Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
Through time there have been many successful individuals in literature
writers, poets, and play writers. But many would argue that one
individuals work and character has stood out from the rest and this
special illustrious person being William Shakespeare. In the many
dramatic pieces of theatrical production written and the diverse
individuality he ahs been able to write about many characters created
through great though and open imagination. But one of the most famous
fictional and criticised Jewish personality’s of English literature
was created by Shakespeare, by the name of Shylock.
Shylocks character remains highly problematic, mesmerizing but also
debatable but stays complex within Shakespeare collection of works. Of
lasting significant, shylock being the first Jewish male figure on
stage continues to be dominant, in his mythical representation. What
has been done in order to achieve this?
Shakespeare’s true skill and talent allows him to create characters
invested with psychological realism generating his creations with
several appraisals and interpretations. It’s debatable to say neither
his characters no their antagonist in situation being shylock and the
Christian abuse are ever entirely obedient or corrupt.
Evaluation in to where the significant role of the money- lender is
honestly in elation with anti-Semitism or as opposing critiques
dispute liberal humanism.
Through history trials and retributions of Jewish representation,
treatment and discrimination has been highlighted with their part and
punishment received to their innocent race in historic eve...
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...hance of winning the case, for the reason being of his
social status. But he also gets a punishment due to his religious
beliefs. Shylock should not suffer the punishment as he is not even on
trial. To summarise he attended the trial but left across a
disrespectful, unjustified punishment for no reason at all.
Nothing else in the play suggests the bare feeling of being alive and
human as the anti-prejudice speech goes
“If you prick us, do we not bleed?”
When shylock changes ode in to a “villain” he appears to be bitter and
full of hated, vengefulness, manipulating and menacing on his fury
until he finds the right opportunity to extract his revenge in the
most horrific ways, by taking a pound of flesh from Antonio. The
passion and pride displayed by Shylock far exceed the emotions shown
by any other character.
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)
Yet many critics and commentators on the play believe that this is not a plea for equality but to justify his imminent revenge. In conclusion, throughout this play we discover Shylock has as many faces and personas as a Mexican wrestler. We have quite literally seen the good, the bad and the ugly which makes this character so powerful and the focal point of the play.
‘villain’; he is a complex mix of both. In the first part of the play,
Shylock is a moneylender by pr... ... middle of paper ... ... s first audiences, those he would have received money from, and therefore I am perhaps not judging Shylock as Shakespeare intended his audiences to, and that I am 'prejudiced' by my modern perspective which has not made me anti-semitic. However, as the essay question asks for my interpretation of Shylock as a character as opposed to an Elizabethan audience's, it is my conclusion that we cannot blame Shylock entirely for his actions without blaming his persecutors for their part in provoking Shylock to act as he did, and the evidence showing that Shylock has not only a villainous side but a more human one; capable of expressing complex humane emotions, leads me to believe that we cannot reduce Shylock's character to that of 'villain', although of the characters in the play his is certainly the most negatively portrayed.
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.
In Act 1 Scene 3, we are first introduced to Shylock, we see him as
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.
Discrimination is a resounding theme in The Merchant of Venice (Meyers). All of the characters are affected by inequality. This inequity is evidenced clearly in Shylock, the Jewish usurer. He is treated with scorn and derision by all the characters. Shylock’s misfortunes stem not from poor attributes or even a poor background; it stems from the fact he is Jewish, and what is more, he is impenitent of that distinction. If he had been more daunted by Christian influence, he might have been forgiven, as Jessica is subjectively exonerated. He is not contrite and it is believed that his appalling birth cannot be absolved (Bonnell).
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.
Shylock has the reader's sympathy. Still, their desire for revenge ruins them in the end. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The. The Merchant of Venice. 1967.
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.
things he has called him and for all the many times he has spat on him
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.
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
Shakespeare was a master of creating characters whose morality remained ambiguous throughout his plays. For instance, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice is an extremely unlikeable character, although his motivations are clear, making him more sympathetic. However, Shakespeare also knew how to write characters who could be nothing but likable. Antonio in Twelfth Night and Kent from King Lear are two of the most admirable characters in Shakespeare’s plays. Both are paragons of virtue, valuing honesty, loyalty, and devotion to their masters at all costs.