Comparison Of Shylock In The Merchant Of Venice

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“THE MERCHANT OF VENICE” ,written by William Shakespeare in 16th century that is during the Elizabethan period is technically classified as a comedy, but sometimes referred to as a “problem comedy” mostly because it’s so controvertial or a “tragicomedy”, because it shares features in common with commedies but also contains the kind of dark elements we typically find in tragedies. Shylock’s desire for a pound of flesh is pretty intense, and the way shylock is treated by christians characters is pretty sickening and well,tragic .
In this play, Antonio is the leading merchant of venice.He is quite popular, wealthy and is a respectable man.He has a friend named Bassanio who is very dearly to Antonio.Bassanio owes a good deal of money but he is …show more content…

This play was written in Elizabethan period. Elizabethan period was a time when Christians hated Jews. Jews had to bear all the atrocities done by the Christians. They had suffered a lot.
Similarly in this context, shylock is a Jew and Antonio is a Christian.
A conversation between Shylock and Antonio –
Shylock – you call me a misbeliever, cut-throat dog
And spit upon my Jewish gabardine
[...]
Fair sir ,you spit on me on Wednesday last
You spurn’d me such a day; another time
You called me a dog ; and for these courtesies
I’ll lend you thus much moneys’ ?
Antonio - I am as like to call thee so again,
To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too.

Antonio has insulted Shylock many a times. He has spitted on him. Then Shylock was called a cut - throat dog. He has treated him like a garbage and even if he i.e. Shylock lends money to him,Antonio then also his racist behaviour would not change against Shylock.
Therefore, Shylock had to suffer and also had to bear all this, the reason being that he was a …show more content…

However in terms of historical context, the Elizabethan audience were majority Christians. They held very prejudician view of Christian. They still held very pejudician view of jews and blamed them for crucifying christ,which by the way is a perversion of christianinty because christians believe that christ was crucified for the sins of the world, everyone included, so it is our own sin that crucified christ, not the jews. Shylock bemoans the fact that ‘ For sufferance is the badge of all tribe,’
The jews had been prosecuted throughout Europe, thrown out of many countries. Everywhere shylock goes he is called as a currish jew or a dog.Naturally, hate has build up in his mind and if he can get even with non jews, he will and in this play, he does . Antonio is not so innocent . He has treated Shylock very badly in the past. Due to these reasons Shylock wanted to take revenge by taking a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body.
At least,Shylock had the courage to go against Antonio who is a christian, and file a suit due to breach of contract suffered by

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