is Shylock a villain or a victim, in the William Shakespeare play “A Merchant of Venice” 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
Shylock: Villain or Victim? In this essay I will look into the question of whether Shylock is villain or victim and then answer it with my own opinion. To do this I intend to examine the following, Shylock and the persecution of the Jews and by focusing on the courtroom scene and the formation of the bond scene. Previous history ---------------- Jews have been previously persecuted even before 1500 in Spain, Rome, France, the Middle East, Western Europe and Austria. They have
The Character of Shylock in Merchant of Venice Few characters created by Shakespeare embodies pure evil like the character of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. Shylock is a usurer and a malevolent, blood-thirsty old man consumed with plotting the downfall of his enemies. He is a malignant, vengeful character, consumed with venomous malice1; a picture of callous, unmitigated villainy, deaf to every appeal of humanity2. Shylock is the antagonist opposite the naive, essentially good Antonio, the
that Shylock is a usurer and appears to be a spiteful old man who is a Jew; Jews were the ones who crucified Christ and are considered to be the enemies of Christians. Looking more into his character it may appear that he is an evil, unforgiving character, consumed with extreme hatefulness towards most others especially Christians. Then there is Antonio who appears to be the naive, essentially good guy who is a Christian. Because Antonio is a Christian he must defend himself against the Shylock. But
The Case of Shylocks Appeal Classic literature, modern movies, the standardization of the English language, as well as the beautiful name Jessica are just a few things that result from the influences of William Shakespeare. Regarded as the greatest English writer of all time, the Bard has inspired much from his many playwrights. His success into breaking into our culture may be born from his singular ability to create settings in which his characters show off their complexity and become memorable
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
Shylock Deserves Sympathy Shylock is indeed a complex character and has the dimension of pain-he has suffered, still suffers and is one of a people who have suffered over centuries. However, to what extent should Shylock suffer and does he deserve our sympathy or hostility. Although anti-Semitism is totally unacceptable today, it was quite normal in Shakespeare's time. However, as he has done with other villains, Shakespeare actually plays around with his audience's preconceptions and
Weinstein Ms. Stoller Due: Feb 26th, 2014 Shylock, in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, epitomizes emotion unrestricted by moral character or intellectual rationality. Shylocks' conversation at the beginning of act four, scene one clearly demonstrates this as the Duke and Antonio urge Shylock to use both his empathetic and rational abilities. Shylock’s humanity, a trait which would normally allow him to feel empathy, is doubted by Antonio who describes Shylock as. By calling him "stony" and "inhuman"
The Character of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice Victim or villain. These two words are the total opposites of each other. A victim is someone that 'we' in general should, or may, feel sorry for and attempt to sympathise or empathise with. But a villain is the one person that people love to hate. The best example of this I feel is pantomime. The victims or heroes are clear-cut and the audience willingly cheers them. But as soon as the villain walks on stage he is hissed and booed, unfortunately
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
Shylock, in William Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, is a complicated and confusing character. Throughout the years, people have debated whether he should be pitied or hated. Using the play, people have supported their opinions saying that he wanted to kill Antonio so how can he be pitied? Some say that his behavior was a result of anti-Semitism. It was. Some people are evil at heart by their own choice, but some have this badness forced on them. Shylock is an example of a tragic character
the early roles of what Shylock has done in the Elizabethan stage, we are able to appreciate Shakespeare’s character. Shylock has the greatest impact than any other character in the book. In the Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare’s purpose wasn’t meant to show that they were well educated. We do know that many Christians hated Shylock because he was a Jew. For example in the Elizabethan times a lot of people were looked down at because they were against Christian practice. Shylock was described as a typical
hatred towards Shylock, but perhaps William Shakespeare means to invite the audience to feel the opposite. Shylock is shown as someone who is incredibly money hungry, materialistic, and only cares about his ducats rather than the fact that his own daughter, Jessica, has abandoned him for a Christian fellow named Lorenzo. Throughout The Merchant of Venice, it is easy to see why one would think of Shylock as the symbol of the devil, but perhaps William Shakespeare intended for Shylock to be portrayed
Shylock: Villain or Victim In the Shakespeare comedy The Merchant of Venice we find a Jewish moneylender, Shylock, a victim of anti-Semitism, cursed as he tries to make his way in a Christian society. It is not long before Shylock is presented with an opportunity to extract revenge on one of his oppressors a Christian merchant Antonio, who is in need of Shylock’s services. Antonio needs three-thousand ducats to send his good friend Bassanio on a romantic journey. In turn Shylock wants a “pound of
is a cunning Jewish moneylender named Shylock. Shylock is part of a race that was discriminated against, despised and hated for their religion. In the beginning of the play Shylock makes an unsettling bond with a well-known, good and generous man named Antonio. Shylock has always had a grudge against Antonio because he is trusting; he lends money without interest, taking away Shylock’s business. He is also a Christian. We know that we can never trust Shylock to have any feeling of consideration towards
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
How Shylock is Presented in The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice, one of his romantic comedies, was written in 1596. It deals with a dispute between Shylock, a wealthy Jewish moneylender, and Antonio, a Venetian citizen. The play begins in Venice, where Antonia’s friend, Bassanio, needs a loan of 3,000 ducats so that he can court a wealthy heiress named Portia. Not being able to raise the funds himself, Bassanio asks Antonio for a loan. Unfortunately Antonio’s
The Charater of Shylock in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice In his chapter “Shakespeare and Dissident Reading,” Alan Sinfield argues that viewing Shylock as anything but an evil villain is “achieved only by leaning, tendentiously, on the text” (Sinfield 1994, 6). This is an oversimplification of Shylock’s character as portrayed in The Merchant of Venice. Sinfield portrays Shylock as static and unchanging. However, emotions and portrayal of Shylock are not as forward as Sinfield claims. Constantly
Shylock, the Hated Jew of The Merchant of Venice Many of William Shakespeare's plays have sparked controversy. Probably the one that has sparked the most controversy is The Merchant of Venice, which many intellectuals have dubbed an anti-Semitic play. The character that this discussion centers around is Shylock, the rich moneylender Jew. The problem with most of these anti-Semitic arguments is that they lack the perspective of the sixteenth century audience. Throughout
Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice It is believed that that Shakespeare wrote The Merchant of Venice, between 1596 and 1589. At the time Englandwas a Christian country, and the Jews were a misunderstood, prejudiced and marginalised people. They were often forbidden to own land or engage in trade in England so the only occupation open to them was money lending which they exploited to the full, Christians were forbidden to practice usury and the Jews were constantly portrayed