Treatment of Shylock by the Christians in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
Two thousand years ago Jews were known as Hebrews or Israelites and
lived in Israel. At the time their land was occupied by Romans who
tried to crush the Jewish faith and culture. Due to this, Jewish
people fled Israel to make new lives and Jewish communities in other
countries. In these communities Jews were known for their intelligence
and business sense which led to them being mistrusted and resented.
This was especially the case in Christian terms; where anti-Semitic
feelings were very strong. This is shown in a Merchant of Venice by
Shylock who constantly suffers verbal abuse and gives a vivid account
of Antonio’s racist bullying. Shylock is also shown in the play to be
a villain and could be seen as a miserly money lender who delights in
the prospect of cutting a pound of flesh from the noble merchant who
has exposed his corrupt ways and also as a father who cares more for
his money than his daughter. In this essay I am going to show how
Shylock was treated by the Christians and whether his reactions were
justified.
In Act 1, Scene 3 Shakespeare clearly shows the audience how Bassanio
and Antonio are abusive towards Shylock. Antonio is abusive to Shylock
in front of others and refers to him as ‘an evil soul’ and ‘the devil’
when asking for the loan. Shylock reacts to this by keeping Antonio
and Bassanio waiting for an answer and seems to ignore their insults.
‘Three thousand ducats is a good round sum’. Shylock also says how he
and other Jews have been mistreated in the past. ‘For sufferance is
the badge of our tribe. You call me misbelie...
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... not always justified as he can be quite rude but sometimes his
responses to abuse is respectable as he isn’t rude to Salerio and
Solanio when they taunt him and show prejudice to him which shows a
kinder more decent side to him which is perhaps just an image he
presents which would show how cunning he is. His decision to follow up
his bond with Antonio when he couldn’t pay back the money back fired
on him in the end and his cruelty to not let him off ended him up in
trouble and losing him everything which is perhaps the message
Shakespeare is trying to give in the play. I think the play is
anti-semitic in my opinion, as Christians throughout show lack of
respect to Shylock, at times for his religion. Shakespeare also gives
Shylock a bad image and attitude for most of the play which is perhaps
a little anti-semitic.
and thinks of him as a man for having killed another man. The fact of the
was on his side, he is then hung for doing something bad but his last
say, “If I can catch once upon the hip I will feed fat the ancient
In Susan Pharr's "The Common Elements of Oppression", she defines "the other" as the outcast of society, the ones who stand up for what they believe in, no matter how `against the grain' it may be, the ones who try the hardest to earn acceptance, yet never receive it. In Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice", Shylock, the `villain' is portrayed as the other simply because of his faith, because he is Jewish in a predominantly Christian society.
Moor; A simple word, in current English it brings to mind an image of ships or sailboats docked in the harbor. For this reason I was slightly confused why it would be assigned to a person, seemingly as a rank or title. However, the Oxford English Dictionary defines moor as “[A] native or inhabitant of ancient Mauretania, a region of North Africa corresponding to parts of present-day Morocco and Algeria” (OED). Knowing the true definition of this term brings forth a whole new angle under which to view this work by Shakespeare.
In Shakespeare’s time, 1564-1616, practicing Catholicism was illegal in England. Some historians have claimed that William Shakespeare was Catholic and hid this fact out of fear of persecution. Others go as far as to say that Shakespeare shaped parts of his plays after his own Catholic beliefs. Between Shakespeare’s youth upbringing, education, and the availability of Catholic literature, William Shakespeare had a basis if not a belief in the Catholic faith.
is ironic that one refers to him as a “monster” or a “demon”, when he
Because he has no respect for himself, he can have no respect for others, either.
could not bring himself to kill a innocent little boy so he gave him to a
‘The Merchant of Venice’ is a play set in Italy in the late 16th Century, written by William Shakespeare. One of the main characters in the play is a cunning Jewish moneylender named Shylock. Shylock is part of a race that was discriminated against, despised and hated for their religion.
Response to Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice by a Modern Audience Since the time of Shakespeare, The play “Merchant of Venice” has had a dramatic effect on the modern audience today. In the 16th century, Jews were completely disliked, & Jews were not allowed to live in England unless they had converted to Christianity. = == ==
The Theme of Prejudice in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. In The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, there are two main characters. themes, prejudice, and loyalty. Prejudice is the more evident theme.
The Merchant of Venice and Othello: Shylock vs Iago. Shakespeare's use of timeless themes makes his works relevant to the modern reader. His two plays "The Merchant of Venice" and "Othello" deal with the seeking of revenge and forbidden love. In "The Merchant of Venice," Shylock, the main character, is a Jew who loans money and charges interest.
Shakespeare, provides a brilliant example of 'seeing the other' in his play The Merchant of Venice. Through the course of the play, Antonio's actions indirectly tell of his homoerotic love for Bassanio, and also creates a sense of question of the line between loving friends or lovers. Antonio helps Bassanio win Portia's love, through provisions of money, advise, and offering his life up, ironically meeting the inscription on the lead casket that must be chosen to win her hand: “Who chooseth me, must give and hazard all he hath”(2.7.19-20). The Merchant of Venice's other is Antonio, who “loves the world only for [Bassanio]”(2.8.52).
American history is a cornucopia of racial tension, beginning with the slave trade and spanning the centuries to the Ku Klux Klan and to the days of Martin Luther King. There is evidence that racial prejudice was just as prevalent in sixteenth century England as in modern day America. Othello can be seen as Shakespeare’s condemnation of racial prejudice.