Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice

Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice

William Shakespeare wrote the merchant of Venice in the Elizabethan

period. The play is a tragic-comedy. It is set in a place called

Venice in the late 15th century. Venice is situated in the north east

of Italy and is known as the 'Queen of Adriatic' for its strong naval

power.

The play is about Shylock a Jewish moneylender, who is trying to make

a living in a community and a Country that despises him and alienates

him!

At the time when the Merchant of Venice was written England was a

Christian country, all children would be baptised soon after they were

born and were taught the basics at a very early age. Also at this time

Christians hated Jews because of the profession of lending money and

charging interests. Jews were isolated in England for being sinful to

a great extent because Christians by religion were unable to lend

money. Jews had become a money lending society because they were often

forbidden to own land or work in businesses. So the only real job left

to them were they could make a lot of money, was to lend money and

charge interests.

There was a great hatred between Christians and Jews in Venice; the

Christians made the Jews live around the outskirts of Venice while

they lived in the centre. The Christians pictured the Jews as inferior

because of their religion. Shakespeare made shylock as a very

interesting and an entertaining character, because he was able to

capture sympathy and understanding from the audience towards Shylock.

If Shakespeare had written Shylocks character showing that he was

backing up Jews he could have lost his head for that!

Shakespeare has made Shylock a very avaricious character this aspect

of him can be seen in the very first line he says 'Three Thousand

Ducats. Well'. This big part of Shylocks character can be seen

throughout the play. To its extreme when Jessica, his daughter runs

away taking his money and jewels with her, he says ' I would my