Prejudice, a disease in societyPrejudice is an attitude that places a negative generalization on the gatherings of individuals because of their cultural, religious, racial and ethnic. Although this trait is frowned upon, it still exists widely in the community today. “The Merchant of Venice” tells the story of a young Venetian named Bassanio, whose wish is to woo a beautiful and wealthy heiress named Portia who resides in Belmont. However, there are many obstacles in his path that he must overcome to succeed. William Shakespeare illustrates the constant prejudices that occur throughout history and their negative impacts, through the use of characterization. Shakespeare shows that racism is evident through the use of characterization. Shylock expresses his hatred towards Antonio while speaking to Bassanio. In addition to this, Antonio is also discriminatory towards Shylock, which causes a quarrel between the two of them. “I hate him because he is a Christian; But moreover, for this, with all simplicity, he lends money for free and lowers the interest rate here at home in Venice” (Act 1, III, lines 39-42). “You call me an unbeliever, a merciless dog, and you spat on my Jewish gaberdine” (Act 1, III, lines 108-109). Through characterization, it shows that Shylock and Antonio exhibit values ​​of racism and prejudice as they do not know each other, yet hate each other due to their different religion and race. Readers can observe that prejudice and racism can lead to tension between people and that the consequences can be exceptionally harmful if applied on a larger scale. Through characterization, Shakespeare illustrates that there are prejudices between different characters...... middle of paper..... .tate and Lorenzo. Ultimately, it is clear that prejudice is present and thwarts justice. Readers can understand that unjustifiable and despicable choices will be made on the opposite side when prejudiced, which can lead to social problems later if repeated. Therefore, through the literary device of characterization, one can notice that William Shakespeare illustrates the presence of prejudice that occurs throughout history. the story. Through the above text, one can realize that there are many negative impacts related to prejudice, which can lead to irrational decisions being made, such as the outcome of the trial between Shylock and Antonio. Readers may notice that the combination of prejudice and racism is very present in the community today and if left unchecked, the results can be disastrous, such as starting a civil war..