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Mosaic Law in William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice"

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Date Issued:
1989
Summary:
Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice is examined on an allegorical level, with Shylock the Jew portrayed as representing the Mosaic Law, and Antonio the Merchant of Venice portrayed as a Christ figure who represents the New Law. The religious convictions of the era are presented by examining the works of Richard Hooker as representative of his milieu. Traditional religious theology, both Jewish and Christian, is examined to establish a basis for the battle that ensues. Evidence is presented to establish a Jewish presence in England prior to their admission by Oliver Cromwell. This presence is argued to have influenced Shakespeare in his writing and precipitates a battle in which the two opposing philosophies do battle. The sides are carefully drawn and a celestial battle takes place. The allegories are described and then used to define the antagonists in terms that fit their allegorical nature.
Title: The Mosaic Law in William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice".
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Name(s): Kahl, Murray.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Collins, Robert A., Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1989
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 93 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice is examined on an allegorical level, with Shylock the Jew portrayed as representing the Mosaic Law, and Antonio the Merchant of Venice portrayed as a Christ figure who represents the New Law. The religious convictions of the era are presented by examining the works of Richard Hooker as representative of his milieu. Traditional religious theology, both Jewish and Christian, is examined to establish a basis for the battle that ensues. Evidence is presented to establish a Jewish presence in England prior to their admission by Oliver Cromwell. This presence is argued to have influenced Shakespeare in his writing and precipitates a battle in which the two opposing philosophies do battle. The sides are carefully drawn and a celestial battle takes place. The allegories are described and then used to define the antagonists in terms that fit their allegorical nature.
Identifier: 14521 (digitool), FADT14521 (IID), fau:11319 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1989.
Subject(s): Shakespeare, William,--1564-1616--Merchant of Venice
Judaism in literature
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14521
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.