Mukeshimana, EmmanuelSupervisor: Mr Nganyu Dominic Nformi2024-11-192024-11-192014https://repository.ub.edu.bi/handle/123456789/1089A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulftlment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree "Licence en Pedagogie Appliquee, Agrege de I'Enseignement Secondaire en Anglais"This work examines the impact of self-interest in William Shakespeare's The Merchant a/Venice. It x-rays characters whose actions and relationships are guided by selfish motives. This self-interest does not only pervade business, love and judiciary among other issues but also cause untold consequences on the characters such as losing credibility, material things, friends, lack of full happiness, etc. This research consequently anchors on the hypothesis that relationships that are motivated by self-interests bring about many negative consequences. This play is therefore a reflection of Shakespeare's time, a period when people appeared to be faithful, .helpful and merciful with regard to others whereas in reality they were interested in their personal interest and well-being. This hypocrisy makes Shylock victim and leads others into problems. Using the New Historicism approach, which focuses on historical and cultural background of the production of a text, we have found out that the sixteenth century English society was characterised by self-interest which resulted from capitalism and religious leanings that were in steady growth at that time.