William Shakespeare Sways Audience's Sympathies in The Merchant of Venice

William Shakespeare Sways Audience's Sympathies in The Merchant of Venice

Critics often describe Shylock as one of Shakespeare's most complex

characters. This is not because he shows the emotions of love and

hate, for many of Shakespeare's characters do as well. I feel that it

is more because he is more human. His enemies truly hurt him when they

ridicule him without reason, and in the end of Act 4, destroy him

without just cause. It is a frequently asked question, is Shylock

mostly a bloodthirsty criminal, libertarian of the oppressed Jews in

Venice?

Shakespeare writes 'The Merchant of Venice', in such a way as to sway

the audience's emotions toward Shylock in a constant and alternating

fashion. Through soliloquies, seemingly 'minor' actions, and the

overall atmosphere of a scene. For example, in Act 3 Scene 1,

Shakespeare writes a very famous speech for Shylock, in lines 46-52:

"And what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not

a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed

with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the

same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by

the same winter and summer as a Christian is? If you prick us, do

we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us,

do we not die?"

He goes on to say, "If you wrong us, shall we not revenge?". This is a

good example of how Shakespeare changes your feelings toward Shylock.

He starts his speech being the better man; he appears to rise above

the primitive feelings of anger and prejudice. However, on line 52 his

grief about losing his daughter, and his anguish about his enemies

maltreating him, overpower him; He craves his revenge. The audience is

supposed to admire him at the start, and despise him at the end.

Examples of the effect of the loss of his daughter on his psyche are

found in Act 2 Scene 8, when Solanio mimics Shylock.

"My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter!