The Merchant of Venice essay free essay sample

Show how William Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice uses juxtaposition, contrasting characterisation and foreshadowing to explore ideasMany literary devices can often be used to explore ideas. William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice has many plots and sub-plots with various underlying themes expressed through the use of literary devices. Shakespeare uses juxtaposing settings to display the theme of people being easily corrupted by the desire of wealth and losing sight of the value of their interpersonal relationships; contrasting characterisation to show that people are more similar than they are different; and foreshadowing to emphasize that arrogance can lead to ones downfall.William Shakespeare uses two juxtaposing settings to display that people are easily corrupted by the desire of wealth which causes them to lose sight of the value of relationships. Throughout the play, Shakespeare contrasts Venice and Belmont to show the effect setting plays in the disposition and nature of main characters such as Portia and Shylock. We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Portia is the embodiment of the calm and merciful nature of Belmont, whereas Shylock represents the greed of Venice as he would rather his †¦daughter were dead at my [Shylocks] feet wearing those jewels while Portia is willing to offer her wealth to save Antonio when she tells Bassanio to Pay him six thousand and cancel the debt. Id pay twelve thousand before Id let a friend like that suffer in the slightest because of you†¦. Belmont is an imaginary place ruled by women which is filled with tranquillity and unity, while Venice is the financial capital bustling with business and discrimination. The scenes constantly switch between Belmont and Venice during the course of the bond plot between Antonio and Shylock, and the casket plot between Portia and Bassanio. Within these juxtaposed settings, the nature of the characters is clearly seen as the purposeful juxtaposition of these two settings contrast the chaotic Venice and the peaceful, fantastical Belmont. This is shown in the case of the trial when Portia, disguised as a lawyer, displays her kindness when she tells Shylock that The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes†¦. This metaphor about mercy attempts to show Belmonts grace and mercy to Venice, a place ruled by the wealthy and the greedy. – what is ironical, resolution of the theme. Contrasting characterisation is the prominent foundation of the play. Although contrasting, Antonio and Shylock are more alike than they are different. As the play unfolds similarities in Antonio and Shylocks situation are made known as they both have lost someone close to them. Shylock has lost his daughter Jessica who eloped with Lorenzo, a Christian, while Antonio has lost Bassanio, a close friend, who embarked on a journey to win [Portia]. There is a contrast in their reaction to this loss as Shylock is furious and runs through the streets of Venice crying my daughter! Oh, my ducats! repeatedly. Although mocked by the majority, Shylock cares only for his money as he regarded her elopement as procession and mourned the loss of his precious jewels instead. Meanwhile, Antonio is accepting of Bassanios wishes as he aids him in his quest to pursue Portia, the Belmont heiress. Another contrast can be made in the way both Antonio and Shylock are represented in society. Although Shylock accounts, in the beginning of the play, the injustices done to him by Antonio such as spiting on him and calling him a dog, Antonio is praised by most people in society. Bassanio use hyperbole to describe his character as he is †¦the kindest man and most courteous to others. Meanwhile, Shylock, who appears not to have many friends throughout the play, is despised by even those close to him as Launcelot, his servant, uses simile to liken him to the devil while his daughter criticises his manner. Shylocks religious status and practise of usury is the main cause for his discrimination. However, through the use of rhetorical questions in Shylocks speech before the trial saying, Hath not a Jew eyes?.. . If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? And if you wrong us, do we not revenge , Shakespeare helps the audience understand the effect of discrimination and prejudice on the afflicted minority.Finally, foreshadowing is used to emphasise the idea of arrogance being the cause of ones downfall. This theme is constantly seen throughout the play, with the first example being when Antonio and Shylock agree on a penance in case Antonio is not able to repay the debt on time. Antonio agrees to the bond confidently saying that he †¦expect[s] return of thrice three times the value of this bond†¦. Antonio is certain that all his ship will return safely and will be able to easily repay the bond. However, his confidence is proven to be misplaced as more than half his ships were destroyed and Antonio ends up almost losing his life. Shylock knows of the uncertainty of Antonios wealth and makes the bond, knowing that there are many things that can happen during the ships voyage. Another example of foreshadowing is that of Jessicas monologue as Shylock bids her goodnight and takes his leave, with Jessica saying †¦Farewell; and if my fortune be not crost, I have a father, you a daughter, lost†¦. This foreshadows how Shylock will lose his daughter because of her elopement with Lorenzo which occurs later in the play. The last example is when Shylock stands before the court to claim his pound of flesh, confident that he can claim it and will be protected by the law. This is ironical since he ignores all pleads of mercy, foreshadowing how the court will overthrow the fulfilment of the bond.Throughout William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare uses many literary techniques such as juxtaposition, contrasting characterisation and foreshadowing to highlight the subtle and underlying themes present in the play. Juxtaposition is used to display the theme of people easily losing sight of the value of their interpersonal relationships; contrasting characterisation is used to show that people are more alike than they are different; foreshadowing is used to emphasise that arrogance can lead to ones downfall.

