Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
Shylock is the most interesting and yet confusing characters in
Shakespeare's play “The Merchant of Venice.” He could be seen as just
another villain in a story made to be hated by the audience so that
his downfall later in the play can be a cheered at. Yet the character
of Shylock is much deeper than the stereotypical evil Jewish
moneylender, Shakespeare shows how he is a victim of racial
discrimination especially from the “loveable” hero of the story
Antonio. Shakespeare also suggests that it is this discrimination that
forces Shylock to act in revengeful and greedy ways.
In the very begging of the play Shylock displays himself as the
stereotypical Jewish villain by saying “I hate him, for he is
Christian” Shakespeare wrote this for a fully Christian audience in a
time where Jews were demonised for there role in “The Passion of
Christ” So this shallow statement would instantly turn the audience of
that time against Shylock. Furthermore, Shylocks role as a greedy
moneylender also show him as a man obsessed with wealth.
However, in the same scene Shylock states how Antonio mistreats him
and speaks racial abuse. He says, “You call me misbeliever, cut-throat
dog, and spit upon my Jewish gabardine” though in Shakespeare time the
audience may have cheered on Antonio for these anti-Semitic acts, in
more modern times this is more the acts of a villain. This victimises
Shylock for the first time showing him as a sufferer of racism,
although the 16th century audience would not have troubled over it.
Many other characters in the play vilify shylock even more; He is
referred to as “devil” many times. One example of this is when his own
daughter states, “Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil, Didst
rob it of some taste of tediousness” this metaphoric statement
comparing the house to hell and her father to the devil demonises
Shylock by not only referring to him as the devil, also depriving him
on any close human relationships by showing his own daughters dislike
middle of paper ... ... now go on to comment on one of the rare moments in the play where we see a partly human side to side to Shylock. This is the speech which he makes claiming that Antonio has thwarted for one simple reason that he was a Jew. Shylock might actually have some justification in this statement as we have no evidence that Antonio is any less anti-Semitic than the rest of his fellow Venetians. He then points out that he is as much a human as any other man.
‘villain’; he is a complex mix of both. In the first part of the play,
Then there is the innocent and rich “Antonio” (Merchant), who is a Christian, and is a complete Anti-Semitec. Antonio’s character is wrong, he hates Jews, he loves being regarded as rich, and would do anything to make Shylock’s life a misery. Antonio hates Jews; this is proved in Act 1 Scene 3 where Antonio says, “The Hebrew will turn Christian, he grows kind”, this is blatant racism shown against the Jews. The story progresses, a new character is introduced, Portia.
Shakespeare creates a caricature of a Jew, just as he might have seen done by Christopher Marlowe in "The Jew of Malta". Shakespeare's "Shylock" was easily recognisable as a Jew, wearing traditional clothing, immediately showing the audience that he is different. The money lending profession adds to the Jewish look, and the way he acts, without even a care for his own daughter, making references to his desire for Christian blood, allows Shakespeare's audience to create a strong hatred for the Jew. Although nobody had actually met a Jew, probably the entire audience had been brought up to despise such an awful religion, hearing terrible tales of sin and misery.
For example, during the Elizabethan time period, a plethora of derogatory stereotypes emerged in Shakespeare’s plays. And particularly in The Merchant of Venice, with the character of Shylock. Miserly, vengeful and materialistic, Shylock occasionally appears as no more than a one-dimensional negative stereotype of a Jewish man. However, Shakespeare also allows Shylock several moments of redemption. One incident that stands out is during the deal negotiation, when Shylock informs Antonio that “I would be friends with you and have your love” (I.iii.134). Despite everything, Shylock is still willing to accept Antonio as friend, thus defying
In Act 1 Scene 3, we are first introduced to Shylock, we see him as
Everyone who reads The Merchant of Venice must bear in mind that it is, like any other literary work, a creation of a skillful writer, rising a case that can be a subject for many interpretations and not necessarily revealing a specific view of its writer, however it aims to convey a certain moral to the readers. Therefore, the character of shylock, being stereotyped or not, with its controversy is a tool manipulated to convey a moral message: when people live in a society that is open to cultural diversity and that values the contributions of all society members – regardless of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, race, life styles, and beliefs – they will be one step closer to living in a civil society. Works Cited 1) Encyclopaedia Britannica, the definition of "Anti-Semitism". 2) E. E. Stoll, Shylock (an essay in Shakespeare Studies, 1927). 3) John Palmer, Comic Characters of Shakespeare, Shylock. 4) John Palmer, Comic Characters of Shakespeare, Shylock.
