Shylock From the Merchant of Venice Character Analysis

A  Shylock character analysis can tell us a lot about The Merchant of Venice. Shylock, the Jewish moneylender is the villain of the play and the audience response  depends on how he is portrayed in performance. An actor will hopefully be able to extract sympathy for Shylock from the audience, despite his vengeful bloodthirsty and greedy proclivities. Shylock  the Jew His position as a Jew is made much of in the play and in Shakespeare’s Britain some might argue, that this would have positioned him as a baddy, however, the Christian characters in the play are also open to criticism and as such Shakespeare is not necessarily judging him for his religious belief but demonstrating intolerance in both religions. Shylock refuses to eat with the Christians: Yes, to smell pork, to eat of the habitation which your prophet the Nazerite conjured the devil into! I will buy with you, sell with you, talk to you, walk with you, and so following, but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. He also questions the Christians for their treatment of others: ...what these Christians are, Whose own hard dealings teaches them to suspect the thoughts of others! Could Shakespeare be commenting here on the way Christians converted the world to their religion or on the way that they treat other religions? Having said this, there are a lot of insults leveled at Shylock merely based on his being a Jew, many suggesting that he is akin to the devil: A modern audience may find these lines insulting. A modern audience would surely consider his religion to be of no consequence in terms of his status as a villain, he could be considered a reprehensible character who also happens to be a Jewish man. Must Jessica convert to Christianity in order to be accepted by Lorenzo and his friends? This is the implication. That the Christian characters are considered the goodies in this narrative and the Jewish character the baddy of the piece, suggests some judgment against being Jewish. However, Shylock is permitted to give as good as he gets against Christianity and is able to level similar insults as he receives. Shylock  the Victim To an extent, we feel sorry for Shylock’s victimization based solely on his Jewishness. Apart from Jessica who converts to Christianity, he is the only Jewish character and it feels he is somewhat ganged up on by all of the other characters. Had he just have been ‘Shylock’ without the religion, almost certainly one could argue a modern audience would have less sympathy for him? As a result of this assumption, would Shakespeare’s audience have had less sympathy for him because of his status as a Jew? Shylock  the Villain? Shylock’s position as a villain per se is possible to debate. Shylock is sticking to his bond to his word. He is true to his own code of conduct. Antonio signed that bond and promised that money, Shylock has been wronged; he has had his money stolen from him by his daughter and Lorenzo. However, Shylock is offered three times his money back and he still demands his pound of flesh; this moves him into the realms of villainy. It depends on his portrayal as to how much an audience has sympathy for his position and character as to how much he is judged at the end of the play. He is certainly left at the end of the play with very little to his name, although at least he is able to keep his property until his death. I think it would be difficult not to feel some sympathy for Shylock as all the characters celebrate at the end while he is all alone. It would be interesting to revisit Shylock in the years following and find out what he did next. â€Å"The devil can cite scripture for his purpose† (Act 1 Scene 3)â€Å"Certainly the Jew is the very devil incarnation;† (Act 2 Scene 2)

Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act Essay - 2679 Words

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:______________________________________________________ The Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act, in short: The Brady Act, was United States legislation that was passed by Congress in 1993. The Brady Act required a five-day waiting period and criminal background check, performed by state and local law enforcement, for the purchase of a handgun. The Brady Act was instituted to curtail handgun violence and decrease the probability of a handgun ending up in a criminal’s hands. The legislation was heavily pushed by Senator James Brady and his wife, Sarah Brady, after Sen. Brady was seriously injured by a gunshot wound during the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981. The five-day waiting period went into effect on February 28, 1994, and was strongly opposed by the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NRA indicated the Brady Act was unconstitutional and a violation of the 10th Amendment. Lawsuits in several states were heard, and finally the Brady Act was deemed unconstitutional in 1997 by the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Printz v. United States. At that time, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), instituted the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NCIS) which would allow for instant background checks of handgun purchasers, and provisions were made to the Brady Act to satisfy the court. The NCIS became operational on November 30, 1998. The Brady Campaign indicates over 2.6 million prohibited gun purchases haveShow MoreRelatedBrady Handgun Violence Protection Act Essay4860 Words   |  20 Pages_____ The Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act, in short: The Brady Act, was United States legislation that was passed by Congress in 1993. The Brady Act required a five-day waiting period and criminal background check, performed by state and local law enforcement, for the purchase of a handgun. The Brady Act was instituted to curtail handgun violence and decrease the probability of a handgun ending up in a criminal’s hands. The legislation was heavily pushed by Senator James Brady and his wifeRead MoreThe Gun Control Debate Continues Essay1762 Words   |  8 Pagesstated that in February 28, 1994, the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Law (the Brady Act) required a five-day waiting period for all handgun purchases from dealers. Whenever there is the sale of a handgun, shotgun, or long rifle to a prospective buyer, a background check must be performed on that person to decide whether that person is forbidden from owning a firearm due to past criminal actions. According to justfac ts.com between the implementation of the Brady Bill in March 1994 and year-end 1997Read MoreGun Control3838 Words   |  16 Pagesrather than regulations on guns. Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Gun Control: Tragedies Throughout the years since guns have existed in the United States, there have been many mass killings. However, throughout recent years, gun violence has become much more prevalent in school settings. Three of the most well known massacres occurred in Colorado, Virginia, and Connecticut. These three horrific events have become synonymous with the word gun control. On April 20th of the yearRead MoreThe Free Range Of Interpretation Of The Constitution1648 Words   |  7 Pagesbetween citizen and state. The issue in the forefront of this is the Second amendment and the right that is described that a citizen under proper regulation can join a militia for the security of their free state as well have the right to bear arms (Brady). This amendment is open to interpretation as if much of the other Amendments has been the under controversy in to whether citizens should have the right to arm themselves with firearms. The branches of government whom are at the front of this issueRead MoreGun Control Research Paper2015 Words   |  9 PagesGuns In The United States In today’s society of political turmoil, violence, and economic tragedies, many gun control advocates are pushing for more gun regulations from the government. Guns have been a part of America’s way of life for centuries. However, it was not until the 20th century that the government enacted it’s first gun control act. The National Firearms Act was enacted in 1934, as stated in â€Å"Firearm Laws, Regulations, and Ordinances,† edited by Sandra Alters, in response to theRead MoreBackground Checks Are The Most Effective Way Of Preventing Gun Crimes1484 Words   |  6 Pagesmost effective way of preventing gun crimes. There are multiple cases of school and community shootings and how it could be prevented if there were some sort of system to catch perpetrators. Gun violence has been an issue since the 1970s and started to peak in the 1980s and 1990s. Gun Violence is violence committed with the use of a gun and recently there has been an increase in gun c rimes, but due to background checks they have decreased. A background check is the process of looking up and compilingRead MorePersuasive Essay On Gun Control1806 Words   |  8 Pagesthe National Firearms Act of 1938, the Gun Control Act of 1968, and the Arms Export Control Act of 1976. These three major legislations plus the rights given to the people by the constitution are the guidelines that the state governments follow and cannot contradict when they made state mandated gun regulations. One of the first major federal gun control related acts to be passed was the National Firearms Act was passed in 1934, which was followed by the Federal Firearms Act of 1938 (Vizzard, 2015Read MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control1199 Words   |  5 Pagesmany years. Several Supreme Court cases spoke about gun control during the late 1800s and first half of the 1900s, but were not a major issue until the 1960s. After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Congress passed the 1968 gun control act which banned mail-order gun sales. Congress has debated gun control since the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981. At that time there was not enough support for stricter gun control. Throughout the 1990s the controversyRead MoreGun control1657 Words   |  7 Pagesto background checks have been heavily discussed by both emotion and logic, by both gun supporters and gun control activists, and it seems like there is no middle ground for both parties to agree on. Crime rates influence guns demanded for self-protection, and guns demanded by criminals depend upon guns held by law-abiding citizens. Comparative-static analysis is used to investigate the effects of crime and gun control policies. The results show that i ncreases in crime control policies may reduceRead MoreU.s. Gun Legislation On The Rights Of A Free State1253 Words   |  6 Pagesand Gen. George Wingate. 1934: The National Firearms Act passes in response to gangster culture during Prohibition. The law implements a tax on the making and transfer of automatic-fire guns, shotguns and rifles. 1939: Supreme Court upholds a federal ban on sawed-off shotguns, implying that the Founding Fathers adopted the amendment to ensure the then-new federal government could not disarm state militias. 1968: Congress passes the Gun Control Act. The law calls for better control of interstate traffic

