The Universal Elements of the Merchant of VeniceShakespeare's Merchant of Venice contains many themes and elements that are considered timeless or universal. Samuel Taylor Coleridge defines a timeless or universal element as a “representation of men in all ages and all times.” A universal element is relevant to the life of every human being: it is universal. The first major theme that plays an important role in the play is the prejudice of Christians against Jews. A second important theme is the attitude towards money. Perhaps the most important theme of the work is love between people. This love can occur between the same sex or the opposite sex, platonic or romantic. In The Merchant of Venice, the three timeless elements are prejudice, money and love. The first theme is that religious intolerance and prejudice play a destructive role in the book. Racism and prejudices about race and religion are still present in schools today. Antonio, as a true Christian, often condemned usurers. He knows that since the beginning of the 12th century the Church has prohibited Christians from lending money for profit. Shylock, as a Jew, does not consider his borrowing of money and its overwhelming interest to be a sin in any way. In fact, he considers the profit obtained by lending money as a gift from God. He appeals to and cites the Scriptures in defense of his profession. Shylock and the other Jewish moneylenders are essential to the prosperity of the mercantile community, but they are also outcasts as human beings and as Jews. Shylock often shows his dislike for Christians; “I hate him because he is Christian”, (Act I, Sc. III, L. 38). The Christians ridicule and hate the Jewish moneylender...... middle of paper ......o, whom she worries about for Bassanio's sake. Jessica renounces her family ties to marry Lorenzo. Graziano and Nerissa are also devoted to each other. The play is really about the happiness that true love brings. In this work, three timeless elements that are very relevant today and throughout history are prejudice, money, and love. Shakespeare included many examples of all these themes in his work. Bassanio, Antonio, Graziano, Lorenzo, Portia and Shylock are the main representatives of these themes. You could take anyone in the story and compare them to anyone in this play. An example of this would be the prejudice and mean spirit that both Shylock and Hitler share. Shakespeare did a great job showing these elements in real life scenarios. Samuel Taylor Coleridge said it perfectly; this play is a “representation of men of all ages and all times.”