Why You Should Give Free Content To Your Readers

Why You Should Give Free Content To Your Readers Give it away give it away give it away give it away now. Give It Away, Red Hot Chili Peppers Thats four suggestions, in a row, to give something away. Surely the Chili Peppers are onto something you can apply to your blog. If you do a search on with the word free, you get a fair number of results. What are our blog giveaways and other free stuff  here at ? WordPress plugins Headline creation tools Email newsletters and courses calendar training An endless number of infographics, e-books, and worksheets Craziness. But not really. Why You Should Give Free Content To Your Readers #blogging via @JulieNeidlingerThe Power Of  Blog Giveaways Free content builds goodwill, and people love to share free stuff with their friends and followers on social media. Free content is portable. E-books and other downloads are portable. Youre not demanding that people stay on your site to read and access them. Regularly creating free content keeps you familiar with the act of being a creator. Jay Baer wrote about giving content away, and one reason he believes it is necessary is startling: Your audience expects it  now. By not having blog giveaways  on your site, you stand out in a negative light. Freebies have become so prevalent that even if it could be proven to be a negative tactic (which it really isnt), youd still have repercussions if you didnt offer something. #Blog giveaways are  so prevalent, its negative  if you dont give something away for free.4 Ways Blog Giveaways Will Help You Grow Your Audience Start by figuring out what your reluctant readers might need to convince themselves to open their wallet and buy. Chris Garrett, over at Copyblogger, discussed what blog giveaways  will do for you: 1. Build your network. Free content, such as an e-book that knocks peoples socks off, is how you build your network. This happens in two ways. First, your blog giveaway is so amazing it starts getting shared. Second, you mention others in your e-book and pretty soon they are sharing it. 2. Prove youre an expert. You can say youre an expert until youre blue in the face, but sooner or later readers are going to expect you to back it up. Your blog posts do most of that work for you, but if you can offer free resources that supplement and expand on those posts (e-books, worksheets, etc.), then youre giving readers the proof they need before trusting you enough to buy what youre selling. 3. Compare yourself to your competition. Ever noticed how blog copy within an industry starts to sound the same? Its easy enough to be inspired (i.e. copy) others in an industry, but if you create unique resources, you set yourself apart from the competition. 4 ways #blog giveaways help grow an  audience: networking, expertise, comparison, doorway.4. Create doorway content. Giving away something of value is how you get your readers hooked. Just as pro guest bloggers advocate doing your best writing for your guest posts instead of saving it for your blog, you need to do the same for your blog giveaways. It has to be addictive. However, if your best content is free, be sure that any content you sell isbetter. In other words, free content cant be junk, but if youre going to create content and put a price on it, it has to be even better. These reasons are particularly important for new bloggers, or bloggers who are still working at getting a serious readership. You have to show that you have the chops. Once you build a name for yourself, you dont have to give as much away. People already know what you offer is going to be good. 4 Types Of Blog Giveaways That Really Work What might you give away?  Knowing what to give away isnt a trick, but the answer is going to vary for each blogger. 1. Something fun that arrives regularly. Theres a reason subscription services have become popular- people are signing up for boxes to be delivered each month with things like makeup, food, or toys for their dog. We like a little surprise to look forward to. You can do the same with your freebies. Designers, consider giving away a monthly printable design pack. I regularly look forward to several designers who send out links to fun print-cut-assemble projects each month. 2. Something that promotes continued education. Marketers, provide training resources that are actually unique and not a rehash of everything out there already. Writers, give your readers writing help- from writing prompts to handy guides for fleshing out a plot. Give away something fun, educational, reputation-building, and ongoing. #blogging3. Something that gives you a reputation. While on a quest to find or create the perfect weekly planner, I stumbled upon the chronodex. Developed by Patrick Ng, the chronodex was his answer to planning. Its become hugely popular among planner fanatics, and a search on the chronodex will reveal people sharing their versions and how they use it. All of this from something Ng gave away for free. That chronodex created a positive reputation for Ng for those obsessed with planning and organization. If he were to begin selling additional expansions to his chronodex, Ive no doubt people would pony up the money. (Ng does not charge. He