Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice In the productions of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ the character Shylock seems to be the most important throughout the play. However, he can be played in different ways. He can be portrayed as a victim or a villain. Even during a single production the audience’s sympathies change towards him. Shylock can be seen as villain in many ways. One of these is his desire for revenge on Antonio. Shylock doesn’t like him because he is racist towards him and has disrespected him for a long time. Therefore when Bassanio asks him whether he will lend Antonio money Shylock keeps him waiting before he gives him an answer so he can think about the risks involved. You can see that Shylock avoids answering Bassanio straight away. When Bassanio would suggest how the loan would be dealt with shylock would repeat what he said and then say ‘well…’ for example when Bassanio said, “Ay, sir for three months,” referring to the payment of the loan. Shylock then said, “For three months; well.” Shylock did this to delay his final answer. This suggests that he is trying to show them who is making the decision and who has the control. Shylock dislikes Antonio very much for calling him a misbeliever, a dog and spitting on him. Even after Antonio doing all of this Shylock was seemingly friendly to Antonio and even offered to be his friend, “I would be friend with you and have your love.” However might not have been sincere and was very suspicious especially under the circumstances, and therefore gives us an idea of how inconspicuous he was with his revenge which makes a good villain. “If I can catch him ... ... middle of paper ... ...ent and Shylock was left looking like a fool. She said, “Prepare thee to cut off a pound of flesh. Shed thou no blood, nor cut thou less nor more but just a pound of flesh.” To cut off an exact pound of flesh and have it shed no blood is impossible to do. Therefore Shylock lost the trial and not only left with no pound of flesh he wasn’t allowed the money to replace it, instead he had to pay penalties for attempted murder and he also had to give up his faith, which at that point was all that he had left. In conclusion, I think that Shylock was mistreated by Antonio in the past and he had a right to want revenge but it shouldn’t have been so harsh. No one deserves to have a pound of flesh to be cut off. I thought that Shylock should have paid the penalty at the end but it was unfair to make him become a Christian.
experiences with revenge what his actions caused. It shows that getting revenge is never the
wrong in today?s society. Many countries have, thankfully, relinquished this barbaric practice but, unfortunately, many continue to do so. I firmly believe that there are far better means of punishment. As I said before, do two wrongs make a right?
the faith that they did not have. Sadly, his faith killed him. He wanted so
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 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.
began to question his faith. He thought, how could God destroy a civilization if he loved it so
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.
Revenge should not belong in the criminal justice system. There was a case of an elderly
We can examine the difference between revenge and justice and make mark of differences and similarities. Both are a form of punishment, but only one is used in a morally ethical way. It is very easy to act out of revenge, but takes tremendous self-control to display acts of justice. One must take a step back from the situation, and try as hard as they can to view it from an unbiased vantage
of the play as he is in contrast to Antonio and surely no victim would
...d, learn how to forgive himself, and he had to understand what is wrong with using love in the wrong ways. Thus, through his journey he has learned that he can, on his own, make the right choices of love through his own free will because God gave us a will to choose.
Revenge occurs everywhere in the present and some still seek revenge for past wrong doings. Because of the desire to fulfil the need for revenge, it can lead to an even bigger problem and can globally affect everyone. It can be difficult to determine when revenge can be justified but in my perspective, revenge can’t ever be justified since it can hurt and include other people that were caught in the problem. The two stories demonstrated that the idea of seeking revenge can consume your life and is very serious. It is best for us to let go of a grudge instead of making the other person suffer as much as you did as it is the mature decision. Revenge can be dangerous and immoral and people will go to any limit to seek revenge.
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.