During the sixteenth-century there was a very prominent existence of anti-semitism. The English audience had a very clear prejudice towards the Jewish people because of the deep-rooted concept of anti-semitism. This mindset carried from everyday life to plays and productions of the time. This ill will towards the Jewish people spawned from political and religious disputes that were unresolved. The portrayal of Shylock as a villainous Jew is a logical move for the sixteenth-century playwrights because of this common belief. When walking into a production of The Merchant of Venice during this ear, one must keep in mind the predisposition towards the Jewish people as well as the cultural beliefs at that time.
things he has called him and for all the many times he has spat on him
This is where Shakespeare evokes our sympathy, by making us realise how Shylock has suffered because of the prejudices of the Christians around him. He explains his motives for revenge in a rational way, showing how his actions are no different from the Christians'. Look carefully at the language he uses, as well as the insulting and mocking language used by the other two. At the end of the scene, Shylock mourns the loss of his daughter, although our feelings towards him are a bit mixed, for he seems to care more about the money. He does give evidence, however, of his love for his wife, which again, creates sympathy.
Through the contrasting fates of Shylock and Antonio, Shakespeare reveals that hatred and revenge can lead to one’s downfall. The mutual hatred of Shylock and Antonio leads them to spite each other. However, while Shylock’s pursuit of revenge leads to his defeat, Antonio reaffirms his moral superiority by giving Shylock an opportunity for redemption. Antonio’s acts of mercy allow him to break away from the destructive cycles of hatred and revenge that once held him captive.
William Shakespeare shows how two tradesmen can have completely different lives when others view them differently in the play The Merchant of Venice. In the play, Bassanio, Antonio’s friend, needs money to pursue his love. They seek a loan from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender in Antonio’s name. The contract is for three times the value of the bond in three months or else Shylock cuts off a pound of flesh from Antonio. While all this is happening, there are love plots going on. One of which is for Shylock’s daughter to elope with Lorenzo, a Christian. Later on, Antonio’s source of money, his ship, is reported sunken in the English Channel, dooming him to the loss of one pound of his flesh. There is a trial on the bond, and when it seems sure that Antonio will die, Portia, disguised as a doctor of laws legally gets Antonio out of the situation and Shylock recieves harsh penalties. Antonio and Shylock, two similar businessmen of Venice, are viewed differently and are treated oppositely to heighten the drama of the play and mold a more interesting plot.
But at the same time, it seems clear (to me, at least) that Shakespeare creates Shylock against an historical and cultural backdrop that was intensely hostile to Jews. Given this social context and historical tradition, it should come as no surprise if some of this hostility against Jews should infiltrate Shakespeare's work. Shakespeare was, after all, a commercial dramatist and many commercial dramatists make their livings by pandering to, rather than working against, conventional social mores.
Shylock is a wealthy Jew who invests money into shipments and trades. When Shylock’s enemy, Antonio, requests a loan of 3000 ducats, “Shylock adopts this Christian model of "kind" lending in his bond with Antonio as a means for lawful revenge.” Shylock’s agreement is that if the ducats are not returned, Antonio must repay his loan in human flesh. This is a way for Shylock to either make money or kill a Christian, either will satisfy him. Lee describes Shylock’s feelings towards Christians, “Indeed, although Shylock will neither "eat," "drink," nor "pray" with the Christians, he is willing to "buy" and "sell" with them.” This is where Shakespeare first introduces the devil inside Shylock. Had Antonio been a Jew, there would not have been a payment of flesh. Shylock’s hatred propels the story from start to finish. His hatred causes him to lose his daughter, drives Portia to use her money and wit to save Antonio, and why he ends up losing
It is difficult to say if Shylock is a complete villain or a victim, as his character is complex and ambiguous. However, it is difficult to view Shylock as anything other than a devious, bloodthirsty and heartless villain in the majority of the play. There are a few points in the story where he can be viewed as victimised, as most Jews were at that time, but Shakespeare has purposely portrayed Shylock as a stereotypical Jew, greedy, and obsessed with money. Shylock has been written to be very inflated and exaggerated. Even when Shylock makes his first appearance in the play, his first words are “Three thousand ducats,” Act 1, Scene 3.