"The Merchant of Venice" can be regarded as one of Shakespeare's most problematic plays. The unapologetic racism and sexism induced is offensive in the extreme, and can be viewed throughout the play. Even though every human in this play is equal and generally do the same things a "human" does, certain categories of people are looked down at, especially the Jews. Even though the women in the play are intelligent and ethically superior to their male partners, it is only when they are disguised as men that they are allowed to do anything of a great significance. As there can be several symbols throughout the play, the three most important and vast symbols can be perceived as the three caskets, the pound of flesh, and the rings.
In the "Merchant of Venice," Portia's father, who had passed away, asked of the suitors who wanted Portia's hand in marriage to choose a casket from three caskets: gold, silver, and lead. The only one who chooses correctly will marry Portia. The caskets symbolize society itself, and who from this society may be Portia's suitor. The contest for Portia's hand, in which suitors from various countries choose among gold, silver, and a lead casket, resembles the cultural and legal system of Venice to some extent. Like the Venice of the play, the casket contest presents the same opportunities and the same rules to men of various nations, ethnicities, and religions. To win Portia, Bassanio must ignore the gold casket, which bears the inscription, "Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire" and the silver casket, which says, "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves." The correct casket is lead and warns that the person who chooses it must give and risk everything he has, "Who chooseth me must give and hazard all." Christianity teaches that appearances are often deceiving, and that people should not trust the evidence provided by the senses-hence the humble appearance of the lead casket.
Although Othello is set in Venice and Cyprus, the attitudes and values shared in the text are probably reflective of the attitudes and values of Shakespeare's own society. ... Aaron in "Titus Andronicus", and Marocco in "The Merchant in Venice". ...
