I've been discovering all sort of social media and such. To summarize earlier posts, I'm reaching out to find people interested (generally or specifically) in abuse/victimization cycles, and justice & mercy as they relate. I'll be looking at The Merchant of Venice and The Children's Hour in my paper, but principles outside of the texts can be applied.
First of all, miraculously someone stood up in Relief Society meeting on Sunday and announced that they were running a seminar for emotional abuse. It's tomorrow, so I'll be going and asking some questions, but in the meantime I've checked out the associated blog. (Everyone's doing it these days.) It's betheonethatgotawaytoday.blogspot.com. Something interesting I've been noting in her posts is the addiction or obsession people have with others that have hurt them. They know they should turn away and eventually forgive, but it's a real struggle.
I also followed Professor Burton's advice and checked out slideshare.net. There I found a slideshow on The Merchant of Venice and justice and mercy. It points out some cycles too. Portia lectures Shylock on mercy, but then turns around and shows none.
(I'm curious, though. Does anyone else feel that Portia is showing mercy when she tries to get Shylock to give in, knowing full well what is coming if he doesn't?)
The slideshow also says that Venetian law doesn't allow for mercy. I think this is just something that the characters hide behind. The Duke obviously has the power to circumvent the law when he chooses not to take Shylock's life. Oh, and here's the link to the slideshow: http://www.slideshare.net/luv4peace/mercy-vs-justice-presentation
Thoughts? Contradictions here? I'm sure they exist.
You make an assumption that Portia DOES know what is coming in the trail. I think this is really interesting because I have always read it and seen it in plays leaning towards the reading that it is something she discovers right before it is too late.
ReplyDeleteI think that everything presented in the court scene leans towards the overall hypocrisy found within the play. Obviously they present the idea that they can overthrow justice for mercy, yet true mercy is completely absent in the play.
I did notice that a lot of people read it that way, that Portia figures out what she's doing right before it happens, but why would she dress up like a man and travel to Venice, if she didn't have a plan? She must have known at least enough to be assured in her actions in order to be inspired at all to follow through with her plan.
ReplyDeleteWell I sort of assume (maybe that's a bad thing) that because she was taking the place of her intelligent relation, that he taught her about laws in order to help her disguise become more believable. Does that make sense?
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