What are some allusions in society to Daniel in the Lion's Den?

Answer 1

There is a line in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice where Shylock says "A Daniel come to judgment! yea, a Daniel! O wise young judge, how I do honour thee!"

In this play, Shylock, a Jewish money-changer (and known for his greed and ruthless business acumen) is using this allusion to suggest that Antonio (who has agreed to borrow money from Shylock on credit to help a friend) is the innocent who has been wronged by Bassanio since the loan has come due and the money isn't available to Antonio to pay it back. The allusion works since Antonio (the symbolic Daniel) has been duped and thrown into the lion's pit--the money borrowing business--but things have not worked out so well for him as they did for the Biblical Daniel. Shylock's Jewish ancestry also makes the allusion that much more effective since he would know The Bible's contents well, thus he is able to make such comparisons relatively easily.

Sources:http://www.enotes.com/merchant-of-Venice/q-and-a/what-made-shylock-say-Daniel-come-judgment-97521

Answer 2

One common allusion to Daniel in the Lion's Den is in situations where someone displays great courage in the face of overwhelming odds, much like Daniel did when confronted by the lions. Another allusion may be to highlight the theme of divine protection or belief in a higher power guiding one through dangerous situations. Additionally, references to Daniel in the Lion's Den may symbolize the triumph of good over evil or the idea of facing one's fears head-on.