大学英语专业毕业论文

剑桥学院毕业论文论文题目：探究威尼斯商人中夏洛克的人物性格特征学生：******指导教师：****** 讲师专业：英语班级：2008级英语本科一班201*年5月Heilongjiang UniversityCambridge College Graduation ThesisTitle Analysis of Sherlock's Personality in Merchant of VeniceStudentSupervisorSpecialty EnglishClassJune 4, 201*剑桥学院毕业论文任务书剑桥学院毕业论文审阅评语剑桥学院毕业论文答辩评语及成绩摘要威尼斯商人是莎士比亚最著名的喜剧之一。

夏洛克成为英国文学史上不朽的人物之一。

成功的性格塑造和许多人物性格的分析都引起了许多读者和学者的兴趣和争议。

在这其中，夏洛克的性格是最具争议的一个。

许多人鄙视夏洛克成为一个自私，不虔诚的，顽固的并且嗜血的人。

然而，审视莎士比亚时期犹太人的观点，另一个人物浮出水面。

本论文将简单介绍《威尼斯商人》以及它的背，并且从三个不通方面分析了夏洛克的性格，那就是：夏洛克曾经因为反犹太主义而被奴役，他作为一个贪财的高利贷者和基督教的受害者有着独立的精神的个体。

关键词：威尼斯商人；夏洛克,高利贷者；反犹太主义AbstractThe Merchant of Venice is one of the greatest comedies written by William Shakespeare. Shylock has become one of the immortal characters in English literature. The successful characterization and analysis of many characters has aroused much interest and controversy for many readers and scholars. Among them, the character of Shylock is a most controversial one. Many people despise Shylock to be a man who is selfish, impious, stubborn, and bloodthirsty. However, after examine the view of Jews during Shakespeare’s time; another personality comes to the surface. This papers talks briefly about The Merchant of Venice and its religious background, then analyses Shylock’s complex personalities from three different perspectives as a Jew who was enslaved to anti-Semitism, as a usurer who are greedy for money and as a victim of Christian and individual having independent spirit.Keywords：The Merchant of Venice;Shylock;usurer;anti-SemitismContents摘要 (i)Abstract (ii)1 Brief introduction (1)1.1 Introduction to Shakespeare (1)1.2 Brief introduction to The Merchant of Venice (1)2 The tragic character of Shylock (3)2.1 The image of shylock (3)2.2 Shyl ock’s realistic life and his spiritual world (3)3 Shylock’s complex personality (7)3.1 Shylock is a Jew (7)3.1.1 Shylock is the epitome of the Jew (7)3.1.2 T wo views towards anti-Semitism. (7)3.2 Shylock as a usurer and a villain (9)3.2.1 Usury as Jew’s only occupation (9)3.2.2 Shylock’s greedy desire for money (9)3.3 Shylock as a victim and independent Indi dual (14)Conclusion (16)References (17)Acknowledgement (18)1 Brief introduction1.1 Introduction to ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare (1564—1616) is one of the most remarkable playwrights and poets the world has ever know. With his 38 plays, 154sonnets and 2 long poems, he has established his giant position in world literature. He has also been given the highest praises by various scholars and critics the world over. In the past four hundred years, books and essays on Shakespeare and his works have kept coming out in large quantities. Ben Jonson once wrote a person once a poem eulogizing Shakespeare as being “not of age, but for all time”.Shakespeare’s greatness as a playwright and the success o f his plays on the stage from Elizabethan England up to the present—day world chiefly depend upon his penetrating exposition of human nature, his lively paintings of human life and his truthful reflections of human reality. His works provide us with a vivid and authentic panorama of his age. All this, for lofty ideal of humanism and his painstaking efforts in mastering various techniques. He is not only a master of English language but also a genius of character portrayal and plot construction.1.2 Brief introduction to The Merchant of VeniceLong time ago, a man called Antonio lived in Venice. He was a merchant; he has many traded with distant countries. And he was a good man as well as a rich one. His best friend Bassano, who fell in love with a beautiful and rich lady called Portia, was not a wealthy man. So he didn’t ask Portia to marry him. At last, he asked Antonio to lend him some money, so that he could visit Portia at Belmont. It happened that time all Antonio’s shops were at sea, and he wouldn’t have money to lend Bassano until the ships returned. So they decided to go to a money—lender.Now, an old Jew named Shylock lived in Venice. The Jews in those dayswere the money—lenders of Venice. Shylock was one of the greediest Jews in Venice. And Antonio hated him for his wicked ways. Shylock also hated Antonio for the reason that Antonio often insulted Jews and Shylock himself was anxious to revenge the results. He was delighted when he heard the Antonio had promised to pay back the loan, so he made a wicked plan. He asked Antonio to sign a bond promising that he might cut off a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body if the