Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare wrote The merchant of Venice in the Elizabethan period. It was written as a play and this is reflected in the exaggeration of some of the scenes. At the time the play was written anti-Semitism was common, this again is reflected by the attitudes of the characters. In theory at the time this play was written only Jews who had converted to Christianity were allowed in England at the time. This may be one of the reasons it is set in Venice. Lancelot Gobbo describes Shylock as the very 'devil incarnation'. Weather this is true or not it establishes the Christian's diabolical view of Shylock as evil, this view is repeated throughout the play by almost all the main characters. This is reflected in the relationship between Antonio and Shylock. Antonio is a merchant who works hard for his money sending vessels all over the world. Shylock lends money to people and lives off the interest he charges. These contrasting jobs cause resentment between the two. The fact that Shylock is a Jew and Antonio is a Christian transforms this resentment into hatred; 'I hate him for he is a Christian. But more so because in low simplicity he lends out money gratis.' Act 1 scene 3 lines 34-36 The fact that Antonio's friend Bassanio wishes to borrow money from Shylock fires up the anger between them. We learn that Antonio has spat on Shylock and called him a 'dog.' Because Antonio has refused friendship with Shylock Shylock fells obliged to 'Feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.' Act 1 scene 3 lines 38 This imagery shows us that anti-Semitism is steeped in h... ... middle of paper ... ...is a highly debatable subject. Yet I have come to the conclusion that he was more sinned against than sinning. He has taken abuse from almost all the characters in the play; he has been discriminated against for no reason except being a Jew. As soon as he seeks revenge (legally) he is described as evil. His situation in this play is best described in his speech in act three scene one, 'If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge? Shylock is making a plea to their shared humanity. He is trying to make them see that they are all equal and should be treated so, the very basis of the Christian religion. This is all he wants, he tries to make them see through words but they do not listen, he is forced into an alternative.
beg not your death of us! Though now we must appear bloody and cruel, as
For the meek, vengeance pleasures the soul; however, it is only temporal. Like an addictive drug, revenge soothes anger and tension by sedating the mind with ephemeral comfort. Despite the initial relief, pain ensues and conditions seem worse than before. Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the non-violence movement in India, stated once that “an eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” There is no such thing as a sweet revenge.
“And even when we were no longer hungry, there was still no one who thought of revenge.” p. 109
The good book says that he that lives by the sword shall perish by the sword, said the black.
Haply some poison yet doth hang on them. To make me die with a restorative."
Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice An ogre is according to the Collins Dictionary “a monstrous or cruel being” but more significantly as “something or someone who eats human flesh.” Is this how Shylock is portrayed in the play or is he a simple human being, a species capable of showing emotions and feelings such as vulnerability and love. Certainly, Shylock is presented to the audience in so powerful a way that even though he only appears in five scenes, many consider him the central character. Throughout the play Shylock appears to be the butt of all the jokes and many critics see his status in the play as the tragic hero.
‘villain’; he is a complex mix of both. In the first part of the play,
Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice Shylock's character in Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice' has long been a controversial subject- more so now than it was when the play was written in the late 16th Century. First performed in 1605, it seemingly conforms to the anti-semitic stereotypes towards Jews and their conduct but, unlike Shakespeare's rival's work ('The Jew of Malta) by Christopher Marlowe, the main Jewish character is attributed not only the negative traits associated with Jews at the time, but also a side that sees to show humanity. Therefore, in this essay, it is my aim to explore whether calling Shylock the villain in the play is justified or not based on his actions and those of the characters surrounding him (to see if there is evidence of provocation), and placing this into the context of Elizabethan England and thus coming to conclusions abut whether views towards the extent of his villainy have remained the same. The one single action in the play which seems most convictive of Shylock is his argument with argument over the lending of 3,000 ducats-and the penalty fixed in case of its late return in Act 3 scene 1.
Revenge will most often never be the same as justice, as human nature and emotion get in the way of absolute justice. Works Cited Alexandre Dumas, the Bible, Hammurabi's Code, Francis Bacon, Twelve Tables.
“This even-handed justice / Commends the ingredience of our poisoned chalice / To our own lips.” (1.7.11-13) (pg 41)
William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice "The Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare features, Shylock a very controversial character due to his religion, profession and personal traits. Professionally Shylock lends money to people in debt, in order to gain interest and profit. Although, this is very much central to our modern way of life, in the Elizabethan period, money lending was not accepted as an acceptable profession. Throughout "The Merchant of Venice" Shylock is portrayed as menacing, inhumane and slightly eccentric, yet at times misunderstood and induces sympathy from the reader.
"If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If
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
William Shakespeare shows how two tradesmen can have 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, Antonio’s source of money, his ship, is reported sunken in the English Channel, dooming him to the loss of one pound of his flesh. There is a trial on the bond, and when it seems sure that Antonio will die, Portia, disguised as a doctor of laws legally gets Antonio out of the situation and Shylock recieves harsh penalties. Antonio and Shylock, two similar businessmen of Venice, are viewed differently and are treated oppositely to heighten the drama of the play and mold a more interesting plot.