Merchant of Venice Project
By Kyle Cunningham
Materalism
I picked materialism because in the play "Merchant of Venice" Materalism was represented a lot through out the play. An example of materialism in the play was when Bassanio wanted the money in order to when the girls heart. That shows that the girl doesn't care about the pesanality, and only cares about how he was brought up, and how wealthy he is.
Another example of Materialism is seen in "The Merchant of Venice" when the Prince of Arragon is about to choose the silver casket and says, "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves. I will assume desert (Act 2, Scene 9). " The Prince chooses the silver casket not for his love for Portia, but because he knows he deserves her. In other words, he thinks of himself more than Portia and chooses the casket to satisfy his own interests. Through the Prince's greed and arrogance, his materialistic personality is shown.
Example in Modern Day Society
Materialism is connected to modern society because in this age of technology, people are often on their phones and computers, rarely interacting with others. Increasingly, it seems as if they are more connected to their technology and other material possessions than other people. A personal example from my life was when I would only care about the gift cards I got for my birthday. I would never bother reading the birthday cards and wishes. Now, I know that although money can get you temporary happiness, permanent happiness can only come through human interaction.
What Lesson Can Be Learned
The lesson that can be learned from reading “The Merchant of Venice” is that one should not value material possessions more than other people. This lesson is relevant to modern society because many times, we see people more connected to their belongings than others. It is especially relevant to today’s age of technology because more and more people are being addicted to their phones and computers. One must realize that material possessions only give temporary satisfaction; it is human interaction that provides lasting happiness.