Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice There have been many variations over the hundreds of years in how the character Shylock has been played in productions of “The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare. Shylock is often noted as the most important character in the play, so the way he is performed can change how people interpret the play itself. Shylock can be interpreted as the villain or the victim of the play. Sometimes in productions the audiences’ sympathies can swing first one-way then another, the actor will portray Shylock as a consistent character however; certain scenes create sympathy for him. Racism is a key issue in the play. Both the Christians and the Jew (Shylock) indulge in racist acts towards each other. Shylock admits at his first appearance that he hates Antonio because of his beliefs, “I hate him for he is a Christian” this is not a valid reason to hate someone and would illustrate Shylock as a villain. In some people’s view Shakespeare has created philosophical characters, Shylock - evil, Bassanio - loving and Antonio- self-sacrificing. Antonio was in some ways willing to sacrifice his life so that his best friend could have a happy one. This is an allegory with Christianity, Jesus laying down his life, reinforcing the Christian message. However there are many incidences where Shylock is the victim of racial banter e.g. puns of gentile. “If you prick us do we not bleed… if you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” Here Shylock is saying that Christians and Jews are both human and deserve to be treated the same. In the scene of Antonio’s trial, the Duke, who should be impartial is very obviously biased towards Antonio and doesn’t feel the need to conceal this. We do not feel pity for Shylock here because he is causing so much pain due to his hatred of the Christians this makes us perceive Shylock as a villain. The way characters behave shows what they are really thinking.
Repeated inference is put forth toward religion to point out how the issue of race encircled religion and those who used faith to justify the obviously immoral actions taking place against racial minorities. The title of the book, Blood Done Sign My Name, make direct reference to a slave spiritual song that dates back to the 19th Century, where Jim Crow laws consistently held down blacks. The spiritual holds reference to the blood of Jesus Christ and is referenced repeatedly in the monograph, perhaps comparing Henry Marrow’s murder in cold blood to the death of Jesus
They strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel (Appendix p.73).” In Matthew 23:24, Jesus is rebuking the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and describes them as a gnat and a camel.... ... middle of paper ... ...).” George Womble, a former slave, expresses how his slaveholder, Mr. Ridley, “Sometimes he whipped us, especially us boys, just to give himself a little fun.
all stand up against the spirit of Caesar / And in the spirit of men there is no blood" (II.i.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galations 3:28
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.
A very strong feeling of dislike, intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury. Is how Websters discribes the word Hate. Thurman gives proof of that definition in this chapter about hate. He uses stories and personal examples that provide us a picture in words of what hate means and how Jesus was totally against the hatred. He writes that hatred is death to the spirit and disintegration of ethical and moral values. Above and beyond all else it must be borne in mind that hatred tends to dry up the springs of creative thought in the life of the hater, so that his resourcefulness becomes completely focused on the negative aspects of his environment. The urgent needs of the personality for creative expression
‘villain’; he is a complex mix of both. In the first part of the play,
"They are savages in the same way that we say fruits are wild, in which nature produces of
receives. So it would not be fair to say that he was totally evil as
things he has called him and for all the many times he has spat on him
‘In Belmont is a lady richly left, / And she is fair and, fairer than
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.
of why he hates Antonio is because he is a Christian. (I. iii. 43) This to the