세익스피어의 작품

[이관수]

인지장애(치매)를 늦추는데 외국어를 하나쯤 배우는게 유효하단다.

그래서... 천천히 읽으며 모르는 단어는 사전을 뒤적거려 봐야겠다.

페북에서 복사했다.

English literature · Follow

8 hours ago·

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

Background :

William Shakespeare wrote this play between 1596 and 1599. Though this play is a comic work but is famous for its dramatic scenes. The Merchant of Venice summary revolves around a merchant of Venice, Antonio. Antonio is the protagonist of this play. He took a loan from a Jewish moneylender, Shylock, in order to help his friend. But Antonio is unable to pay back the loan.

Shylock demands a pound of flesh from his body in the absence of the repayment. Portia, a rich heiress, disguises as a lawyer and saves Antonio from Shylock. The plot of the Merchant of Venice summary is based on friendship, loyalty, wit, kindness, and humanity.

Main Plot:

The story starts with Bassanio’s desire to marry Portia, a wealthy heiress of Belmont. In order to become a suitor to her, he is in need of 3000 ducats. He seeks Antonio’s help who is a merchant of Venice and also his friend. But, Antonio says that he is short of cash as his ships and merchandise are expected. However, he assures Bassanio that he can become surety for his loan.

Having been assured by Antonio’s guarantee, Bassanio takes a loan from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. He names Antonio as the guarantor for the loan. Shylock is already upset with Antonio as Antonio lends money without interest and also holds prejudice towards Jews. However, he agrees to give a loan to Bassanio without interest but puts a condition stating that if Antonio is unable to pay the loan on the specified due date, he will take a pound of Antonio’s flesh.

Antonio signs the contract on seeing that the loan carries no interest, although Bassanio is not in favor of such a contract. However, Bassanio along with Gratiano, his friend leaves for Belmont to marry Portia. The author describes Gratiano as a young, over-talkative, tactless, and frivolous man.

In Belmont, Portia is meeting many suitors. But she is unable to get the right match. As per her father’s will, whoever picks up the right casket shall win Portia’s hand. The suitors get three caskets, namely gold, silver, and lead to choosing from. The Prince of Morocco, the first suitor chooses a gold casket while the Prince of Aragon, the second suitor, chooses the silver casket. But both of them are rejected as they choose the wrong casket. After this, it is Bassanio’s turn to choose a casket. Nerissa, Portia’s maid hints Bassanio by singing a song as Portia had met him before and wanted him to win. He thus picks up the lead casket. He hence wins Portia’s hand. Bassanio marries Portia and Gratiano marries Nerissa.

Meanwhile, Shylock’s daughter, Jessica ran away with Lorenzo, a Christian, and also got converted. Not only this, but she also stole a large amount of his wealth along with a turquoise ring that was a gift from his wife to him. Thus, Shylock became firm about avenging the Christians.

Antonio’s ships were lost at sea and thus he was unable to repay the loan amount. Hence, Shylock dragged him to the court. On receiving this news, Bassanio and Gratiano leave for Venice carrying the money to repay the loan from Portia.

In the court of Duke of Venice, Bassanio offers twice the amount of loan to Shylock. But he refuses the offer and insists that he needs a pound of flesh of Antonio. The Duke refers the case to Balthazar, a young lawyer. But in fact, that was Portia in disguise. Nerissa also disguises as a man and accompanies Portia as a law clerk. Portia requests Shylock to be kind and merciful but he insists on getting the pound of flesh.

As there was no way out, the court grants permission to Shylock. But as Antonio prepares himself for the knife, Portia says that as per the contract, Shylock can take out only flesh. Thus, if even one single drop of bloodsheds, his property shall be forfeited. She also adds to this by saying that he shall take out exactly one pound of flesh.

Shylock is thus left with no other choice than to accept Bassanio’s offer of money. But Portia argues that there is no need to pay him any amount of money as he has already refused it. She also says that as he is a Jew and wanted to take the life of a Venetian citizen, his property shall be confiscated. Half of the property goes to the State while half of it goes to Antonio. Also, his life is now on the mercy of the Duke.

However, the Duke pardons his life and also his property. Portia states that the Duke can not waive Antonio’s share anyways. Antonio says that he does not mind using Shylock’s half share until Shylock’s death after which he shall give the principal to Jessica and Lorenzo. He also asks Shylock to convert to Christianity. Shylock had to accept all these conditions after the threatening by the Duke to revoke his forgiveness.

Bassanio is unable to recognize Portia. He wishes to give her some presents. Portia asks him to give his wedding ring and Antonio’s gloves. After much persuasion by Antonio, he gives his ring to her. She later teases him about this incidence. In the end, Antonio learns from Portia that his ships have returned safely.

English Literature · Follow

6 days ago

·As You Like It By William Shakespeare

It is set to take place in the time period that it was being performed, thought to be the final years of the 1500s into the early 1600s. The pastoral and comedic play styles were common in the Renaissance Era. The setting of As You Like It involves two locations, The French royal court of Duke Frederick and the Forest of Ardenne, the place to which the characters flee. The Forest of Ardenne symbolizes country life and an escape from the injustice and corruption of the city while the court of the duke is representative of corrupt life within the city.

As You Like It Full Book Summary

Sir Rowland de Bois has recently died, and, according to the custom of primogeniture, the vast majority of his estate has passed into the possession of his eldest son, Oliver. Although Sir Rowland has instructed Oliver to take good care of his brother, Orlando, Oliver refuses to do so. Out of pure spite, he denies Orlando the education, training, and property befitting a gentleman. Charles, a wrestler from the court of Duke Frederick, arrives to warn Oliver of a rumor that Orlando will challenge Charles to a fight on the following day. Fearing censure if he should beat a nobleman, Charles begs Oliver to intervene, but Oliver convinces the wrestler that Orlando is a dishonorable sportsman who will take whatever dastardly means necessary to win. Charles vows to pummel Orlando, which delights Oliver.