gives everything away.) 4. Something you can continue to build on. That chronodex? That is a free item that people look forward to every year because it naturally needs to be re-issued annually. If you can create blog giveaways  that you can build on, you create a loyal audience. You can also create items that can be purchased that add onto the original giveaway. Ng continues to provide updates, and he also highlights how other readers have been putting his chronodex system to work in their lives. He is turning something he gave away for free into a movement. How Much Is Too Much? Some are going to argue this point, butits possible that you can give away too much. The reason there is disagreement on giving things away is because some bloggers are approaching it purely from the viewpoint of marketing, while other bloggers are actually trying to make their living off of content. For example, a blogger who is building a reputation for being a marketing expert might think giving everything away is a great idea. They are focused on establishing a reputation, and the more valuable content they have out there, the better. A blogger who is building a business creating knitting patterns and instructions cant exactly do that. They need to sell the patterns. So how many blog giveaways  is too many? When might you pull back on giving away content? 1. You are trying to make a passive income. If, for example, you are hoping to make a passive income in which you will sell documents, content, downloads, etc., you need to be careful that what you give away doesnt have a negative impact on your sales. In this scenario, you ought to be giving away good content that shows you have the skills and potential for even better content, but you should not be giving away your best content. Thats for sales. 2. Youre using exclusivity as a driver for sales. Lets not forget about the power of exclusivity.  Exclusivity makes people want something, and it works in two ways: Not everyone gets in.  We like to know that we are part of a small group that made it in. We like knowing there are people who are not receiving this special knowledge because it makes our chances of success better. Think of a football game. When you are sitting in a crowd, standing up gives you a better, exclusive view. If everyone stands up, though, your view is no longer special. We like being part of what is special and exclusive both for how it makes us feel (important) and because we get a better view (imminent success). This requires a product that is so good, so clever, so desirable, such a status symbol, that people are frantic to get in on it. Everyone gets in, but only through specific channels.  While no one is turned away, they have to meet certain standards or requirements in order to participate. This helps weed out those who arent as dedicated, willing to pay, willing to work, and so on. It makes the group who has succeeded at getting in know that everyone else is as serious as they are. This requires a product that is excellent, people have to be able to find it easily enough, and you have to have a method for keeping control of how it spreads (think DRM). We like #blog giveaways to feel  something  special,  exclusive, and important.If your sales model is exclusive training for members, you simply cant give everything away, even for an email address. 3. You built a strong reputation and want to bank on that. There is room for a shift in how much you give away over time if your goal was to build a reputation before reigning in your freebies. After a while, it might be time to ask a bit more for your free content. After a while, you might take that popular freebie and put a price tag on it. For example, Copybloggers famous blog post on how to write magnetic headlines now redirects not to the easy-access blog post, but to a section of their site in which they encourage you to sign up for their other exclusive content. That content is still free, but by using the same URL and pointing it to a landing page which funneled readers directly into a sales funnel, they made that popular content work a little harder for them.  It isnt as easily accessible. They now want an email address, and they expose you to the sales pitch of a landing page. Give away enough to prove your other content is worth the purchase. Give away enough to give your customer a chance for small success using your program or content so they trust you enough to make a purchase. Dont give away the cow. Give away about 98% of the cow. That remaining 2% is what will get someone to buy. When it comes to content, people will pay for certain things: Exclusivity. People will pay for the opportunity to be part of something others arent. Sounds cruel, but its true. Detailed guidance. People will pay for detailed how-to instruction that helps them get their job done. Nothing vague, please. Be specific, and give people the know-how to achieve a concrete result. Custom content. People will pay for content created specifically for them. Instead of a generic report on how to get more traffic, theyll pay for a custom report that takes their specific situation into account. Great experiences. People will pay for the opportunity to experience something worthwhile.