Hypocrisy In Much Ado About Nothing, And The Merchant Of Venice

While Shakespeare’s plays are not “Christian plays,” many of his works present several moral themes and questions about life, death, and God. Christians can learn invaluable lessons from Shakespeare about Christian hypocrisy, the futileness of deception, and the devastating consequences of corrupt love; The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, and King Lear each show the fallen nature of humans and how the world desperately needs a Savior. The Merchant of Venice showcases Christian hypocrisy. In Act 4, Scene 1, Portia talks about the quality of mercy, “The quality of mercy is not strain'd. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: it blesseth him that gives and him that takes” (Open Source

King Lear is a very selfish man who lacks a sense of duty. He wants to retire and has divided his kingdom among his three daughters; however, he wants his daughters to compete for who loves their father the most. Goneril and Regan both give melodramatic speeches about how words cannot begin to father their love for their father. When it is Cordelia’s turn, she simply states the truth; she loves her father as much as a daughter ought to. Because of Lear’s selfishness, he becomes enraged and disinherits his innocent daughter. Lear’s blindness soon catches up with him as Goneril and Regan begin to mistreat their father. All of Lear’s calamities could have been avoided if he had removed himself from his selfishness and realized which daughter truly loved him the “most.” Christian readers will recognize that King Lear presents a corrupt view of love. Real love, like God’s love, is honest and does not pretend to be more than it should be. Twisted love is flamboyant and often possesses hidden motives. Christians should admire Cordelia’s love for her father because that is the only realistic and genuine love that one can