Society can be seen as an anarchic structure due to the existence of free will, but there is a code of social order which therefore allows for order in society. Sometimes, however, there are others who rebel against the prevailing order and this can cause a chaotic situation to arise. Often, however, these revolts result in failure for those who instigate them, but for those who rebel with pure intentions there is the reward of success. In Shakespeare's plays The Merchant of Venice and Richard II, we can trace examples of disorders that result in both failure and success. Because of the presence of these ideas in Shakespeare's work we can come to wonder what his attitude was towards rebellions and authority and we can conclude that he obviously saw the benefit in questioning authority, but he realized that many revolts led to failure. If this failure occurred immediately, it would always indefinitely result in defeat. The Merchant of Venice and Richard II show us that when one makes the decision to go against authority it can lead to an eternal change which may be for the better or worse, but which will ultimately lead to their demise and destruction. Merchant of Venice we see the negative effect that rebellion can have against the social order based on segregation and racism. Shylock, a Jewish man in the play, is portrayed as a bloodthirsty money-grubber, and is constantly criticized by many Christians in Venice. Specifically, he is constantly attacked by Antonio. When Shylock is given the chance to take revenge on Antonio, we see that there is a man, Shylock, who is identified as a creature rather than a human being. Shylock takes the opportunity against Antonio not to rebel against the social order when he... mid-paper... is reprimanded for his attempt to overturn the social system. Even in Richard II we see that in the end the one who attempted to steal the throne from the legitimate king will be destroyed in the near future. This may have been one of the reasons why Queen Elizabeth I agreed to the publication of Richard II, because at the end of the historical story we see the destruction of Bolingbroke. Shakespeare understood that authority was an integral part of sustaining a society and therefore described it eloquently in each of his plays. The Merchant of Venice and Richard II show us that when a decision is made to go against authority it will result in a change that is for the worse and will ultimately lead to death and destruction. Society is an anarchic structure and without authority and a social code the existence of a cohesive world would not be possible.