combination of the sensor element of the gauge with mechanical-to-pneumatic with a power supply or mechanical-to-electrical converter. The system might have a signal conditioner for converting the transducer signal into a proportional standardized output. Transducer’s accuracy denotes the degree of conformity or agreement of the measured value in relation to an accepted standard; usually expressed in percentage of the actual or of the full-scale reading of the instrument; for the percentage-full-scale devices, the error increases proportionally as the absolute values of the measurement drop. The repeatability the bourdons transducer refers to the closeness to agreement in a number of consecutive physical measurements of the same given variable. Linearity refers to the measurement of the wellness the transducers output increase linearly with pressure increase. Hysteresis error is a phenomenon characterized by the same pressure process resulting from different output signals dependant on whether the present pressure is approached from higher or lower pressure. Digital pressure instrument contain microprocessors that have improved the built-in diagnostic capabilities; increased their accuracy by the introduction of digital compensation that reduces the sensors’ nonlinearities; and have the capability of communicating digitally with the host device in availing different parameters. The Bourdon tube has elliptical hollow tube, when there is pressure difference between the outside and inside the

The News and Law Enforcement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The News and Law Enforcement - Essay Example Follow-up surveys completed by participants and their supervisors provide a method for determining whether participants have the opportunity to change behavior upon return to the work setting (Wilson, 2000). It is tailored to provide information that program administrators can use to determine the strengths of the program and make decisions about how the program should be modified for current students or be introduced to a different student population. It identifies information actually needed by program decision makers, collects and analyzes this information, and furnishes the information to them, using methods which will aid in decision making. "The majority of agencies are in compliance, but there are some that are not," said Arthur Ortiz, director of the Santa Fe-based Law Enforcement Academy" (Romo 2009). The news story is real as it reflects current state of police crime problems and methods followed by other law enforcement agencies. The results suggested that the Police department might benefit from curriculum revision in three areas. The program might be changed to provide police officers with more time to discuss and analyze personnel law, planning, interpersonal communication, and relationships with the manager and/or mayor.

Article Rebuttal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Article Rebuttal - Essay Example The politics of same-sex marriage is deeper than a mere proclamation. There are numerous fault lines that are built due to the cultural issues in the American politics (Rimmerman & Wilcox 2007). The gay rights law has expanded over the years increasing the members of the community to become large enough to fight for a separate seat in elections. What has really compelled opponents of the same-sex marriage is the focus that gay marriage has received in the state court through their efforts. The community has managed to sponsor its case through major litigating groups such as the â€Å"Lamdba Legal in New York, GLAD in Boston and NCLR in San Francisco†. In the absence of these national groups the ACLU Gay and Lesbian Rights project gets involved (Rimmerman & Wilcox 2007). It is for this reason that the focus on same-sex marriage has increased in the recent years. Bronner states that the opponents are frequently requested to accept the gay marriage as part of the American culture to an extent that even Presifent Obama agreed to accept the new addition in the most welcoming manner. Mr. Blankenhorn, however, is not concerned with the ethics and morality of the act itself. He believes that the same-sex marriage is the major cause in the decline in general marriage patterns in the society. He lays stress on the institution of marriage as being a healthy and significant part of the society. He is merely using the language of morality when he speaks of marriage and indirectly, despite his denial, is addressing the religious or biblical justification for going against the same-sex marriage (Bronner 2012). Mr. Blankenhorn indeed is giving the most unfortunate acceptance for the gay-marriage. But what the author seems to overlook is the fact that the situation is not as simple as it may seem to be (Bronner 2012). The whole idea of marriage has largely evolved in recent years because of the pressure that the

Triple Bottom Line Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Triple Bottom Line - Assignment Example These components also assume three divisions that include people, planet, and profit. In an organization, these components are crucial for the sustainability of the organization. The components have a linkage, and an organization has to consider them for their business to thrive. The people component involves the benefits people or the community near the location of the organization. The organization should influence the community positively and not impact on it in a negative way. The organization should ensure it exploits anyone neither treat them inappropriately. The planet component deals with the effects an organization has on the environment (Slaper and Hall 2011). Some organization cause pollution either air, water or soil and these leaves the people suffering from diseases, and also this weighs heavily on the government to correct it. The government has to use the money to ensure environmental sustainability (Savitz and Weber 2012). They get the money from the taxpayers. Thus, the organization will be impacting negatively on the environment and the people. The profit component assesses the economic value of an organization its benefits to the society and also to itself. The Triple bottom line is relevant to any business as it evaluates the performance of any organization. It also helps to evaluate the future consequences that the organization will have to the society and the environment. All organizations should consider the triple bottom line when setting the organization's goals of sustainability.