Examples Of Literary Devices In The Merchant Of Venice

Literary devices are frequently used throughout acts four and five of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Some of the most prominent devices used on TMOF are dramatic irony, allusion and symbolism. These devices help further develop theme ingrained in the story such as marriage, deceive, wealth, and religion. The use of literary devices helps ensure the story transitions smoothly and is pleasant to the reader, it might also help in the comprehension of the story ´s characters. Dramatic Irony is present several times in The Merchant of Venice, for example, in act four scene one when Bassanio remarks that he would give everything up for Antonio, including his wife, Portia disguised as Balthazar responds, â€Å"Your wife would give you little†¦show more content†¦There are several allusions to Greek myths in the conversation between Jessica and Lorenzo in act five scene one. The moon shines bright. In such a night as this, When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees and they did make no noise, in such a night Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan walls and sighed his soul toward the Grecian tents where Cressida lay that night, in such a night Stood Dido with a willow in her hand Upon the wild sea-banks, and waft her love To come again to Carthage [†¦] In such a night did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew, and with an unthrift love did run from Venice.† The tales of Troilus, Thisbe, Dido and Jason are compared to Lorenzo’s and Je ssica’s story. Lorenzo draws comparison between these stories because they all happened in night like the one they are on. This suggests their love and marriage is as epic and memorable as the myths mentioned before. Both these examples of allusion can be linked to the theme of marriage. Marriage is also a symbol throughout the story. There is a plethora of symbols used throughout the story, but perhaps the most evident are marriage and Portia’s ring. While both Bassanio and Jessica seem to love their spouses, it can’t be denied that one of the reasons that both seek marriage was personal gain. The ring given to Bassanio by Portia symbolizes commitment, and when Bassanio gives it away, PortiaShow MoreRelatedThe Merchant Of Venice : Tragedy, Comedy Or Tragicomedy1363 Words   |  6 PagesProfessor Silva English 200 13 January 2017 The Merchant of Venice: Tragedy, Comedy or Tragicomedy Can time and historical events affect the categorization of a literary piece? William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is a play that is difficult to classify in a specific genre. It is often referred to as one of his problem plays. This means that it does not easily fall into a single category. 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