英语本科毕业论文《威尼斯商人》中的人物形象分析.doc

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1、本科毕业论文威尼斯商人中的人物形象分析学生姓名： 学生学号： 200320207100 院（系）： 外国语学院 年级专业： 2003级英语本科5班 指导教师： 二七年五月An Analysis of the Characters inthe Merchant of VeniceHe LiUnder the Supervision ofJiang LuSchool of Foreign Languages and CulturesPanzhihua UniversityMay 2007ContentsAbstract.Key Words.摘要.关键词.Introduction 1. Social

2、 Background of the Play the Merchant of Venice. 2 A. The Reality Social Information in Elizabeth Throne.2 B. Special Social Background Reflecting in the Merchant of Venice.2. Analyzing the Heroes in the Play.3 A. Antonio3 B. Bassanio.4 C. Shylock5III. Analyzing the Central Character in the Play-Port

3、ia .6A. The Essential Nature of Portia.6B. The Humanism Spirit Shown by Portia 6C. Portia- a Self-conscious Female.7D. An Explanation on Portia Masquerading as Man8IV. A Comparative Study of Characteristic Differences among Main Figures10A. Portia and Jessica.10B. Portia and Shylock.11C. Antonio and

4、 Bassanio.12Conclusion.14Acknowledgements16Notes.17Bibliography18AbstractAs we known that the merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeares most important works. It is a comedy. The theme of this play is to extol kindheartedness, friendship and love. And also it reflects the conflicts between the capita

5、lists and usurers at the beginning of the capitalist society. And it expresses the authors humanist idea on money, law and religion in capitalist society. This thesis analyzes the main figures in the play by using independent and contrast ways. It shows the heavily flavor of humanism at the beginnin

6、g of capitalist society; and expresses some thoughts for society and human being. The thesis also makes a hard criticism to Shylock, who is a representative of feudalism, and puts a heavy humanism on Portia. It displays the thoughts of feudalism personality liberation, and stressing the great breakt

7、hrough of womans status and feminine consciousness in Elizabethan era. Key WordsCharacter analyzing; humanism; personality liberation; women consciousness摘要众所周知，威尼斯商人是莎士比亚著名喜剧之一。 该剧的主题被定义为对善良、友谊和爱情的颂扬。 本剧不但反映了资本主义早期资产阶级同高利贷者间的矛盾冲突，也揭示了作者对资本主义社会金钱、法律和宗教信仰的人文主义观点。本论文采用了个案分析法以及对比分析法对该剧的主要人物形象作了一一剖析，展示了

8、资本主义萌芽时期人文主义的浓厚气息，表达了莎士比亚对社会、对人类生活的反思，并寄以自己的理想。课题对封建旧势力的代表夏洛克作了无情的批判，而对形象鲜明、富有光彩的鲍西娅则添上了浓厚的人文主义理想色彩。文章彰显了女性个性解放，突显了文艺复兴时期伊丽莎白当权期，女性地位、意识的重大突破。关键词 人物分析；人文主义思想；个性解放；女性意识 IntroductionThe Merchant of Venice is one of the Shakespeares famous comedies in his early time. Its theme is to extol kindness, fri

9、endship and love. It is the mirror of the contradiction between business bourgeois and usurer at the beginning of the Capitalist society. Its also expressed the authors humanism ideas on money, law and religion in this society. There, we mention Humanism-the main distinguishing feature of that perio

10、d, also the brightness characteristic which is shown from the important role in this play.In this thesis, the author introduces the background of the play firstly. Reading the play, we can know that the social background in the play is according with the real society. We know at that time, the socie

11、ty was under the leadership of Elizabeth who was the symbol of power in England. Next the thesis gives an introduction of the main figures in the play. Antonio is rich and kindhearted. From him we can see the spirit of humanism. Portia plays the most important part in the play. The thesis talks abou

12、t her character, her hobbies, and her attitude of love and the inner meaning-humanism of this figure. She is the center of all these figures the play refers to. Humanism is an ideological weapon for capitalism to fight the feudalism combat, and also it is the core idea of capitalism advanced-literat

13、ure in Renaissance, and its combat refers to the ideal of Feudalism in Middle Age, especially the religion belief of Catholics. After that, the thesis gives more details about the information mentioned above. Then the thesis compares the figures to give a highlight of the humanism spirit. Social Bac

