Seemingly the same but different--a Comparative Analysis of The Scholars and The Merchant of Venice

Abstract

Yan Jiansheng and Shylock are the main characters in The Scholars and The Merchant of Venice respectively. As typical miser images in literary history, Yan Jiansheng and Shylock have long been criticized by readers. In order to try to comprehensively interpret Yan Jiansheng and Shylock, through a series of comparative analyses, we can get the similarities and differences between the two images of Yan Jiansheng and Shylock, as well as the factors that produce the similarities and differences. This thesis focuses on the similarities and differences between the miserly characters of Yan Jiansheng and Shylock. Firstly, a brief introduction to the main character traits of Yan Jiansheng and Shylock. Secondly, the thesis summarizes the differences between the characters of Yan Jiansheng and Shylock from political and economic factors and then compares and analyzes the similarities between the characters of Yan Jiansheng and Shylock from the value of money, family concepts, tragic ending, and class consciousness. Finally, it briefly elaborates on the reasons for the differences between the two images.