Like so many of us, he feels that heaven has cursed him. The element of disgrace would mean that he has fallen out of favor with God. He feels that all of his efforts are "bootless" (useless). However, the skylark has risen above this, implying that by remembering his love, he will also rise above it.
This author used the example of heaven because it is universal. We all think about our mortality and want to make sure that our lives have meaning. Without it, we are lost and rudderless. However, like the skylark, love will help us rise above the situation and finally make our way through the troubles of life that we all have.
4) the issue of Jews, Judaism and the character of Shylock are famous and among the most examined aspects of the Merchant of Venice. The raise all sorts of questions about whether or not Shakespeare was anti-semitic. In the context of the play, the quote is Shylock's testament to his humanity and kinship with the rest of the human race given the similarity of the Jew to mankind in general. After all, they have two eyes and "hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?" In other words, how can someone be a monster when they have all of the aspects of humanity in terms of physicality and emotions. What makes the money-lender Shylock any different from his Christian or Muslim contemporaries that did the very same things? As he notes, he is as human as they are and no more a monster.
Shylock is as human as the next person. He speaks for almost all Jews who appeal to a humanity that has vilified and attempted to accuse them with the most evil and baseless crimes. The blood libel comes to mind. However, even now issues like holocaust denial or denigration raise the specter of anti-Semitic feeling...
When someone is being anti-Israel, they are really only being anti-Semitic. They just are not able to admit their fault in public. The same accusations of Jews having all of the money or of attempting to dominate and control the world can be heard emanating from Iran today as they seek to wipe out the Jewish state. Unfortunately, this antisemitism is alive and well and Shylock speaks for the Jewish people eloquently across the ages as he attempts to defend them from the slings and arrows of attackers that continue to dredge up the same imagery over and over again in their efforts to fight Jews.
Shylock's experiences are the typical Jewish experiences of the ghetto. He is forced to be a money-lender because he can not get other work. The Christians give him the chance to turn the other cheek as they hurl abuse upon him and spurn him. The many Antonios give the Shylocks of the world unending opportunities to be good Christians as they ignore the dictates of their religion to love everyone no matter what. Worst of all for the Jewish parent, how many do not know the anguish of their children turning their backs on the faith of Abraham such Jessica who marry out and convert not out of any Christian conviction, but simply to stop the incessant persecution that motivated the defection. Then, the world wonders at the spurned parents anguish as they do whatever they can to bring their children back into the fold. It has always been correct to find Jesus as a personal savior, but not his predecessor Moses. The seeming contradiction pushes Christians to try wipe out their sister religion. If they can not wipe it out, then they will isolate and vilify it. It is this vilification that Shylock protests against and seeks to mitigate for…
