Characterizing Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
The ‘Merchant of Venice’ was written at a time when there was great
prejudice towards the Jewish race. They were known for their
intelligence, hard work and business acumen, which later led them to
be mistreated and resented. They were made to wear distinctive
clothing in order to be identified, and citizens of Venice could treat
Jews in any way they wished. The Christian church also taught that
Jews should be despised for their rejection of Jesus and that money
lending was morally wrong. The Jewish people were also not allowed to
work in the government, military or guilds. This meant that their
lifestyles were restricted and uncomfortable. ‘Certainly the Jew is
the very devil incarnation.’ This is generally how the Jewish race was
stereotyped at the time, and throughout the ‘Merchant of Venice,’ they
are continually conveyed as such.
Shylock is a Jewish money lender who is hated for his greed and his
religion. In the late 16th century, Christianity was the main religion
in Europe and as a result a very powerful force. Therefore many people
feared the Jews and did all they could to convert them to
Christianity. Hence, for that reason Judaism was extremely important
to Shylock and the rest of the Jewish nation. At the time of
Shakespeare there was also a certain duty that a daughter owed her
father, she had to honour his wishes and marry whomever he decided was
suitable. ‘I may neither choose who I would, nor refuse who I dislike,
so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead
father.’ This quotation comes from Portia, a rich heiress, who still
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...16th century and modern audience point of view. The
‘Merchant of Venice’ is a comedy and therefore there is no true
villain. As a result the villainous character is ridiculed, rather
than killed at the end of the play. He is also a victim of the
society around him and could be perceived as a clean living, working
man who merely wishes to conduct his business unimpeded. Being
persecuted by the Venetian citizens and later shamed by his daughter’s
conversion to Christianity leads the reader to sympathise with the
character. He also must give away, in his opinion, the two most
important things; Money and religion. As religion plays a key role in
the understanding of Shylock’s character, I think it is acceptable to
say that most of his actions were justified and that Shakespeare
successfully conveyed Shylock as a victim.
have not seen in previous parts of the play. We find out that he is
He was getting beat throughout the story. Eventually he got to a point where he gave up(105). This caused him to become a burden to his son. He lost his strength every day until he eventually died.
But in the end, his actions get him slayed, drive his daughter to insanity, and eventually set the stage for his son to die in a sword fight with Hamlet.... ... middle of paper ... ... She starts to feel the poison and she warns Hamlet of it before she dies.
In Susan Pharr's "The Common Elements of Oppression", she defines "the other" as the outcast of society, the ones who stand up for what they believe in, no matter how `against the grain' it may be, the ones who try the hardest to earn acceptance, yet never receive it. In Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice", Shylock, the `villain' is portrayed as the other simply because of his faith, because he is Jewish in a predominantly Christian society.
Proctor allows the church to take his life so that The people that died would not die in vein. At the end of the play when
relinquished his powers at the end of the play, those that did believe in the
This scene is the last of the play but by this time the actual plot is
...able to regain his ability to see but it is during the last act of the play in which the circumstances are completely out of his control. These characters both die because they are pushed way past the limits of human fortitude and competence.
say, “If I can catch once upon the hip I will feed fat the ancient
he had taken in the past. He is mentioned very little in the play yet
In Act 1 Scene 3, we are first introduced to Shylock, we see him as
things he has called him and for all the many times he has spat on him
which tells us that Shylock is being referred to as a dog, not like a
is the one person that people love to hate. The best example of this I
more alive and the love that is in the story line more prevalent. Portia hooks in Bassanio with the gift she bestows upon him. For example, “In “The Merchant of Venice” spotlights shiny displays of sacrifice and gift giving. At the same time he (Shakespeare) lets the shadows of darker motives encroach on the glitter of those displays”(Berger 1). The darker motives show that Portia is a little bit conniving in her way the she bestows the ring onto Bassanio. She uses the ring to self-protect, setting herself into a win-win situation. For example, “Portia’s gift to Bassanio is an act of self-protection “in a naughty world”(Shakespeare 5.1.91), a something for nothing that she can transform