Revisiting William J. Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice’s Shylock from a Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

Objectives: This study uses the speech of Shakespeare's well-known character Shylock as a case study to examine how language manipulation impacts power, establishes a connection between language and societal structure, and considers the effect of blending different ideologies. Methods: This study adopts critical discourse analysis to demonstrate the societal marginalization of the Jewish character Shylock by correlating his speech with the trilogy "identity, ideology, and Venetian society" related to his Jewish identity. Results: The study shows that once Shylock decides and works to achieve the trilogy of "identity, ideology and power", he fails miserably due to his inhumane traits and personality. Furthermore, Shylock's insistence on the literal interpretation of the bond paves the way to damage his reputation and status, neglecting the power of other influential figures to properly manage the language of his “deed,” thereby destroying Shylock's "Power" in Venetian society Conclusions: The study demonstrates that language is a significant factor in shaping how societies exercise "power" over others, harm undesirable "identities," and adopt the "ideologies" of others.