Racial and Cultural Prejudice Essay - 766 Words

There are many themes woven into the play The Merchant of Venice, Prejudice being the most evident. This prejudice is mainly racial (against race) or cultural (against lifestyle, i.e. religion, culture†¦) and is one of the leading causes of conflict in the play. Prejudice towards Jews, prejudice towards Christians, and prejudice towards people of different colour and prejudice of others with different nationalities, are all present in the play. (transition) Here come another of the tribe: a third cannot be matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew. (III, i, 73-74) This one quotation perfectly displays the attitude held towards the Jews at the time of The Merchant of Venice. In this quote, Solanio is stating that the Jew is worse than†¦show more content†¦The quote, â€Å"You don’t fight racism with racism, the best way to fight racism is with solidarity.† -Bobby Seale, makes it known that when hate is involved, nobody wins. This hate caused Shylock to tak e things too far in order to receive his fair share of what he called â€Å"justice.† He lost the humanity that he was being given in his sufferance, and was made the bad guy. Often, when discrimination is present, it is best to be the bigger person. (transition) Even though Portia is a very courteous character, she too exhibits her portion of discrimination. When she hears of the Prince of Morocco’s arrival, she says: â€Å"If he have the condition of a saint and the complexion of devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me.† (I, iii, 128-130) Without even knowing him, she is classifying him as undesirable. In real life, people of darker skin have often been mistreated and even forced into slavery. The quote, â€Å"You have among you many a purchasd slave, which, like your asses and your dogs and mules, you use in abject and in slavish parts.† (IIII, i, 90-92) displays how, at the time of The Merchant of Venice, it was socially acceptable to kee p others as slaves. These slaves have had their lives purchased and, though they are just as human as anyone else, they have been treated no better than animals simply because of the colour of their skin. The image of a young coloured boy crouching behind a sign that saysShow MoreRelatedRacial Inequality : Guess Who 11352 Words   |  6 PagesRACIAL INEQUALITY IN GUESS WHO 1 The 2005 film Guess Who illustrates how racial inequality is present within society, and how race is used by our society to create and manufacture social categories. This film is about a black female named Theresa and a white man named Simon that fight against the racial inequality present within their society and choose to be together. 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