In many plays there are two types of characters, good and evil. Then there are those few who could be on either side of the fence. The character could have both good and evil aspects, creating a complex personality. In The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, there is an example of one of those characters. Shylock could be one of the most controversial characters ever created. Some people believe he is a victim, while others say he is a villain.
In order to trace this idea we should know why people in the Elizabethan era hates Jews. Rodrigo Lopez was a Jew of Portuguese decent, who fled to England in 1559 where he worked as a physician. His practice grew, and in time he was appointed physician to the Queen of England. But the Earl of Essex found what he believed to be evidence that Lopez had accepted a bribe from the King of Spain to poison Queen Elizabeth. It is true that Lopez had underhand dealings with Spanish spies, but it is to this day unproven if Lopez ever intended any harm towards the Queen. However, he was found guilty and in 1996 he was hung, drawn and quartered for a crime he probably was never going to commit. The Merchant of Venice was written two years later in 1596, and the treatment of Shylock is similar to that of Lopez. Shylock is shunned by the Christians and treated as an outcast. Possibly, Shakespeare wrote this play as the Lopez case was fresh in people?s minds, and he knew that a play about a detested Jew would be of great interest. (Shylock in William Shakespeare The Merchant of Venice:2 )
Shylock as a villain:
If we want to talk about Shylock in the role of being a villain. A lot of people would agree. During the play, from the beginning we might excuse other Christians especially Antonio...
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...eare derives sympathy towards Shylock. I think this what he meant to express. That there were no respect among religions in the Elizabethan age. And he tried to resolve it. Unfortunately some critics didn?t get the massage. And they call him anti-Semitic, because he portrayed Shylock as a villain, and repeats the word Jew so many times in the play. But maybe he wants to show us how things work in his time. That people used to take the appearance for everything. Therefore we shouldn?t judge everything from outside. We should look deeply into the heart.
Bibliography:
Shakespeare, William (1596) The Merchant of Venice. Available: >http://www.shakespeare.mit.edu/merchant/full.html< [Accessed 28th April 2008].
Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (nd) available: >http//:www.123helpme.com/veiw.asp?1d= 149242< [Accessed 24th April 2008].
The Christians also labeled Shylock as explicitly equated with the Devil, which in a primarily Christian society left Shylock as the other. For example, in (II, ii, 24-28), Launcelot Gobbo identifies Shylock as "a kind of devil", "the devil himself", and "the very devil incarnation." Shylocks own daughter compared Shylock's house to "hell" (II, iii, 2). Salanio identifies Shylock as "the devil...in the likeness of a Jew" (III, i, 19-21) and Bassanio echoes this sentiment by identifying Shylock as a "cruel devil" (IV, i, 217). Antonio further cements the association between Shylock and the devil by noting how Shylock's arguments remind him how "The devil can cite scripture for his purpose" (I, iii, 97-100).
In the play Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare challenges the way Elizabethan society worked. He repeatedly brought up issues throughout the play that displeased him about the way people behaved and acted at the time. Religious issues, such as the treatment of Shylock by the Christians, and his eventual persecution in the court scene of Act IV Scene I, is a major factor to the play. Also, the treatment of women back in Elizabethan times came to question in the play, with the first heroine in a play written by Shakespeare in the play and the Act IV Scene I scenario of Portia dressing as a man to act as a lawyer. Mercy, love and faith also feature in the play.
Since middle school, I have believed that all of Shakespeare’s works, similar to A Mid Summer Night’s Dream, were plays that one would read to hear a happy, entertaining story; but, it was not until this year, after reading The Merchant of Venice, that I recognized the darker, more sinister, side of Shakespeare’s plays. The Merchant of Venice supports the Jewish, anti-Semitic stereotype as the wicked character of Shylock is developed. Many individuals fear that it is improper to teach and discuss The Merchant of Venice in high school classrooms because of the negative way it presents Jews; however, I believe that it is important to read this controversial play in high schools because it enables students to learn anti-Semitic history and because reading Shakespeare’s works, due to their complexity, expands the literary mind of those who read it.
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.
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.
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.
Discrimination is a resounding theme in The Merchant of Venice (Meyers). All of the characters are affected by inequality. This inequity is clearly evidenced 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 impeccably of that distinction.
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.
Shakespeare's use of timeless themes make his works relevant to the modern reader. His two plays "The Merchant of Venice" and "Othello" deal with the seeking of revenge and forbidden love. In "The Merchant of Venice," Shylock, the main character, is a Jew who loans money and charges interest. Shylock has an enemy named Antonio who also loans money to people, but without interest. Iago is a character in "Othello" who has been passed over for a position as Othello's right hand man. He feels that he deserves the position not the person who received it, Cassio. Both of these characters want revenge from the people whom they perceive as having done them wrong and will stop at nothing to have their way. In other words, Shylock and Iago are similar in that they want revenge. However, there are also many differences in each character that demonstrate that they are in many ways polar opposites.
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.
The discrimination against jews, in England, started at a very early year, in 1290. During that time, jews were being expelled from England for following their beliefs. Until today, Christians have mixed feelings about jews, who they believe, killed Jesus Christ. During the time period when The Merchant Of Venice was written, the feeling many Christians had towards Jews was worse than nowadays. In Shakespeare’s novel, Shylock is a jew who is constantly humiliated by Antonio, who is a Christian. Throughout the majority of the novel, Jews are physically and verbally abused for following their beliefs. Antonio spits and verbally disrespects Shylock for being a Jew. Shylock reveal Antonio’s behaviour towards him by stating:
The real villain in The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, is not a person, however an entire religion. In the city of Venice, Christianity was the dominant, main religion. Despite being a Christian, the people were corrupt, greedy, and selfish, where the needs of themselves were much more important than the needs of another human being, such as the Jews. Prejudice against Jews existed greatly in the society of Venice, however it existed way before the time period also. The Merchant of Venice was written within a time period (Around 1597) and culture in which prejudice against the Jews were common and pervasive. In The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, the real villain portrayed is the entire religion of Christianity where Christians present an evil background as prejudice against the Jews go back to the earliest days of Christianity, also where prejudice against the Jews existed in The Merchant of Venice, and where the Christians lived a corrupt life and society which went against their Christian values.
This is where Shakespeare evokes our sympathy, by making us realise how Shylock has suffered because of the prejudices of the Christians around him. He explains his motives for revenge in a rational way, showing how his actions are no different from the Christians'. Look carefully at the language he uses, as well as the insulting and mocking language used by the other two. At the end of the scene, Shylock mourns the loss of his daughter, although our feelings towards him are a bit mixed, for he seems to care more about the money. He does give evidence, however, of his love for his wife, which again, creates sympathy.
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
The first theme is that religious intolerance and prejudice play destructive roles in the book. Even to this day, there is racism and prejudice in schools about race and religion. Antonio, as a true Christian, has often condemned moneylenders. He knows that since the early twelfth century, Christians are forbidden by the Church to lend money for profit. Shylock, as a Jew, does not consider his money-lending and overwhelming interest to be a sin in any manner. In fact, he considers his earnings through money lending as the gift of God. He appeals to and quotes the Scriptures in defense of his profession. Shylock and the other Jewish moneylenders are essential to the prosperity of the merchant community, but they are also outcasts as human beings and as Jews. Shylock often shows his dislike to the Christians; “I hate him for he is a Christian”, (Act I, Sc. III, L. 38). The Christians ridicule and hate the Jewish moneylende...