Gender Roles Essay - 562 Words

Gender Roles Women and men have extremely different roles in society. These gender roles are very evident in the way we see ourselves as women, which is based on how we have been treated in the past and the actions in history we have taken toward gender equality. Katha Pollitt expresses her feminist view in her work Why boys dont play with dolls. Instead of looking at kids to prove that differences in behavior by sex are innate, we can look at the ways we raise kids as an index to how unfinished the feminist revolution really is, and how tentatively it is embraced even by adults who fully expect their daughters to enter previously male-dominated professions and their sons to change†¦show more content†¦Scott Russell Sanders brings forth to his male point of view concerning the sensations of guilt and shame over their persecution of women in The Men We Carry in Our Mindsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and How They Differ from the Real Lives of Most Men. He says to a friend of his This must be a hard time for women, they have so many paths to choose from, and so many voices calling them. He also says growing up he really envied women because they got to do things like; shop, visit neighbors, and run errands. Sanders goes on to explainà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I didnt see, then, what a prison a house could beà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I did not realize, because such things were never spoken of-how women suffered from mens bullying. Being a modern woman is definitely a double-edged sword and has many complexities. Feminism has taught us, that as women we are equal to men and we must demand and fight for that equality, while the influence of gender roles makes us demand chivalry from men. We expect the same high paying jobs as men; yet we demand that men do things like open doors for us. This could be viewed as the result of many issues, but it all boils down to one simple concept: respect or actually lack of respect. Throughout history we as women have been put into many roles-the homemaker, the bad driver, the weak ones, andShow MoreRelatedGender, Masculinity, And Gender Roles1380 Words   |  6 Pagesenvironment, but is instead, viewed from the perspective of women themselves. They are not observed from outside in, but from the inside out. At the same time, Danzon reverses and thus subverts the classic representations of gender, while relocating and challenging gender roles. Unlike the common representatio n of women in former Mexican cinema, femininity is not defined as being an opposition to masculinity in the film. In fact, men almost rarely appear. When they do appear, they appear as constructedRead MoreThe Role Of Socialization And Gender Roles852 Words   |  4 PagesINTRODUCTIOn tell me what you are focussing on†¦..family and theirgender roles Socialisation is the process by which a child learns to respect his or her environmental laws such as norms, values and customs. Socialisation helps the infant gradually become self-aware and a knowledgeable person, skilled in the ways of the culture into which he or she is born. Children within the primary socialisation of the family learn a great deal from parents and other care givers such as grandparents, grandmothersRead MoreGender Roles And Gender Role844 Words   |  4 PagesGender Roles can be defined as roles society expects people to play on account of their sex life. Like all roles, gender roles are made up of sets of expectations, so they can be thought of as sets of expirations, so they can be thought of as sets of expectation that are attached to sex.(pp: 220 John E. Farley Michael W. Flota). The key word gender role affects me personally because as recent graduate of high school it’s time for me to go into the real world, of working class gender role of theRead MoreGender Roles And Gender Role Essay784 Words   |  4 Pagessession, I will discuss the gender roles in my family. The definition of gender role is the degree to which a person adopts the gender-specific behaviors ascribed by his or her culture (Matsumoto, D. R., Juang 2013, 156). For example, traditional gender roles recommend that males are aggressive, angry, and unemotional. It goes further and explains that the male should leave the home every day to make a living and be the main wage earner. The traditional gender role for the female purpose is toRead MoreGender Roles And Gender Role Essay1385 Words   |  6 PagesOF SUBMISSION Gender roles Introduction Gender is set of characteristics that may be used to differentiate between female and male through the use of one’s gender or through gender identity therefore. Gender role can be considered as the hypothetical construct in humanities and in many social sciences referring to a set of behavioral and social norms which in a particular culture may be largely regarded to be socially appropriate for individuals of a particular sex, gender roles vary from variousRead MoreThe Shift Of Gender Roles940 Words   |  4 PagesThe Shift of Gender Roles Gender roles are a major component of many wonderful pieces of literature and differ as time passes. The amazing part about reading novels set in different time periods is that as readers we can see the progression of these gender roles throughout time. Willa Cather s novel One of Ours displays both traditional and non-traditional gender roles. These gender roles are displayed through the main characters Claude and Enid, and minor characters such as Leonard Dawson andRead MoreThe Influence Of Gender Roles1404 Words   |  6 Pages The Influence of Gender Role Stereotyping Shawn Berkley Santa Fe College Abstract Study on gender role stereotypes has shown that there are several negative effects of stereotyping. The study on how gender role stereotyping effects children is not as prevalent because most believe that it doesn’t matter, since children are just forming their stereotype so children do not care. However, some psychologists have done some research on it, and from their researchRead MoreGender Roles in Society1047 Words   |  4 PagesBroadly conceptualized, gender roles are what our society expects and values in their community. They shape our behavior and values, thoughts and feelings, even going so far as to denote a person’s worth. Gender roles are present in everyday situations. In the past they strictly dictated the behavior of people in the community (the right to vote, occupations women were allowed to work in), though in the recent past have become more subtle and more successfully challenged. In some instances they areRead More Gender Roles Essay864 Words    |  4 PagesGender Roles The affects of gender roles on people greatly change the way the society runs. According to the Websters dictionary the definition of gender are the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex, and the definition of role is a character assigned or assumed. The key word in this definition is assumed; therefore, whether you are male or female, you know what role you must play in society. Traditional gender roles are beneficialRead MoreThe Gender Roles Of A Woman975 Words   |  4 Pagesshe is immediately outcasted and seen as a problem instead of embraced. Anowa, who is the young lady protagonist in Ama Ata Aidoo’s short story, â€Å"Anowa†, does just that. She challenges the gender roles in many ways throughout the story in order to push back against the idea that all women should accept the role as the passive bystander to her male counterpart that society and traditions have predetermined for her, she ultimately expects more out of her life than just living her mother’s life. Regardless

