Symbolism

 

Merchant of Venice

Pound of Flesh		The Jews follows a strict set of rules laid out in the Old Testament. Their lives are governed by specific Jewish laws.
Belmont	Represents freedom, wealth and happiness; It is the home of Portia.
Venice	Represents injustice, debts,
Christians	The honest, loving heroes of Venice. They are the upper class, while Jews are bound to live in ghettos and not allowed to own property
Jews		Dishonest, uncompassionate, greedy and interested only in upholding the law, rather than what is just in the eyes of the people.
Caskets		The suitors must choose the correct casket if they want to marry Portia. The casket is a symbol, representing the woman as "the prize".

 

Othello

Handkerchief	Marital trust and fidelity
The Moor	Chess piece
Black Ram	Many people see Othello as an outsider, and even an animal. Iago likens him to an animal several times. When he alerts Brabanzio to his Desdemona's relationship with Othello he says, "An old black ram is tupping your white ewe"
Military Rank	The military rank of characters defines their place in society
Eyes/Vision	Several characters demand to see things for themselves before they will believe a story (the term "ocular proof" is used)
Metaphors	Othello uses metaphors that symbolize his state of mind