Homosexuality in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice

This pure love is clearly evidenced on numerous occasions throughout the play. In the second scene the general responds to Iago

In the Merchant of Venice, we see a truly anti-Semitic play by Shakespeare.  However, we also see a tale of money (greed and generosity), love (heterosexual and homosexual), and emotion (joy and sadness).

In the 21st century, homosexuality has been more acknowledged and accepted, than during the Elizabethan Era. During the Elizabethan Era, homosexual people existed, but it was not too common for someone to openly express their love for someone of the same sex. In Sonnet XX, Shakespeare describes through personal experience that love does not take gender into account. In his Twelfth Night play, Shakespeare portrays through a character, Orsino, that love has no boundaries. In The Merchant of Venice, also by Shakespeare, two of the main male characters are in love with each other. Shakespeare believes love does base itself on gender.

Love is many things, and is also used as a reference to sight and vision such as blindness. It is much more than aesthetics and wields the power of sight, and can also cause chaos and destruction. Similarly, Shakespeare utilizes two types of blindness by love; the first being physical due to a love potion a fairy king, Oberon orders upon the humans in Shakespeare’s, A Midsummers Night’s Dream. The second, being metaphorical due to Antony’s immense amount of love towards Cleopatra, in which hinders his political motivation in Shakespeare’s, Antony and Cleopatra.

Love is an intense feeling of deep affection. There are many examples of love in the story. One way that love is shown is between Antigone and Polyneices. Antigone was a loving sister to her brother , Polyneices , she showed this in many ways. Her brother was killed and the King of Thebes , Creon , demanded that he shall not be buried or even mounted.

During the 16th century, the definition of love was “senses relating to affection or attachment”. The word “love” appears 50 times throughout The Jew of Malta. Abigail uses the word “love” literally when expressing her passion and feelings for Don Mathias before her death. In the beginning of the play, the governor, Ferneze, ceased Barabas’s fortune to help pay the tax to the Ottoman Empire that Malta has accumulated over the years. As revenge, Barabas plots to kill Lodowick by using Abigail as his pawn. Although Abigail is submitted to Barabas’s plan, she expresses genuine affection for Mathias by stating, “O father, Don Mathias is my love!”. However, Barabas utilizes the word love in a more metaphoric, shallow way. Before discovering his

The Apple of My Queer Eye: A Look into Shakespeare’s Homoerotic Desires in the 16th Century It is clear to see that Henry Wriothesley has the most sex appeal from what Shakespeare writes in Sonnet 135. Shakespeare’s homoerotic desires in the 16th century were thought of as unconventional and foreign, which is why Shakespeare uses coded language to portray this through his writing.

One of the biggest debates when it comes to Shakespeare is if homosexuality is present in his works or not. This debate only began in recent decades when the term “homosexuality” was not seen as completely taboo. Many scholars debate that the “platonic” relationships between men were really participating in homosexual relationships, which were covered in many layers of English Renaissance language. These scholars also argue that women during this time were used for two reasons: 1) to cover up said homosexual relationships and 2) reproduction. Women were used for men’s personal gain. Women were considered manipulative and destructive. On the other hand, some scholars argue that these men were not in homosexual relationships with one another and really considered each other a brother. But really, it all boils down to which play/sonnet. In some cases, there are homosexual relationships shown and in others it is merely a platonic relationship. It all depends on the story that is being portrayed.

There's no denying the intimacy of the relationship between Antonio and Sebastian, particularly when Antonio proclaims his devotion and willingness to risk his life to be with his beloved friend. Antonio says that he is driven by "desire," "jealousy," and "love" to follow Sebastian to Illyria, where Antonio is a wanted man. Just as Duke Orsino compares the experience of erotic love to a physically piercing "shaft", Antonio suggests that his desire for Sebastian is "more sharp than filed steel”. “ I could not stay behind you: my desire, More sharp than filed steel, did spur me forth; And not all love to see you, though so much As might have drawn one to a longer voyage, But jealousy what might befall your travel, Being skilless in these parts; which to a stranger, Unguided and unfriended, often prove Rough and unhospitable: my willing love, The rather by these arguments of fear, Set forth in your pursuit.” (3.3) This language not only gets at the sense that Antonio's love causes him physical suffering and heartache, but it also consistent with the imagery of sexual

Shakespeare’s romantic comedy Twelfth Night arguably poses questions about sexuality and the social constraints of gender. In his 1996 film adaptation of the play Trevor Nunn takes these queries and highlights them for his audience. Nunn’s opening, pictures Viola and Sebastian both dressed in harem costumes as entertainment for the others on board the ship. Panning around the room we see Antonio watching the twins intensely. Antonio shows very little emotion in this scene, nor any recognition of which twin is which.

Before I discuss the possibility of Antonio's sadness being caused by his love for Bassanio, I must point out that there are scholars who do not believe that Antonio harbors any homoerotic feelings towards Bassanio. Danson, while conceding that

First, we see Antonio, a soft-hearted and morose Christian gentleman whose riches cannot provide him the fulfillment that others deem appropriate. He is sad because he lacks love. To fulfill that love, he assists Bassano in his own quest to pursue love. Though usually depicted as a homosexual relationship, it is a portrayal of love between friends or brothers, another type of bond. This act of bonding puts Antonio in gracious light. He helps his loved one by borrowing money from Shylock and pawns his life to strengthen that bond. This reinforced bondage reflects Antonio’s selflessness, God-like quality, and most importantly Christian morality.

This inconsistency is embodied in the Twelfth Night when Orsino is irrational in his pursuit of beautiful Countess Olivia, yet he cedes her without regret or uncertainty. The duke then falls instantly in love with Viola, who was formerly known to him as a man named “Cesario.” Moreover, it almost seems as if Orsino enjoys the pain and suffering that comes with romance. He continues to engage himself in the quarrels of love while he states that it is an undying appetite, yet he can say that love “is so vivid and fantastical, nothing compares to it," implying that love is obsessive and bittersweet. Through this sudden change and obsession of love even through pain, Shakespeare communicates that love is something fantastic, pleasing and passionate, and our desires for these things lead our love lives to be obsessive, incoherent, excessive and unexpectedly

Antonio and Sebastian are very intimate with one another and have become very loyal to each other. This is shown quite evidently throughout the play many times. An example of this is when Antonio wants to go with Sebastian to Illyria to make sure he is safe, he tells Sebastian, “But, come what may, I do adore thee so that danger shall seem sport, and I will go” (Act 2, Scene 1, lines 40-41). Deep down inside, Antonio feels a shrill desire to follow and help his friend on his travels. Although

William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is a perplexing story of dark humor, race, religion, identity, love, and justice. Generally, most people understand The Merchant of Venice as a comedy about a bitter and outcasted Jewish moneylender named Shylock who seeks revenge against a Christian merchant who has failed to pay his loan back. However, there are many different perspectives on whether The Merchant of Venice is a comedy or a tragedy depending on one’s views on the difference between race and religion. If one views the story as a comedy, it is a dark comedy full of many problems, especially the controversial subject matter of anti-Semitic attitudes of its Christian characters. If one views it as a tragedy, it is a tragedy that concludes with majority of its characters in a “happy ending”—that is if one agrees that Jessica’s decision of love over betraying her father and giving up her Jewish identity is indeed a happy ending.