Eploring the human condition(year 11 assignment)

Hello guys and girls

I am currently in year 11 authority English and have been given the following assignment
(spoken):

Your task is to convince your audience of the relevance of Shakespeare’s views on the human
condition. To do this you need to evaluate the tragic flaws inherent in the
play's hero (Shylock as pre defined by the teacher) and discuss how these
contribute to their ultimate destruction. You will also need to compare the
tragic nature of the hero's character to the life or experiences of a
contemporary figure, well-known figure. (The teacher defined his flaws as
hatred and greed)

1. I have chosen president George Bush as my contemporary figure and would just like to know if you (the community) think this was the right choice or is there perhaps a contemporary figure that matches Shylocks description better. Bush is very simular in that he acted out his revenge on the Muslims in Iraq and
   demonstrated his greed in the invasion of Kuwait which many believe was to
   protect the Saudi oil fields.
2. I am not particularly sure where Shylock demonstrated greed, was it just the fact that
   he charged interest?
3. During my speech are there any hand gestures that I should be making and how should my posture
   be should I be facing the students or the teacher, should my eye contact be
   predominantly with the teacher or my piers

Here is what I have done thus far if you (as pre defined) can please have a read over my task and
let me know where you think changes should be made etc.

Written over 400 year ago, Shakespeare’s plays have a
timeless nature and contain universal themes still relevant today. This can
clearly be seen in the Merchant of Venice, and through the tragic hero Shylock.
The themes of anger, hate, revenge, and greed dominate this play, and these
themes are still being played out in today’s modern society. Set in Venice the play centres on
Shylock, a Jewish money lender, who lends money for a very low interest to a
man who has been very abusive and racist towards him. Requiring only symbolic
collateral of a pound of flesh, Shylock is unable to control his anger and
greed which culminates in trail. Like Shylock many other leaders of the 21^st
century are tragic heroes. George Bush the ex president of the United States of America
is such a tragic hero. Fuelled by hate and revenge for the bombing of the twin
towers he carried out a policy of revenge inIraq.

Throughout the play the audience is introduced to several
peculiar characters, one such character is Shylock. Shylock is a Jewish
moneylender who lives in the city of Venice.
Throughout the play Shylock and his fellow Jews are constantly mocked and
persecuted by the Christians, especially one rather melancholy character called
Antonio. This persistent mistreatment at the hands of Christians feed Shylocks
intense hatred.

This hatred is amplified perhaps irrationally when Shylock
hears that his only daughter Jessica has turned tail and ran away with Lorenzo
one of Bassanio’s friends. Shylock now overwhelmed by the grief and anger of losing
his only daughter hears rumours that Antonio’s ships have run ashore. Shylock
in his terrible state of depression grabs on to this news like a ray of sunshine
in a dark room. It is as if Shylock believes that by acting out his revenge upon
Antonio his life problems will spontaneously be corrected.

The hate Shylock harbours within him is made evident at the
climax of the play when despite being offered as much as six times the amount
of money owed to him originally he refuses this offer and instead demands a
pound of Antonio’s flesh.