Michalski 6 – 15.12.11

Why does Shylock hate Christians and Antonio?

• They called him a dog

• they spat on his beard

• he was humiliated

• Shylock can lend money on interests while Christians cannot

• 'I hate him for he is a Christian'

In the end everyone gets married, except of Antonio

Portia: 'which is the Jew, which is the Christian?'

They looked completely different and it was obvious who is who though she asked it.

Portia is

Jessica will convert to Christianity. At first she has to steal money to bribe herself into Christianity.

Some may say that Shakespeare is Anti-Semitic. But he shows the facts as it was then. There was nothing wrong in hating Jews. But Shylock is humiliated. But Shylock's speech shows that Jews are the same ppl as anyone else.

We cannot identify Shakespeare with any character.

Context:

• city of Venice, Belmont

• It was put on stage in Elizabethan times

HAMLET

The most famous procrastinator – he postpones killing of his uncle

Soliloquy – speech, thinking aloud

Actors were surrounded by

1. What is the main problem that hamlet poses himself?

2. What is the alternative expressed in lines 2-4?

3. What advantages does /could death bring?

4. What difficulty does Hamlet however see after death?

5. Paraphrase in you own words the catalogue of life sufferings lines '15-20

6. Why do ppl tolerate this unpleasantness?

1. To live or to die. Existence vs. non-existence

2. You can suffer in silence or oppose the impediments. Continuing to live is to suffer.

3. no hart-ache, no suffering, no shocks. Death is relief, it's like sleep.

4. You can dream after death, we don't know what happens there. Fear of the unknown. If you are dead you cannot take action – one way ticket. But he has spoken to the ghost of his father

5. Bad treatment by the others, insults, life is unbearable if you think of it

Religion is here absent – killing yourself you are damned