money was not paid. Bassano didn’t, like it, but Antonio said,” Yo u need have no fear. My ships will come back a month before the day.” So Bassano unwillingly took the money, and sailed away to Belmont.In fact, Portia loved Bassano too. So they arranged to get married. However, their happiness was soon disturbed by a bad news: Antonio’s six ships, full of riches, had all been wrecked at sea, which also meant Antonio lost all his money. Shylock was extremely happy after he heard the news and he went to cut off a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body. When he began sharpening the long knife he had brought with him, a lawyer entered. Portia was the lawyer, but no one knew recognized her. Finally, Portia was so clever that she saved Antonio’s life.2 The tragic character of Shylock2.1 The image of shylockShylock—the Jewish moneylender, is one of the most interesting and one of the most Controversial of Shakespeare character. Shylock is given the most passionate, most memorable speeches and actions in the play, and his character is etched in bold strokes across its entire surface, leaving an indelible human being as well as an outrageous villain and comic butt, and has become all things to all men. Some readers view Shylock as a proud and a passionate man who has long stored up in his heart the humiliation suffered at the hands of the hostile Christian world and are now ready for revenge. Shylock is the villain of the piece; there is no doubt about that. He hates Antonio for hindering his business and for treating him with terrible contempt in public, and we must not doubt that from the very beginning Shylock had hoped to get his revenge on Antonio by arranging the flesh—bond.Jessica’s elopement and theft of his money and jewels increase Shylock’s resentment against the Christian world, so that, although he might have had second thoughts about executing his revenge, they no longer trouble him after Jessica’s elopement. Having found him victimized by Antonio, Shylock wants as well as he gets. Symbolizing the stern justice of Old Testament law, Shylock is a passionate man thirsting for revenge and the ridiculous figure of stereotyped Jewish obstinacy, hatred. Usually comic, he is at times grotesque, and at times even touching “Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew lands…”(Shakespeare795). He is a villain of perseverance and restless energy, who is, nevertheless, foiled by good Christians in the end.2.2 Shylock’s realistic life and his spiritual worldWe all know that the Jews in Bible were God’s chosen people, but in the end they betrayed the God. So the Jews obeyed The Old Testament, but theChristians obeyed The New Testament, because of which their beliefs were much different from each other. During the entire Middle Age, the Jewish people were alternately protected and persecuted by the temporal powers of what ever land they inhabited. It had been established by the church long before that Christians were not to lend the money at interests, for to do so world be a violation of The New Testament concept of charity. So more and more Jews became tradesman and financiers. Although they were generally abused because of their religious differences, Jews were also frequently tolerated and invited into a country to stabilize its shaky financial structure. Often the binge became the heir of every Jew and took over his estate upon death. Consequently, moneylenders were forced to charge high interstates, which increased as the King s’ demands grew. Thus the Jews became the buffer for the Kings’extortion and the symbols of the hatred usurer. Religious persecution was often added to the economic pressures on the Jews in England. The Christians often treated the Jews with terrible contempt in public for religious reason, which brought about much hatred of the later.Now, let’s watch part of the play again. In Act 1 Scene 3, when Antonio asks Shylock whether or not he will lend the money to him, Shylock says that Antonio has long ill treated him in public.