Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice

896 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Christianity in merchant Venice

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.

I believe that Shakespeare deliberately isolates Shylock, which then

makes the play more effective, because putting all Christians in the

play wouldn't give the play such a strong plot, as it has now. There

would be no verbally abusive things said to both the Christians and

the Jew and no remarks or stage directions used to show Shylock as the

outsider, because the Christians would have treated him like one of

their own! From the occurrences at that time, there were no rumours

going around about the Jews which were mostly all made up, but it then

gave Shakespeare an incentive, which resulted in portraying Shylock as

the villain.

Firstly, what is definitely noticeable is that Shylock is presented as

an outsider. A way that this is proven is when you look at the

directors, entrance notes an exit notes, they stand out considerably

because Shakespeare writes Shylock "The Jew" this immediately denotes

a difference within the play.

Another way that Shakespeare is making the audience consider the fact

Shylock's an outsider, is his use of language. It's very repetitive

and it's conspicuous he's an outsider, he ends his sentences wit

"well" every time.

The sort of treatment that Shylock obtains from the other characters

is that of a more aggressive and rude nature, but Shylock returns

their vicious comments by a play on words and his hate for Christians,

Show More
Related

  • Shylock of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice

    1798 Words  | 4 Pages

    ‘villain’; he is a complex mix of both. In the first part of the play,

    Read More

  • Treatment of Jews in the 16th Century

    560 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shakespeare creates a caricature of a Jew, just as he might have seen done by Christopher Marlowe in "The Jew of Malta". Shakespeare's "Shylock" was easily recognisable as a Jew, wearing traditional clothing, immediately showing the audience that he is different. The money lending profession adds to the Jewish look, and the way he acts, without even a care for his own daughter, making references to his desire for Christian blood, allows Shakespeare's audience to create a strong hatred for the Jew. Although nobody had actually met a Jew, probably the entire audience had been brought up to despise such an awful religion, hearing terrible tales of sin and misery.

    Read More

  • Prejudice, Racism and Anti-Semitism in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice

    2825 Words  | 6 Pages

    The second reason is the fact that the modern world is less prejudiced. When the play was written Shylock would have had two main disadvantages for the Shakespearian audience. Firstly he is a Jew, and in a predominantly Christian country would have been hated for his religion, and secondly a money-lender, the main profession open to the Jews. To a modern audience neither of those things would affect how they perceive the character. This means they are more likely to give Shylock a chance before they judge him and would be more willing to let their views about him change. In the Elizabethan period Jews were hated for two main reasons. The first was superstition, myths and legends told tales of brutal murders carried out for the Jewish faith. The second was dislike of anybody who was different, and religion gave the Christians a good reason to persecute the foreigners who lived among them. Although the modern world is not completely free of prejudice it is certainly less narrow-minded than before. Nowadays the racism and anti-Semitism shown in the play would not be considered acceptable.

    Read More

  • Shylock: Villain or Victim?

    1029 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shylock is an unsettling character; his heartfelt speeches make it hard for me to label him as a natural villain, on the other hand Shylock’s cold attempt at revenge by murdering his persecutor, Antonio, prevents me from viewing him in a positive light. For moments, Shakespeare offers us glimpses of an unmistakably human Shylock but he often steers me against him as well, portraying him as a cruel, bitter figure.

    Read More

  • Describing Shylock of William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Act 1 Scene 3, we are first introduced to Shylock, we see him as

    Read More

  • Is Shylock a Villain or a Victim?

    860 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is difficult to say if Shylock is a complete villain or a victim, as his character is complex and ambiguous. However, it is difficult to view Shylock as anything other than a devious, bloodthirsty and heartless villain in the majority of the play. There are a few points in the story where he can be viewed as victimised, as most Jews were at that time, but Shakespeare has purposely portrayed Shylock as a stereotypical Jew, greedy, and obsessed with money. Shylock has been written to be very inflated and exaggerated. Even when Shylock makes his first appearance in the play, his first words are “Three thousand ducats,” Act 1, Scene 3.

    Read More

  • Response to Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice by a Modern Audience

    1112 Words  | 3 Pages

    Some of the audiences in the 16th century, believed that Jews were at a lower stage than them, and they only believed this because the Jews were a different (“different” referred to as “wrong “for Christians who lived in the 16th century), religion they believed they were not people, like them. The play Merchant of Venice shows the evil side of the Jews. The character’s name is “Shylock”. He is the character of evil doing; he is also the character that Shakespeare chose to represent a Jewish character. As a Jew, he represents the race as being wicked, evil etc.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Shylock In The Merchant Of Venice

    919 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shylock is no more greedy than Bassanio begging for money or Lorenzo accepting Jessica’s gifts. Shylock is a loving father who wants the best for his only daughter. This love is expressed by his distress after he finds she has left him and through Shylock’s concern about Christian husbands during the courtroom scene in Act 5 Scene 1. Although Shylock showcases benevolent characteristics, like any individual he possesses faults. Shylock occasionally has moments of great acrimony in which he expresses his displeasment in the society. A strong proclamation of Shylock’s displeasment with his environment is when Shylock cries, “what 's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes?”

    Read More

  • Stereotypes and The Merchant of Venice

    1627 Words  | 4 Pages

    Everyone who reads The Merchant of Venice must bear in mind that it is, like any other literary work, a creation of a skillful 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 beliefs – they will be one step closer to living in a civil society. Works Cited 1) Encyclopaedia Britannica, the definition of "Anti-Semitism". 2) E. E. Stoll, Shylock (an essay in Shakespeare Studies, 1927). 3) John Palmer, Comic Characters of Shakespeare, Shylock. 4) John Palmer, Comic Characters of Shakespeare, Shylock.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare And Anti-Semitism In The Merchant Of Venice

    1403 Words  | 3 Pages

    But at the same time, it seems clear (to me, at least) that Shakespeare creates Shylock against an historical and cultural backdrop that was intensely hostile to Jews. Given this social context and historical tradition, it should come as no surprise if some of this hostility against Jews should infiltrate Shakespeare's work. Shakespeare was, after all, a commercial dramatist and many commercial dramatists make their livings by pandering to, rather than working against, conventional social mores.

    Read More

  • Anti Semitism In The Merchant Of Venice

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    In looking at Shylock, the sixteenth-century audience would deduce all view except the greedy, selfish, manipulating, Jew. In accordance with the normative view, Jews were believed to be out of tune with the universe. This is re-enforce in act 2 scene 5 lines 27-30 when Shylock is comment...

    Read More

  • Shylock in Merchant of Venice

    1694 Words  | 4 Pages

    However, when Shakespeare created Shylock, he did not insert him in as a purely flat character, consumed only with the villainy of his plot. One of the great talents that Shakespeare possessed, remarks Shakespeare analyst Harrold R. Walley, was his ability to make each key character act like a real, rational person. Walley said of all of Shakespeare's characters, hero or villain, that "Their conduct is always presented as logical and justifiable from their point of view3." To maintain the literary integrity of the play, "Shakespeare is under the necessity of making clear why a man like Shylock should be wrought to such a pitch of vindictive hatred as to contemplate murder4." His evil must have some profound motivation, and that motivation is the evil done to him. Shylock is not an ogre, letting lose harm and disaster without reason. He was wronged first; the fact that his revenge far outweighs that initial evil is what makes him a villain. Beneath Shylock' villainy, the concept of evil for evil runs as a significant theme through the play.

    Read More

  • Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice

    681 Words  | 2 Pages

    things he has called him and for all the many times he has spat on him

    Read More

  • Shylock Deserves Sympathy

    603 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Love In Merchant Of Venice

    1366 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

More about Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice

Open Document