Sympathizing With Shylock At The End Of Act 4 in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
Throughout The Merchant of Venice the extent to which the reader
sympathises with Shylock is constantly adjusted, formed by the most
recent facts and circumstances learned of. After only a few words the
impression given of Shylock is one of a sly, cunning, suspicious man;
he openly admits (to the reader/viewer) that he hates Antonio 'for he
is a Christian.' We then learn of possible justification for this view
and yet Shylock still agrees to lend him the all of the requested
money. After this, Shylock loses a servant (to a Christian) then loses
much of his money with his only daughter (again to a Christian), but
again there is evidence of possible justification. He learns of the
unlikelihood of his owed money being repaid by Antonio and people
continue to mock Shylock for his losses, so he seeks his revenge,
condemning Antonio to death. He claims religious justification and
that he is simply following the 'example' set to him by Christians.
Before anything else, Shylock is a Jew in a predominantly Christian
city. Members of the two faiths dislike each other (largely due to
historical disagreement), and at this time in history it is hardly
surprising that the Christians take advantage of their numerical
supremacy. In the street they openly mistreat Shylock by spitting and
swearing at him because there is nothing to stop them. It is quite
possible that he would have been spat upon and sworn at whatever his
status and personality, and would certainly have been disliked by the
vast majority of Christians. Today this is obviously considered very
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...ems like nothing will stop him from
killing Antonio. He claims that if it were a Christian seeking revenge
on a Jew he would do exactly the same, so he is only following a
Christian's example. This may be true, but there still seems no
justification in killing a man for not paying back a debt.
Shylock has gone too far in trying to avenge his servant, his
daughter, his money and his dignity, so by the end of Act 4 more
incomprehension than sympathy is felt towards Shylock. However,
Shakespeare has created a character for whom the reader/viewer's
feelings swing from one extreme to the other throughout the play, but
whose actions nearly always have some justification, however
questionable it may be. You cannot help but wonder if things might
have been different for Shylock and Antonio in a predominantly Jewish
city.
People who seek vengeance are often driven blindly by flaws within their character. The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare illustrates this underlying attribute. A casual reading of this play may suggest that Shylock’s act of vengeance was what had led to his downfall, yet a closer reading indicates that it was because of his underlying characterial flaw of hubris and the lack of mercy that had led to his ultimate end.
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.
so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead
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.
Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice "Shylock is a two dimensional villain who does not deserve our
Shylock is an unsettling character; his heartfelt speeches make it hard for me to label him as a natural villain, on the other hand Shylock’s cold attempt at revenge by murdering his persecutor, Antonio, prevents me from viewing him in a positive light. For moments, Shakespeare offers us glimpses of an unmistakably human Shylock but he often steers me against him as well, portraying him as a cruel, bitter figure.
In Act 1 Scene 3, we are first introduced to Shylock, we see him as
Shylock is one of the main characters in the play. He is a Jew who is
things he has called him and for all the many times he has spat on him
Throughout William Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice, there is a strong theme of prejudice. Portia has to deal with prejudice against her sex, the Prince of Morocco has to deal with prejudice against his race but the character that is most discriminated against is Shylock. He is hated for being a Jew and a money-lender, but Shakespeare has not made Shylock a character easy to sympathise with. He appears to be mean and cruel and it seems as though he loves money above all things. However during the play there are moments when Shakespeare gives Shylock speeches which show his humanity. In these moments, the audience is made to feel sorry for Shylock. Shakespeare has created a character that the audience’s feelings will change for by the minute.
receives. So it would not be fair to say that he was totally evil as
At the end of The Merchant of Venice, Shylock has been both a victim and a villain. He is a victim of his religion, and a victim of his greed and overwhelming need for revenge. Shylock is definitely the most villainous character in the play, and only a few elements can show him as a victim overall, even then, his victimisation only seems to be a consequence of his own actions. His daughter running away, because of her treatment, and apparent lack of love. The taking of his assets, because he would show no mercy towards Antonio. The final conclusion must be that Shylock is unreasonable, spiteful, heinous, greedy - and a villain.
At the end of The Merchant of Venice, Shylock has been both a victim and a villain. He is a victim of his religion, and a victim of his greed and overwhelming need for revenge. Shylock is definitely the most villainous character in the play, and only a few elements can show him as a victim overall, even then, his victimisation only seems to be a consequence of his own actions. His daughter running away, because of her treatment, and apparent lack of love. The taking of his assets, because he would show no mercy towards Antonio. The final conclusion must be that Shylock is unreasonable, spiteful, heinous, greedy - and a villain.