14、kground of the Play the Merchant of VeniceAs is known, England is a developed country. Today, it also obtains very important status in the world. It is very necessary to talk about the history of the growth of capitalism in England, especially in 16th century.A. The Social Information in Elizabeth T

15、hroneHenry VIII died in 1547 and his nine-year-old son succeeded him. The son was known in history, Edward . The boy-kings reign was a time of extreme Protestantism, for the Regency Council for him consisted almost entirely of the protestant faction. Edward died in 1553. only 15years old. Then his h

16、alf-sister, Mary, a Catholic, became Queen. The new Queen came to the throne at the age of twenty-five. After the coronation, her parliament passed the necessary legislation to abolish the papal supremacy over the church, and gave Elizabeth all the powers over the church which her father had held, t

17、hough with the more modest title of “Supreme Government” of the Church of England instead of “Supreme Head” Elizabeth died on 24 March, 1603 at the age of sixty-nine. Her forty-four-year reign had not only ensured the triumph of Protestantism in Britain and in Northern Europe, but had greatly increa

18、sed the wealth, power and prestige of England. Her navy triumphed over the great Armada of the king of Spain; her sailors circum navigated the world, and established a colony on the North American continent which they named Virginia after their virgin queen. At home, the merchants were prosperous; t

19、he common people enjoyed a higher standard of living than in most other European countries, and her reign was also full of achievements in literature and other arts. After all, Elizabeth was one of the most successful despots to govern England in English history. (李超, 邓兴义:34-37)B. Special Social Bac

20、kground Reflecting in the Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of Venice is one of the famous comedy plays written by Shakespeare in his early time. The theme of this play is to extol kindness, friendship and love. It is the mirror of the contradiction between business bourgeois and usurer at the beginnin

21、g of capitalist society. Its also expressed the authors humanism ideas on money, law and religion in this society. There, we mention Humanism-the main distinguishing feature of that period, also the brightness characteristic which is shown from the important roles in this play. But, what is “humanis

22、m”? Humanism is the ideological weapon of bourgeois to fight feudalism at Renaissance, is also the core idea of the bourgeois advanced-literature in this time. Be directed against the world outlook of Medieval feudalism is the spearhead of struggle, especially the religion belief of Catholicism. Chu

23、rch refers to God as the centre of cosmos. At the heart of the Renaissance philosophy is the assertion of the greatness of man. And the elements of Humanism are to establish the central status of human, their dignity and value, to advocate the spirit of rationalism and science and to protest the sup

24、reme role of God admired in Middle Ages.Shakespeare was a man of the late Renaissance who gave the fullest expression to humanist ideas. The Merchant of Venice is one of the important works which finished in the First Flowering period of English Literature. In this play, heroes and heroines fight fo

25、r their own ideas and mould their own life according to their own free will and bring us into happy and ideal world with singing, dancing, harmony with nature and freedom from the vices of the world. . Analyzing the Heroes in the PlayIn this play, Shakespeare portrays many roles. The proportion that

26、 male figures taking is much more notable than females. So, its necessary to narrate and display their nature character and symbol.A. AntonioAlthough the plays title refers to him, Antonio is a rather lackluster character. He emerges in Act, sceneas a hopeless depressive, someone who cannot name the

27、 source of his melancholy and who, throughout the course of the play, devolves into a self-pitying lump, unable to muster the energy required to defend himself against execution. Antonio never names the cause of his melancholy, but the evidence seems to point to his being in love, and the most likel

28、y object of his affection is Bassanio. Antonio has risked the entirety of his fortune on oversea trading ventures, yet he agrees to guarantee the potentially lethal loan Bassanio secures from Shylock. He is willing to offer up a pound of flesh, signifying a union that grotesquely alludes to the rite

29、 of marriage, where two partners become “one flesh”. Further evidence of the nature of Antonios feelings for Bassanio appears later in the play, when Antonios proclamations resonate with the hyperbole and self-satisfaction of a doomed lovers declaration: “pray God Bassanio come/ To see me pay his de