Transformational Leadership Samples for Students †MyAssignmenthelp.co

Question: Discuss about the Transformational Servant Leadership. Answer: Transformational leadership according to my personal experience aims at bringing certain changes in the organization. Transformational servant leadership always aims at the motivating the employees or the followers to gain the objective or the goals of the organization. It is my personal experience and I have seen leaders who practice transformational servant leadership they keep inspiring their followers to carry out certain activities that with an aim to gain the objectives of the organization. Transformational servant leaders are goal oriented, they does not limit themselves to achieving the goals rather they want change and transformation for which they keep motivating the employees or their followers (Northouse, 2015). In my organization, I can see leaders who are continuously striving to a particular objective that is to bring change, that can be in terms of profit or increasing customer base. Transformational leadership requires the full commitment and dedication of the leaders. I have seen leaders who work passionately and motivate their staffs for improvement, improvement are not set objectives of any organization yet it is a very important element when any organization focuses on growth, profit or change (Seto Sarros, 2016). Therefore, it becomes easy to identify the transformational leaders because they put efforts for not just the achievement of the organizational goals but they strive for improvement and change. Improvement is a continuous process, the leaders of my organization focus on quality more than they focus on quantity, and therefore it makes me conclude that the leaders of my organization are transformational leaders (Choudhary, Akhtar Zaheer, 2013). In transformational service leadership it is very important for the leaders to be considering the need of others, no matter what the objective is, motivation of the staffs is very important for transformational service leadership. As per this leadership, the leaders lead by serving, strong leaders can be more influential if they focus more on the service component, therefore I believe that when I I will serve my followers and colleague then only I can be able to lead properly. I can serve my followers in five ways Lead- I do not believe in commanding people to work hard rather I believe that when I work harder, my followers will do the same. Teach- I spread the knowledge that I have to my peers and subordinates Provide- I provide all the required resources so that my followers are motivated to work hard. Inspire- Motivation and encouragement are very important and one can inspire only by setting example through ones own commitment and dedication towards the goals. Mentor- Mentoring here refers to assisting the employees and counseling them (Avolio Yammarino, 2013) The empowerment of the employees can be done by encouraging them towards achieving the goals of organization and bringing change through continuous improvement. Employee participation is very important when it comes to transformation if the employees are reluctant to change then the process will never be successful so their participation is very important (Liden et al., 2014). Employees should be involved in the decision making process if the change has to be brought this way they will not be reluctant to any new changes, if the decisions are related to the operations of the employees and it does not involve strategic decisions then employees should be given chance to keep forth their view. References Avolio, B. J., Yammarino, F. J. (Eds.). (2013). Introduction to, and overview of, transformational and charismatic leadership. InTransformational and Charismatic Leadership: The Road Ahead 10th Anniversary Edition(pp. xxvii-xxxiii). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Choudhary, A. I., Akhtar, S. A., Zaheer, A. (2013). Impact of transformational and servant leadership on organizational performance: A comparative analysis.Journal of Business Ethics,116(2), 433-440. Liden, R. C., Wayne, S. J., Liao, C., Meuser, J. D. (2014). Servant leadership and serving culture: Influence on individual and unit performance.Academy of Management Journal,57(5), 1434-1452. Northouse, P. G. (2015).Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications. Seto, S., Sarros, J. C. (2016). Servant Leadership Influence on Trust and Quality Relationship in Organizational Settings.International Leadership Journal,8(3).