Treatment of Shylock by the Christians in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
Two thousand years ago Jews were known as Hebrews or Israelites and
lived in Israel. At the time their land was occupied by Romans who
tried to crush the Jewish faith and culture. Due to this, Jewish
people fled Israel to make new lives and Jewish communities in other
countries. In these communities Jews were known for their intelligence
and business sense which led to them being mistrusted and resented.
This was especially the case in Christian terms; where anti-Semitic
feelings were very strong. This is shown in a Merchant of Venice by
Shylock who constantly suffers verbal abuse and gives a vivid account
of Antonio’s racist bullying. Shylock is also shown in the play to be
a villain and could be seen as a miserly money lender who delights in
the prospect of cutting a pound of flesh from the noble merchant who
has exposed his corrupt ways and also as a father who cares more for
his money than his daughter. In this essay I am going to show how
Shylock was treated by the Christians and whether his reactions were
justified.
In Act 1, Scene 3 Shakespeare clearly shows the audience how Bassanio
and Antonio are abusive towards Shylock. Antonio is abusive to Shylock
in front of others and refers to him as ‘an evil soul’ and ‘the devil’
when asking for the loan. Shylock reacts to this by keeping Antonio
and Bassanio waiting for an answer and seems to ignore their insults.
‘Three thousand ducats is a good round sum’. Shylock also says how he
and other Jews have been mistreated in the past. ‘For sufferance is
the badge of our tribe. You call me misbelie...
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... not always justified as he can be quite rude but sometimes his
responses to abuse is respectable as he isn’t rude to Salerio and
Solanio when they taunt him and show prejudice to him which shows a
kinder more decent side to him which is perhaps just an image he
presents which would show how cunning he is. His decision to follow up
his bond with Antonio when he couldn’t pay back the money back fired
on him in the end and his cruelty to not let him off ended him up in
trouble and losing him everything which is perhaps the message
Shakespeare is trying to give in the play. I think the play is
anti-semitic in my opinion, as Christians throughout show lack of
respect to Shylock, at times for his religion. Shakespeare also gives
Shylock a bad image and attitude for most of the play which is perhaps
a little anti-semitic.
and thinks of him as a man for having killed another man. The fact of the
(p. 44); "Who came to you with the devil?" and ".perhaps another person in the village?" (p. 45). A few of his faults are that he judges too much by appearances, ".you look as such a good soul should" (p. 37); ".a claim so weighty cannot be argued by a farmer," (p. 99); and he uses people to question other people.
was on his side, he is then hung for doing something bad but his last
is ironic that one refers to him as a “monster” or a “demon”, when he
was quick to put a label upon him or treat him poorly.But, as soon as he was placed into the
say, “If I can catch once upon the hip I will feed fat the ancient
"And what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not
actions, "I am as like to call thee so again, To spit on thee again,
Shylock: Victim or Villain "The Merchant of Venice" by Shakespeare is set in the Italian city of Venice in the late 15th century. Originally, it was meant to be a comedy but it seems to have more elements of a tragedy than of a comedy. However the audience of that time would find it amusing to see Shylock, the Jewish moneylender, losing everything because Jews have not been accepted due to the fact their religion and their typical occupation as moneylender, which made the Christians depending of them.
Stereotypes are a fixed image of all members of a culture, group, or race usually based on limited and inaccurate information resulted from the minimal contact with this stereotyped groups. stereotypes have many forms; people are stereotyped according to their religion, race, ethnicity, age, gender, coulor, or national origins. This kind of intolerance is focused on the easily observable characteristics of groups of people. In general, stereotypes reduce individuals to a rigid and inflexible image that doesn't account for the multi-dimensional nature of human beings. One example of stereotypes is the categorization of the Jews in Elizabethan era. In fact, Elizabethan era was an age of prejudice, discrimination, and religious persecution particularly against minorities. Jewish people were one of those minorities who was suffering and struggling for survival. This racist attitude was rife not only in England but also across Europe. "Christians tended to see the Jews as an alien people whose repudiation of the Christ had condemned them to a perpetual migration. Jews were denied citizenship and its rights in much of Europe and forced to wear distinctive clothing to identify themselves in public (the yellow star, or badges of shame). There were forced expulsions of the Jews from several regions across Europe." (1). Jews were even believed to worship the devil.
Religion was a major factor in a number of Shakespeare’s plays. Religion motivated action and reasoning. In Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” religion was more than a belief in a higher being; it reflected moral standards and ways of living. In the “Merchant of Venice,” “a Christian ethic of generosity, love, and risk-taking friendship is set in pointed contrast with a non-Christian ethic that is seen, from a Christian point of view, as grudging, resentful, and self-calculating.” (Bevington, pg. 74) Although Shakespeare writes this drama from a Christian point of view he illustrates religion by conflicts of the Old Testament and the New Testament in Venetian society and its court of law. These Testaments are tested through the Christians and Jews of Venice.
claims to have seen a speech by Satan (now Book IV lines 32-41) some years before
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).
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.
The Merchant of Venice and Othello: Shylock vs Iago. Shakespeare's use of timeless themes makes his works relevant to the modern reader. His two plays "The Merchant of Venice" and "Othello" deal with the seeking of revenge and forbidden love. In "The Merchant of Venice," Shylock, the main character, is a Jew who loans money and charges interest.