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Discrimination against jews in merchant of venice
Discrimination against jews in merchant of venice
Importance of the character of shylock in the drama the merchant of venice
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The Merchant of Venice: Shylock - Antagonist or Victim?
In The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, there appears Shylock - a Jew. As the play unfolds Shylock is seen to be the villain and is portrayed as being cold, unbending, and evil. Shylock can easily be assumed to be the antagonist in this play or, after careful research and study, he can also be viewed as persecuted individual who resorts to revenge as a last resort after he has been pushed too far.
To fully understand the character of Shylock we must first look at Elizabeathen attitudes towards Jews. In the sixteenth century Jews were rarely if ever seen in England. In the Middle Ages Jews had fled to England to escape persecution in France under the Normans. They were granted charter in England by Henry I in return for a percentage of their profits from trade and moneylending. It is here that the stereotype of Jews lending money was started. Because of the tariffs placed on them by the crown Jews took to charging high interest rates to secure profits for themselves. Here we see echos of Shylock with his usury. Finally the Jews were ordered out of England in 1254 by Edward I. They did not return to England until the later half of the seventeenth century. (Lippman 3-4) Jews were also viewed as devils by Elizabeathan audiences. Old stories portrayed them as "blood-thirsty murders" that poisoned wells and killed Christian children for their bizarre Passover ritual! als. (Stirling 2:1) These were the stereotypes which Shakespeare's audience held in regard to Jews. Shakespeare himself had never seen a Jew but he goes to great lengths to humanize Shylock even while perpetuating the stereotype.
In Act 1:3, before Shyl...
... middle of paper ...
...d, 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? (III,i,54-59)
At this point in the play it seems that Shylock is no different from any other man except for the fact that his religion has made him in outcast from society. Our understanding of this fact does not lessen the horror we feel at his cruelty towards Antonio, but we are able to remember that the passion for revenge is a common human failing and not the unique characteristics of a ferocious and inhuman monster as the Elizabeathans believed. (Lippman 3)
Works Cited:
Lippman, Laura. Merchant of Venice Princeton, NJ: Peterson's Guides, 1999.
Stirling, Grant. "Shakespeare and Anti-Semitism: The Question of Shylock." February 1997. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7221.
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.
Some of the audiences in the 16th century, believed that Jews were at a lower stage than them, and they only believed this because the Jews were a different (“different” referred to as “wrong “for Christians who lived in the 16th century), religion they believed they were not people, like them. The play Merchant of Venice shows the evil side of the Jews. The character’s name is “Shylock”. He is the character of evil doing; he is also the character that Shakespeare chose to represent a Jewish character. As a Jew, he represents the race as being wicked, evil etc.
... systems in exactly these ways. The proven success of the state reforms – Texas has saved $2 billion and reduced parole failures by 39 percent by substituting treatment and probation for long prison sentences for nonviolent offenders – contrasts with the uncertainty of legalizing marijuana.
Shakespeare creates a caricature of a Jew, just as he might have seen done by Christopher Marlowe in "The Jew of Malta". Shakespeare's "Shylock" was easily recognisable as a Jew, wearing traditional clothing, immediately showing the audience that he is different. The money lending profession adds to the Jewish look, and the way he acts, without even a care for his own daughter, making references to his desire for Christian blood, allows Shakespeare's audience to create a strong hatred for the Jew. Although nobody had actually met a Jew, probably the entire audience had been brought up to despise such an awful religion, hearing terrible tales of sin and misery.
The second reason is the fact that the modern world is less prejudiced. When the play was written Shylock would have had two main disadvantages for the Shakespearian audience. Firstly he is a Jew, and in a predominantly Christian country would have been hated for his religion, and secondly a money-lender, the main profession open to the Jews. To a modern audience neither of those things would affect how they perceive the character. This means they are more likely to give Shylock a chance before they judge him and would be more willing to let their views about him change. In the Elizabethan period Jews were hated for two main reasons. The first was superstition, myths and legends told tales of brutal murders carried out for the Jewish faith. The second was dislike of anybody who was different, and religion gave the Christians a good reason to persecute the foreigners who lived among them. Although the modern world is not completely free of prejudice it is certainly less narrow-minded than before. Nowadays the racism and anti-Semitism shown in the play would not be considered acceptable.
