Stereotyping of the ‘Other’: Impact of Colonialism in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice

Abstract

Writers of ancient and modern era focus the deplorable conditions of the marginalised people in the society.  Being considered as ‘others’ in society, these people are pushed towards the margin.  To maintain and safeguard their self-interest, a majority of people inhumanly control the minorities with their choice of words and deeds.  Sometimes these unfortunate brethren are caricatured and made fun of by the elite and corrupt practitioners of the society. Committed writers point out this weakness of the community through their works, and in turn they expect a radical change in the community.  The present paper analyses how Shakespeare portrays colonial stereotyping through the characters in the play The Merchant of Venice.