Abstract:
This paper aims to examine, reveal and analyse Shylock's speech in Shakespeare's
The Merchant of Venice, by connecting his words to the power, identity, and
ideology in the play. The purposes of this study are to examine the effects of
linguistic manipulation on power, to link language with the structure of a society,
and to find the impact of a combination of different ideologies on each other.
Hence, this descriptive qualitative study explores the literature to answer the
aforementioned questions. What is found in this paper is that Shylock, the Jew,
lacks power, Jewish ideology and Jewish identity, but when he tries to find these
aspects, he fails to gain any of them. The reasons behind Shylock's failure in
obtaining "the self" can be attributed to his brutal character. His insistence on the
literal implementation of the bond leads to his destruction. He neglects the fact
that those charged with power are able to edit the language of "his bond" the way
they like. To conclude, language is one of the most influencing factors aiding in
imposing power, destroying "unwanted" identities, and appropriating others'
ideology by the "upper hands" in any society.
