Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
To Shakespeare's Audience Shylock was the Villain of the Merchant of
Venice, Yet a Modern Day Audience sees Shylock as a Man Persecuted
because of his Religion, Discuss this Statement with Detailed
Reference to the Text and Explain this Change of Attitude.
This is not just a change of attitude but a change in the way of life
for the people of the world over this troubled four hundred years. In
the era of the Elizabethan's when the Merchant of Venice was
originally written the world was a different place, there were
different attitudes and views , particularly towards Jews. The
difference between Jews and Christians was not merely a difference in
opinion and belief; back then they were regarded as almost an entirely
different species. Christians had ultimate supremacy over the Jews as
well as other cultures and religions, Christians ruled Europe and
anyone who opposed stood little chance in front of the biased
Christian court system. There was no wrong seen in spitting upon,
insulting or blatantly disrespecting the beliefs of any Jew they
wanted to. Not only were the Jews treated as inferior but they were
also denied many rights and privileges, they were not allowed to work
because nobody would employ them due to conflicting schedules around
the Sabbath with Jews not being able to work on Saturdays and
Christians on Sundays. This soon became accepted and Jews were forced
into usury, the act of lending money and charging interest upon its
return, this was frowned upon by Christians. This only fuelled their
fiery hatred for all things unchristian for Christians were the
unques...
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... causing Shylock in the process. Yes Shylock wanted revenge, but for
who? If every other Jew could get by under these circumstances then
why couldn't he? The only real reason Shylock wanted revenge was
because of his daughter leaving him and he was enforcing his petty
vengeance on the first person he got the opportunity to, and it was
not true revenge either but a chance he saw in his bitter eyes and
seized. Although Antonio was far from perfection, he was a better man
than the devilish Shylock. Not because he was a Christian but because
he showed 'the quality of mercy' to a man who had tried to end his
life whereas Shylock could not show it to a man who merely threw the
odd insult at him which was considered ordinary anyway.
Poetic justice was served on Shylock for his malice in an ironically
cruel twist of fate.
still a common view of Jews is for them to be penny pinching, both in
Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice An ogre is according to the Collins Dictionary “a monstrous or cruel being” but more significantly as “something or someone who eats human flesh.” Is this how Shylock is portrayed in the play or is he a simple human being, a species capable of showing emotions and feelings such as vulnerability and love. Certainly, Shylock is presented to the audience in so powerful a way that even though he only appears in five scenes, many consider him the central character. Throughout the play Shylock appears to be the butt of all the jokes and many critics see his status in the play as the tragic hero.
‘villain’; he is a complex mix of both. In the first part of the play,
Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice Shylock's character in Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice' has long been a controversial subject- more so now than it was when the play was written in the late 16th Century. First performed in 1605, it seemingly conforms to the anti-semitic stereotypes towards Jews and their conduct but, unlike Shakespeare's rival's work ('The Jew of Malta) by Christopher Marlowe, the main Jewish character is attributed not only the negative traits associated with Jews at the time, but also a side that sees to show humanity. Therefore, in this essay, it is my aim to explore whether calling Shylock the villain in the play is justified or not based on his actions and those of the characters surrounding him (to see if there is evidence of provocation), and placing this into the context of Elizabethan England and thus coming to conclusions abut whether views towards the extent of his villainy have remained the same. The one single action in the play which seems most convictive of Shylock is his argument with argument over the lending of 3,000 ducats-and the penalty fixed in case of its late return in Act 3 scene 1.
Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice "Shylock is a two dimensional villain who does not deserve our
Shylock as the Villain in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare wrote 'The Merchant of Venice' in about 1597. It was first performed by The Chamberlain's Men at the Theatre Shoreditch. The Merchant of Venice was in the repertory of Shakespeare's company before they took up residence at the Globe in 1599. The play was written as a comedy, but has become a serious drama.
William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice "The Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare features, Shylock a very controversial character due to his religion, profession and personal traits. Professionally Shylock lends money to people in debt, in order to gain interest and profit. Although, this is very much central to our modern way of life, in the Elizabethan period, money lending was not accepted as an acceptable profession. Throughout "The Merchant of Venice" Shylock is portrayed as menacing, inhumane and slightly eccentric, yet at times misunderstood and induces sympathy from the reader.
get his own back, as the text says; 'Cursed be my tribe if I forgive
Antonio, in which he gets to cut off a pound of flesh from his body,
In Act 1 Scene 3, we are first introduced to Shylock, we see him as
actions, "I am as like to call thee so again, To spit on thee again,
It is evident in both plays by William Shakespeare that ambition and pride seem to be the
things he has called him and for all the many times he has spat on him
Antonio that if his ships do not come back then he would take a pound
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.