Analysis of Shylock's Role in The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

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Analysis of Shylock's Role in The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

In this essay, I will be examining one of Shakespeare’s most memorable

and controversial characters, Shylock. Shylock is one of the main

characters in ‘The Merchant of Venice.’ He is often seen as a villain

but some argue that he actually a victim. ‘The Merchant of Venice’ is

a play that explores revenge, love and prejudice. It follows a Jew

called Shylock and a Christian called Antonio. Antonio borrows three

thousand ducats from Shylock for his close friend Bassanio and makes a

bond that says that in the case of forfeiture, Shylock can take a

pound of flesh from any part of the body he wishes. When all of

Antonio’s ships which carry his fortune are ruined, Shylock demands

his pound of flesh and takes Antonio to court. However, he gets caught

between a battle of the wits and is forced to suffer the ultimate

humiliation.

At the time that ‘The Merchant of Venice’ was written, Jews were

treated with prejudice. They were restricted from many jobs and were

forced to live in ghettos. If they were attacked, they were not

allowed to retaliate which provoked many people to abuse the Jews.

This abuse takes place in Shakespeare’s play. In Act 1 Scene 3,

Shylock tells Antonio, ‘You that did void your rheum upon my beard,

and foot me as you spurn a stranger cur.’ Antonio frequently kicked,

insulted and spat upon Shylock like a stray dog. His reply is that he

is likely ‘to call thee so again, to spit on thee again, to spurn thee

again.’ The audience sympathise with Shylock in this scene and perhaps

feel a bit disgusted at Antonio for asking Shylock for a favour after

persecuting him. Antonio and the other Christian characters also

rarely call Shylock by his name, referring to him simply as ‘Jew.’

Despite all of this abuse, Shylock is extremely proud of his religion.

When Bassanio invites him for dinner, Shylock tells him, ‘I will buy

with you, sell with you…but I will not eat with you.

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