On the Cultural Roots of Comedic"Evil"in The Merchant of Venice
Comedic"evil"refers to the evil power symbolized by seemingly righteous means,which is composed of rules,customs,and beliefs.The comedic"evil"in The Merchant of Venice is manifested in people with negative personality traits and abstract social constraints.The author regards"evil"as an aesthetic object,revealing human flaws while achieving reconciliation be-tween individuals and society.Comedy legitimately implies the dark side of human nature through monologues and expres-sions.Comedy does not emphasize the influence of behavior,but instead uses"trickery"to undermine Antonio and Sherlock's willpower.The cleverness of the teaser and the pedantry of the victim complement each other.The contradiction in economic concepts is the root of the conflict between Sherlock and the Venetian youth.Sherlock's stinginess and the youth's extrava-gance both undermined Venice's belief in freedom.The Merchant of Venice elevates the tragic spirit behind comedy to a meta-physical level,becoming a comedy villain,highlighting the ugliness and vulgarity behind comedy from the perspective of para-doxical views on life,values,and cultural environment.
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