How The Character Of Shylock From “The Merchant Of Venice” Is
Presented To The Audience In Scenes 1.3, 3.1 and 4.1
Over the years, Shylock has been portrayed in many ways, for instance,
in the Elizabethan time, Jews were seen as the cause of Christ’s death
and were known moneylenders so they were persecuted, so Shylock
normally came on stage wearing a bright red wig and portrayed as a
comic villain due to this he was always mocked. However, after the
holocaust was brought to light, Jews were taken more seriously and
were treated with more respect than they were previously shown so when
Shylock appeared on stage, he was treated fairly and was not mocked as
he had been in previous versions of the play.
Shylock is one of the main characters in the play. He is a Jew who is
treated very badly by all Christians and wants revenge so when Antonio
goes to Shylock for money, Shylock tries to make a deal which would
give him the chance to kill Antonio the christian if the money is not
repayed. This shows Shylock to be the villain but as we go through
the play, we hear of how Shylock has been treated and we start to feel
sympathetic towards him as we hear how he has been a victim of racial
prejudice.
In act 1 scene 3, Shylock is first introduced as “Enter the Jew”. In
the first few lines of the play, we find out that Shylock is happy
because Antonio is to borrow three thousand ducats from Shylock for
his friend Bassanio to get married. We know that Shylock is happy
because he repeats that Antonio wants three thousand ducats for three
months and that he is bound to the contract. This makes Shylock seem
like a greedy man as he is excited at the prospect of gaining interest
from the money he is about to loan Antonio. The first thing he talks
about in the scene is his business and then he only talks about his
religion later, which shows that money is his main priority. We also
see Shylock as devious as he knows that the only way Antonio can pay
back the loan is if his ships that are selling goods abroad return and
Shylock talks about all the dangers for the boats. This shows him as
devious as we wonder why he is excited that the boats may sink.
Shylock is also seen as devious as he hides his true desire to trap
Antonio in a debt he may not be able to pay. Shylock highlights his
religious difference when he says “yes, to smell pork, ...
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...In Elizabethan times the prejudice shown to Shylock in the play would
be perfectly normal because Jews were banned in England since 1290 and
were seen as evil people. Nowadays we are shocked at the prejudice
because we are living after the holocaust when Hitler attempted to
wipe out the whole Jewish race and now everyone has a degree of
sympathy for Jews. The anti-Semitism shown in the play would be seen
as comedy in the Elizabethan period. Shakespeare's play was so
successful because Queen Elizabeth's doctor was executed for high
treason in 1954. He was a Jew. Shylock has been seen as both the
victim and the villain of the play. A victim because he loses all his
money and has to change his religion at the end of the trial scene.
Also he is the victim of lots of prejudice from the Christians like
them spitting on him and calling him names. But in conclusion I think
that ultimately Shylock is a villain. The way he treats those close to
him, for example his daughter Jessica exposes his evil character. He
lets his need for vengeance engulf all other aspects of his life and
his complete lack of mercy towards Antonio, renders him as a villain
in the eyes of the audience
One way that Shylock is classified as the other was by being stripped of his name. Throughout the play, Shylock was very seldom referred to by name; in the trial scene, the Duke identifies him by name twice, and Portia does so once. During the rest of the play, Shylock is usually referred to as "the Jew", "dog Jew" (II, viii, 14), and "currish Jew" (IV, i, 292)
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In Act 1 Scene 3, we are first introduced to Shylock, we see him as
receives. So it would not be fair to say that he was totally evil as
In this essay I will try to discover is Shylock a villain or a victim, in the William Shakespeare play “A Merchant of Venice”
All of the characters are defined through Shylock. Launcelot Gobbo, Shylock’s servant, treats his father disrespectfully, but this disdain is not ill-received by the audience; like the other examples of inequity, Launcelot’s apathetic attitude toward his near-blind father is inexplicably tolerated by past and contemporary society (Picker). Launcelot’s contempt is generally assumed to be a result of his underprivileged upbringing, if it is noted at all. His lack of education has deprived him from good manners as well as good sense. The scene itself initially seems inconsistent with the rest of the play.
...killful writer rising a case that can be a subject for many interpretations and not necessarily revealing a specific view of its writer, however it aims to convey a certain moral to the readers. Therefore, the character of shylock, being stereotyped or not, with its controversy is a tool manipulated to convey a moral message: when people live in a society that is open to cultural diversity and that values the contributions of all society members - regardless of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, race, life styles, and belief – they will be one step closer to living in a civil society.
The Merchant of Venice is a play that deals with an assortment of issues that range from politics to racial views of the Jewish people. An embodiment of these two issues can be best attributed to the character of Shylock. In a 2004 production of The Merchant of Venice, by Michael Radford, we see the character of Shylock is portrayed in a different light than that of Shakespeare's 1594 villainous Jew. Both productions pose a series of questions in comparison. An understanding of the era that these plays were written in and the audience’s perception of the production attribute greatly to a true analysis. Another aspect of these productions asks who Shylock was to Shakespeare and who he has developed into for Al Pacino and Michael Radford.
This is where Shakespeare evokes our sympathy, by making us realise how Shylock has suffered because of the prejudices of the Christians around him. He explains his motives for revenge in a rational way, showing how his actions are no different from the Christians'. Look carefully at the language he uses, as well as the insulting and mocking language used by the other two. At the end of the scene, Shylock mourns the loss of his daughter, although our feelings towards him are a bit mixed, for he seems to care more about the money. He does give evidence, however, of his love for his wife, which again, creates sympathy.
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.
Shylock is a wealthy Jew who invests money into shipments and trades. When Shylock’s enemy, Antonio, requests a loan of 3000 ducats, “Shylock adopts this Christian model of "kind" lending in his bond with Antonio as a means for lawful revenge.” Shylock’s agreement is that if the ducats are not returned, Antonio must repay his loan in human flesh. This is a way for Shylock to either make money or kill a Christian, either will satisfy him. Lee describes Shylock’s feelings towards Christians, “Indeed, although Shylock will neither "eat," "drink," nor "pray" with the Christians, he is willing to "buy" and "sell" with them.” This is where Shakespeare first introduces the devil inside Shylock. Had Antonio been a Jew, there would not have been a payment of flesh. Shylock’s hatred propels the story from start to finish. His hatred causes him to lose his daughter, drives Portia to use her money and wit to save Antonio, and why he ends up losing