“In the Rialto, you have rated me about my money and my nuisance…You called me misbeliever, cut throat dog, and spit upon my Jewish gabardine, and all for use of that which is mine own”.” What should I say to you? Sho uld I not say Hath dog money? Is it possible a cur can lend three thousand ducats?” Shylock said. We can not deny that a person being so badly treated does deserve our sympathy. In public, Antonio has humiliated him for no reason, but his personal belief. Shylock has suppressed all his grievances all the time until this opportunity of life has come. He pours out all the injustice he has encountered and is determined to revenge with most vicious plot.Lancelot Gobo, the servant of Shylock, is planning to run away from Shylock to Bassano, in Act 2 Scene 3, because he thinks that Shylock is a devil, which makes Shylock sad later. Before Gobo leaves, Jessica, the only daughter ofShylock says to him” Our houses is hell and thou a merry devil” and agrees with his plan to escape. Later Lancelot leaves and Jessica left alone wanders what“heinous sin” it is. She is ashamed to be his father’s daughter and is ready to elope with Lorenzo to be far away from Shylock with a lot of her father’s jewels. Thinking that she is the only daughter of Shylock by blood, we can see how heartbroken he should be! There is nothing more sympathetic than losing the love of his only relative and the faith of his servant of many years. The repudiation to her father or his master is really b ecause Jessica or Gobo don’t understand the poor old man. Everyone in Venice hates Shylock named him villain in his essence because he is a Jew and he is greedy moneylender. But Jessica and Lancelot don’t realize this point and they think he is a villain i n his essence. So when the juncture comes, they all go away. Therefore we can easily realize that Shylock is a victim of historical period when we stand by him.In Act 4 Scene 1, after Shylock’s cruel plot has failed, the Duke heartily approves Antonio’s p roposal that he must convert to Christianity and he must make Lorenzo his legal heir. Shylock seems to be treated with Christian mercy, which shows their charity, but to a greedy moneylender, he was taken away not only half of his money but also his own national religion. It has the same result as taking away his life and depriving him of his belief. What a cruel punishment it is! Perhaps noting is more cruelly than forcing one to be far away from his own national religion to his enemies. Now Shylock has nothing, no his daughter, no his servant, no his money, no his religion as he said“…And no satisfaction, no revenge! Nor no ill luck stirring but what lights my shoulder, no signs but my breathing, no tears but my shedding.”It is more sympathetic to be ended in that way. Shylock is not only deprived of his fortune but also his right to have his own belief. What a heavy blow it is to a man of that age! Material possessions are something that a man can have or have not, but spiritual belief is almost inseparable, especially in those days.In Act 3 Scene 1, in a long and passionate speech, Shylock declares that the will use the flesh” to bait fish withal” if nothing else. It will feed his revenge, for Antonio has disgraced him, hindered his business, laughed his losses, mocked athis gains, scorned his nation, thwarted his bargains, cooled his friend, and heated his enemies.“And what’s his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not Jew hands organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same means, warned and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? And if you wrong me, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will r esemble you in that.”This is one of the most interesting speeches in the play and one of the most important problematical. Some of the modern historical critics support the view that the Jew is essentially no different from anyone else. Many Elizabethans believed as Lancelot and salvation do, that the Jew was the devil imamate. Everything that Shylock says in his famous explanation of his motives elicited the scorn of the Renaissance Christian, who believed that hatred and revenge were inherent Jewish traits. In the flesh, Jew and Christian may be very much alike. In the spirit, in their way and manners, they are entirely different. This is the very point that Shylock misses.3 Shylock’s complex personalityShylock was a complicated personality, as a Jew, a merchant, a man, a father. Then, he had multidimensional characters: hateful but woeful, man-eating but helpless, rich but selfish. So he was paradoxical. He was keen to be respected by people, but won’t respect others. He wished to change Jew’s social status, but loose religious power. He dreamed of having a happy family, but lost his family. He looked forward to bright future, but lost the light. He was twisted by struggle form different religions. He was persecuted by the basis of race and religions。