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“Shakespearean Division: Questioning Racism and Genre in The Merchant of Venice and Othello.”

William Shakespeare is the most famous Western playwright. His plays are still read, discussed, performed, and analyzed even after 400 years. However, a debate increasingly surrounds problematic themes in his works, one of which is racism. In two plays specifically, Othello and The Merchant of Venice, racism seems readily apparent. Even though present in these works, this project argues we should continue to read and discuss them, and especially within a community of fellow believers. At the same time, we should be willing to acknowledge the racism and prejudice present in both.