Duke Senior has been usurped of his throne by his brother, Duke Frederick, and has fled to the Forest of Ardenne, where he lives like Robin Hood with a band of loyal followers. Duke Frederick allows Senior’s daughter, Rosalind, to remain at court because of her inseparable friendship with his own daughter, Celia. The day arrives when Orlando is scheduled to fight Charles, and the women witness Orlando’s defeat of the court wrestler. Orlando and Rosalind instantly fall in love with one another, though Rosalind keeps this fact a secret from everyone but Celia. Orlando returns home from the wrestling match, only to have his faithful servant Adam warn him about Oliver’s plot against Orlando’s life. Orlando decides to leave for the safety of Ardenne. Without warning, Duke Frederick has a change of heart regarding Rosalind and banishes her from court. She, too, decides to flee to the Forest of Ardenne and leaves with Celia, who cannot bear to be without Rosalind, and Touchstone, the court jester. To ensure the safety of their journey, Rosalind assumes the dress of a young man and takes the name Ganymede, while Celia dresses as a common shepherdess and calls herself Aliena.

Duke Frederick is furious at his daughter’s disappearance. When he learns that the flight of his daughter and niece coincides with the disappearance of Orlando, the duke orders Oliver to lead the manhunt, threatening to confiscate Oliver’s lands and property should he fail. Frederick also decides it is time to destroy his brother once and for all and begins to raise an army.

Duke Senior lives in the Forest of Ardenne with a band of lords who have gone into voluntary exile. He praises the simple life among the trees, happy to be absent from the machinations of court life. Orlando, exhausted by travel and desperate to find food for his starving companion, Adam, barges in on the duke’s camp and rudely demands that they not eat until he is given food. Duke Senior calms Orlando and, when he learns that the young man is the son of his dear former friend, accepts him into his company. Meanwhile, Rosalind and Celia, disguised as Ganymede and Aliena, arrive in the forest and meet a lovesick young shepherd named Silvius who pines away for the disdainful Phoebe. The two women purchase a modest cottage, and soon enough Rosalind runs into the equally lovesick Orlando. Taking her to be a young man, Orlando confides in Rosalind that his affections are overpowering him. Rosalind, as Ganymede, claims to be an expert in exorcising such emotions and promises to cure Orlando of lovesickness if he agrees to pretend that Ganymede is Rosalind and promises to come woo her every day. Orlando agrees, and the love lessons begin.

Meanwhile, Phoebe becomes increasingly cruel in her rejection of Silvius. When Rosalind intervenes, disguised as Ganymede, Phoebe falls hopelessly in love with Ganymede. One day, Orlando fails to show up for his tutorial with Ganymede. Rosalind, reacting to her infatuation with Orlando, is distraught until Oliver appears. Oliver describes how Orlando stumbled upon him in the forest and saved him from being devoured by a hungry lioness. Oliver and Celia, still disguised as the shepherdess Aliena, fall instantly in love and agree to marry. As time passes, Phoebe becomes increasingly insistent in her pursuit of Ganymede, and Orlando grows tired of pretending that a boy is his dear Rosalind. Rosalind decides to end the charade. She promises that Ganymede will wed Phoebe, if Ganymede will ever marry a woman, and she makes everyone pledge to meet the next day at the wedding. They all agree.

The day of the wedding arrives, and Rosalind gathers the various couples: Phoebe and Silvius; Celia and Oliver; Touchstone and Audrey, a goatherd he intends to marry; and Orlando. The group congregates before Duke Senior and his men. Rosalind, still disguised as Ganymede, reminds the lovers of their various vows, then secures a promise from Phoebe that if for some reason she refuses to marry Ganymede she will marry Silvius, and a promise from the duke that he would allow his daughter to marry Orlando if she were available. Rosalind leaves with the disguised Celia, and the two soon return as themselves, accompanied by Hymen, the god of marriage. Hymen officiates at the ceremony and marries Rosalind and Orlando, Celia and Oliver, Phoebe and Silvius, and Audrey and Touchstone. The festive wedding celebration is interrupted by even more festive news: while marching with his army to attack Duke Senior, Duke Frederick came upon a holy man who convinced him to put aside his worldly concerns and assume a monastic life. Frederick changes his ways and returns the throne to Duke Senior. The guests continue dancing, happy in the knowledge that they will soon return to the royal court.

Why is the play called as you like it?

The play, As You Like It, is thought to be named as such to draw on the crowd's fondness for good-natured comedies with a happy ending. The title indicates that that was not the preference of Shakespeare himself, but simply that of his audience.

What is the main idea of As You Like It?

As You Like It is a pastoral comedy with major themes of love, gender, sexuality, and injustice. Duke Frederick usurps the dukedom from his brother, the rightful Duke Senior, and banishes him. Several of the characters seek refuge in the Forest of Ardenne where they learn of love and forgiveness in nature.

Where does Shakespeare's As You Like it take place?

Shakespeare's As you Like It takes place in France. Throughout the play there are two main settings, the court of Duke Frederick and the Forest of Ardenne.

What is the central conflict of As You Like It?

The central conflict of the play comes from the strained relationships between several of the characters causing them to seek refuge in the Forest of Ardenne. Duke Frederick usurps the dukedom from his brother Duke Senior and banishes him. Orlando finds out that his brother, Oliver, intends to kill him, so he too leaves. Lastly, Duke Frederick banishes Rosalind, so Rosalind, Celia, and Touchstone head to the Forest of Ardenne in search of Duke Senior.