receives. So it would not be fair to say that he was totally evil as
Everyone who reads The Merchant of Venice must bear in mind that it is, like any other literary work, a creation of a skillful writer, rising a case that can be a subject for many interpretations and not necessarily revealing a specific view of its writer, however it aims to convey a certain moral to the readers. Therefore, the character of shylock, being stereotyped or not, with its controversy is a tool manipulated to convey a moral message: when people live in a society that is open to cultural diversity and that values the contributions of all society members – regardless of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, race, life styles, and beliefs – they will be one step closer to living in a civil society. Works Cited 1) Encyclopaedia Britannica, the definition of "Anti-Semitism". 2) E. E. Stoll, Shylock (an essay in Shakespeare Studies, 1927). 3) John Palmer, Comic Characters of Shakespeare, Shylock. 4) John Palmer, Comic Characters of Shakespeare, Shylock.
For example, he claims he wants to “feed his revenge” with Antonio's blood (III.i.45-46). This means that Shylock was being a little harsh on Antonio for the bet, but that doesn't mean Antonio should just get away with losing. For winning the bond Shylock got his “life...house...and” what “sustains” his house taken away from him (IV.i.390-392). Therefore the others punishing Shylock wasn't even in the bond but Antonio only showed barely any mercy when this is his fault. The others make fun of Shylock when his daughter “rebels” and “robs him” of all his money and she runs away (III.i.34). THis shows that Shylock has a good reason to be angry at Antonio and the others because they think it's funny his daughter left him. Shylock does not deserve to be treated any lesser ny the rest of the characters due to the issues he faces. Overall, Antonio should have been punished for breaking the bond , but instead Antonio was left untouched and Shylock lost everything. Shylock is a victim because he is treated with disrespect and hated because he is jew and won the
Every organ in the human body is composed of one or more tissues. The study of these tissues is known as histology. It is because of histology that the structure of organs can be researched and understood. Since organs are composed of tissues, it is important to understand each tissue type, their structure, their location, and their functions to better understand how each organ operates within the human body.
During the sixteenth-century there was a very prominent existence of anti-semitism. The English audience had a very clear prejudice towards the Jewish people because of the deep-rooted concept of anti-semitism. This mindset carried from everyday life to plays and productions of the time. This ill will towards the Jewish people spawned from political and religious disputes that were unresolved. The portrayal of Shylock as a villainous Jew is a logical move for the sixteenth-century playwrights because of this common belief. When walking into a production of The Merchant of Venice during this ear, one must keep in mind the predisposition towards the Jewish people as well as the cultural beliefs at that time.
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 makes Shylock an interesting, complex and sometimes likable character.
The Silk Road started in second century BCE. However, this vast network of ancient pathways was not called The Silk Road. It really did not have a name. It didn’t start being called “The Silk Road” until around the 19th century when, in his book China, the German historian Ferdinand von Richthofen na...
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).
Shylock is a wealthy Jew who invests money into shipments and trades. When Shylock’s enemy, Antonio, requests a loan of 3000 ducats, “Shylock adopts this Christian model of "kind" lending in his bond with Antonio as a means for lawful revenge.” Shylock’s agreement is that if the ducats are not returned, Antonio must repay his loan in human flesh. This is a way for Shylock to either make money or kill a Christian, either will satisfy him. Lee describes Shylock’s feelings towards Christians, “Indeed, although Shylock will neither "eat," "drink," nor "pray" with the Christians, he is willing to "buy" and "sell" with them.” This is where Shakespeare first introduces the devil inside Shylock. Had Antonio been a Jew, there would not have been a payment of flesh. Shylock’s hatred propels the story from start to finish. His hatred causes him to lose his daughter, drives Portia to use her money and wit to save Antonio, and why he ends up losing
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 stereotypical Jew, greedy, and obsessed with money. Shylock has been written to be very inflated and exaggerated. Even when Shylock makes his first appearance in the play, his first words are “Three thousand ducats,” Act 1, Scene 3.