Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
My critical essay is on Shylock, who is one of the main characters in
the play, "The Merchant of Venice," which was written by one of the
most famous playwrights of all time, William Shakespeare. In this
essay I intend to prove that Shylock was the villain of this play and
although there may have been moments where he appeared to be a victim,
he was a cruel and evil villain. He was an unforgiving character who
was scheming to get his own way throughout the whole play.
At the start of the play we see Shylock grudgingly lending Antonio
money-3000 ducats. Even though he does not like Antonio he lends him
the money with the agreement that if Antonio should not be able to pay
him back, within the time given, Shylock will take a pound of his
flesh. During the play Shylock's daughter Jessica runs away from him
taking all of his money and some of his jewels with her. Shylock is
very angry that she has run away and taken his belongings but I think
the worst bit for him is knowing that the man she ran away with is a
Christian. He is not upset long though, as he soon finds out that
Antonio's ships have come into trouble and he won't be able to pay
back the loan. He takes him to court to argue his case, he says all he
wants is justice as Antonio has broken his bond and this is the
punishment they agreed to. It is a close case and right up until the
end it looks as though Shylock might just win but at the very last
moment Portia, posing as the lawyer, catches him out, and he is
charged with attempted murder.
I think that from Shylock's very first scene of the play you can see
clues to his scheming and conniving nature. In it we see Shylock
trying to work out whether or not to give Antonio the money. You can
see him trying to decide whether it is worth his while, trying to
still a common view of Jews is for them to be penny pinching, both in
Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice An ogre is according to the Collins Dictionary “a monstrous or cruel being” but more significantly as “something or someone who eats human flesh.” Is this how Shylock is portrayed in the play or is he a simple human being, a species capable of showing emotions and feelings such as vulnerability and love. Certainly, Shylock is presented to the audience in so powerful a way that even though he only appears in five scenes, many consider him the central character. Throughout the play Shylock appears to be the butt of all the jokes and many critics see his status in the play as the tragic hero.
‘villain’; he is a complex mix of both. In the first part of the play,
Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice Shylock's character in Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice' has long been a controversial subject- more so now than it was when the play was written in the late 16th Century. First performed in 1605, it seemingly conforms to the anti-semitic stereotypes towards Jews and their conduct but, unlike Shakespeare's rival's work ('The Jew of Malta) by Christopher Marlowe, the main Jewish character is attributed not only the negative traits associated with Jews at the time, but also a side that sees to show humanity. Therefore, in this essay, it is my aim to explore whether calling Shylock the villain in the play is justified or not based on his actions and those of the characters surrounding him (to see if there is evidence of provocation), and placing this into the context of Elizabethan England and thus coming to conclusions abut whether views towards the extent of his villainy have remained the same. The one single action in the play which seems most convictive of Shylock is his argument with argument over the lending of 3,000 ducats-and the penalty fixed in case of its late return in Act 3 scene 1.
Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice "Shylock is a two dimensional villain who does not deserve our
Shylock as the Villain in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare wrote 'The Merchant of Venice' in about 1597. It was first performed by The Chamberlain's Men at the Theatre Shoreditch. The Merchant of Venice was in the repertory of Shakespeare's company before they took up residence at the Globe in 1599. The play was written as a comedy, but has become a serious drama.
Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice Shylock is a Jew in the play "The merchant of Venice". He has a daughter called Jessica and he is in many ways a victim of anti-Semitism. Shakespeare brings across Shylock as a Jew using many different devices. For example he uses anti-Semitism to show that Shylock is meant to be portrayed as an isolated character. Anti-Semitism was based on religious grounds back then, they held the belief that Jews murdered Christ and were therefore in the league of the devil, this is why the Christians in the play and the directors of the play are vengeful towards Shylock.
fair flesh" (I, iii, l. 143-4). It is easy to feel sorry for a widower
William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice "The Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare features, Shylock a very controversial character due to his religion, profession and personal traits. Professionally Shylock lends money to people in debt, in order to gain interest and profit. Although, this is very much central to our modern way of life, in the Elizabethan period, money lending was not accepted as an acceptable profession. Throughout "The Merchant of Venice" Shylock is portrayed as menacing, inhumane and slightly eccentric, yet at times misunderstood and induces sympathy from the reader.
get his own back, as the text says; 'Cursed be my tribe if I forgive
In Act 1 Scene 3, we are first introduced to Shylock, we see him as
his religion at the end of the play, therefore it is a lot easier for
It is evident in both plays by William Shakespeare that ambition and pride seem to be the
Antonio that he will take a pound of flesh if the money is not repaid
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.