30、bt, and then I care not” (Act , Scene III, 35-36) without a mate, he is indeed the “tainted wether”or castrated ramof the flock, and he will likely return to his favorite pastime of moping about the streets of Venice (Act , Scene I, 113). After all, he has effectively disabled himself from pursuing

31、hid hobbyabusing Shylockby insisting that the Jew convert to Christianity. Although a 16th century audience might have seen this demand as merciful, as Shylock is saving himself from eternal damnation by converting, we are less likely to be convinced. Not only does Antonios reputation as an anti-Sem

32、ite precede him, but the only instance in the play when he breaks out of his doldrums in his “storm” against Shylock(Act, Scene III, 132). In this play, Antonio proves his character is melancholy, cruelty and some seldom sayinghomosexual.B. BassanioIt is said Middle Ages is the most deathly stillnes

33、s period in Europe. It also can be seemed its the time that west Europes culture and literature go to grave. As to the pillar of spirit, there is nothing except a total series of religious doctrine. In this environment, people used compliment and boast words to exchange their minds and thoughts. In

34、that society, everyone remain under artificial mask wandered in different kinds of occasion. An absolutely undisguised money relationship makes the true human nature into ash during the masks scraped each other. Bassanio, a noble who is neatly dressed, whose speech and deportment is natural and grac

35、eful, gradually becomes a declining aristocrat by spending without restraint. He is a handsome and intelligent young man. But living in such a society, what his every days schedule is to squander money on different meeting and use blandishment speech to talk with other aristocrat. His property is li

36、mitation. Once he runs behind his expenses, he will ask his best friendthe wealth merchant in VeniceAntonio for money. From the context, it seems he never returned what he borrowed. To be such a man who wants of lofty aspiration. Maybe the best method frees himself from poverty is to get a profitabl

37、e marriage. And we mostly can make sure; to obtain money is more important than to marry Portia. This can be improved in laterhe gives his brides ring to the clerk. Although his lover has declared that if he loses her ring, she will never pardon him.C. ShylockShylock in this play is the antagonist.

38、He is the model of usurer. Most people read him as a bogeyman, a clownish Jewish stereotype. He is selfish, curtly, avaricious and niggard. Once he has the chance to revenge his foe. He will try his best to make the other into deathtrap. In the court, he is clam and wisdom, even fights for several C

39、hristians joint attack. But most of his speech is coarse, and sometimes “mean”. All of this makes people take unkindly to him. But with the several aspects sagacious with Antonio, it makes him be a mult-personality figure. Being a pagan who lives in Christian society he has strong emotion on racial

40、constriction and the enthusiasm of raising Jewish peoples status. Living in this society, he suffers too much public humiliation and oppression as he says in the following:“He hath disgraced me, and hinderd me half a million; laught at my loss, mockt at my gains, scornd my nation, thwarted my bargai

41、ns, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and whats his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, heald by the same means, warmd and coold by the

42、 same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laught? If you porion us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” (Act Scene50-63) His frequently mentions of the cruelty he has endured at Christian hands make it hard for us

43、 to label him a natural born monster. Shylock argues that Jews are humans and calls his quest for vengeance the product of lessons taught to him by the cruelty of Venice citizens. In such condition, his “malicious” is much more reasonable. Besides the facial of Shylocks malignance, actually, he is a

44、 person whose sense of decency has been fractured by the persecution he endures. Comparatively, those kindness and wisdom Christian, in fact, have another hideous feature. So, in my mind, Shylock is a man who is worth sympathizing. III. Analyzing the Central Character in the Novel-PortiaThe girl emb

45、odies the virtues that are typical for Shakespeares heroines-it has no surprise that she emerges as the antidote to Shylocks malice. She is the pretty-witted aristocrat young girl. She is enthusiasm and graceful; resourceful and humorous; wealthy and beautiful. She is the perfect female who glitters

46、 the humanism ideal in her life. This is Portia.A. The Essential Nature of PortiaAt the beginning of the play, however, we do not see Portias potential for initiative and resourcefulness, as she is a near prisoner, feeling herself absolutely bound to follow her fathers dying wishes. This open appearance, however, proves to be a revealing introduction to Portia, who emerges as that rarest of combinations-a free spirit who abides rigidly by rules. When Bassanio asks Belmont to choose his chest, she proves herse