Evaluation of Shylock as a Tragic Hero

Antonio’s money is all tied up with a number of trade ships and tells Bassanio that he will be the loans guarantor. Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, offers to lend Bassanio three thousand ducats with no interest. Shylock creates a contract stating that should the loan go unpaid, Shylock will be entitled to a pound of Antonio’s own flesh. Antonios ships are lost and the debt cannot be paid. A trial is called to collect the debt and Shylock ignores all pleas to Antonio’s life. Shylock responds by reasoning that he has no reason. He blames his hatred of Antonio on “affection, Mistress of passion,” who is known to affect men and their moods in unexplainable ways (4.1.49–50). When the Duke of Venice is called in as the judge, he seeks a legal advisor. Portia being disguised as a young law clerk, examines the contract and, declares that Shylock is entitled to the merchant’s flesh, but that he must do so without causing Antonio to bleed. Making Shylocks distain towards Antonio even more apparent. This turn in the trial causes Shylock to accept Bassanio’s money and turns into a trial against Shylock for conspiring against the life of a Venetian citizen, stripping Shylock of everything he holds

Through the foreshadowing of capitalism, William Shakespeare not only saw but also denounced in his comedy the usury, the rigidity, and the threat of disobedience to the laws. This was something that clearly scared any type of investor. The aggressive attitude of the one who fears by his business. The hypocritical attitude of going ahead without measuring the consequences. The passivity of the State, or at least its ineffectiveness. All this in the dawn of Capitalism where we "do to others what you want them to do to you" appears to be irrelevant. Which really questions what is fair or unfair. Shakespeare projects to the reader in his

In the play Shylock is a Jewish usurer who lends money to Bassanio he can go to Belmont and win over Portia. Antonio agrees to pay back the three thousand ducats for Bassanio when his Merchant ships arrive back in Venice. Shylock agrees to this with the

While The Merchant of Venice points out overlooked moments of dehumanization and problems of religious discrimination, the play also provides a process of re-humanization for Shylock to the audience. After Jessica has run away from Shylock with her Christian suitor Lorenzo, Salarino and Solanio, two of Antonio’s friends, begin to mock and insult Shylock as usual. Unlike Shylock’s previous sarcastic reactions to the

Shylock also recognizes Antonio's antisemitism, citing that Antonio was always trying to intimidate Shylock to convert to Christianity. This is coupled with an evident dominance practiced by Antonio over Shylock, expressed when he says “I am as like to call thee so again, To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too;” (I. 3. 130-131). The final and perhaps most painful slight to Shylock appears when his daughter Jessica elopes with a Christian. Shylock feels as though he has once again been harmed by the Christians who segregate him.

Some brought up arms with the same contenders who overturned their lives or slaughtered their relatives” (In a war 1).This paradigm is an episode where youngsters are included in a war and had no childhood. One motivation behind why this unites with harassing is for the reason that tormenting prompts genocide. These kids at youthful ages experienced as much mishandle to the point where youngsters began obtaining weapons to protect themselves. Moreover, an incident in The Merchant of Venice further illustrates that harassment leads to genocide. For example, Shylock once spoke, “I hate him for he is a Christian. He hates our sacred nation, and he rails” (I.III.36-42). In other words, Shylock detests Antonio for the reason that Antonio takes part in Christianity and dislikes individuals of the Jewish faith. One motivation behind why harassment pushes one to commit genocide is for the reason the people have their limits. Shylock in The Merchant of Venice has been harassed by Antonio and other Christians as much to the point where Shylock has the desire for

Shylock is punished by the Venetian court for seeking to end Antonio’s life. He is charged under a Venetian law (of Shakespeare’s creation) and he is forced to give up his wealth and to beg the Duke to spare him his life. Viewed like this it seems simple enough; Shylock broke a Venetian law and, as a consequence, is punished. However, Shylock’s case is far from simple. Antonio’s demand that Shylock should renounce his Judaism and become a Christian and his insistence that Shylock should will his money to the Christian

The first event that demonstrates that Shylock is a victim would be that he is ridiculed by his community and his family. Antonio and Shylock were never friends. They always fought because Antonio was a Christian and Shylock was a Jew. They also have different money lending practices which cause a lot of discrepancies. Antonio always mocked Shylock. He calls him a misbeliever and a cutthroat dog. Shylock tells us that Antonio “…call me misbeliever, cutthroat dog,/ and spet upon my Jewish gabardine,” (1.3.108-109). Here Shylock demonstrates that Antonio on a day to day basis mocked Shylock. Later on, Antonio mentions that he will call Shylock that again if he wants to. Another example would be Antonio’s friends. They teas Shylock for his faith and his misfortunes. When Jessica runs away with Shylock’s money and jewelry, he asked the Duke to go help him search Bassanio’s ship for them. Solanio heard

To understand the motivation behind Shylock’s obsession with money, the beginning of the play has to be referenced. In Shylock’s negotiations with Bassanio and Antonio, Shylock recalls, “Signior Antonio, many a time and oft in the Rialto you have rated me about my moneys and my usances… You call me misbeliever, cutthroat dog and spet upon my Jewish gabardine… You called me dog; and for these courtesies I’ll lend you thus much moneys?” (1.3.104-126). From this passage, Shylock’s motivations are presented clearly. He loathes Antonio for how poorly he has treated him in the past, insulting both his character and his religion. Therefore, the motivating factor in lending money to Bassanio is so Shylock has the ability to hold some form of power over Antonio. Therein lies the key to Shylock’s obsession with wealth. In the referenced Venetian culture, Jewish people were persecuted for their religion and were branded unsavory by the predominantly Christian community. Shylock, being ridiculed and domineered his whole life by his Christian counterparts, saw an opportunity to finally even the odds and jumped at it. Shylock clings onto his wealth because it is the only thing that gives him power in Venetian

Shylock could be considered the victim of Antonio's bullying. Because Shylock is a Jew, he is treated in a way in which he seems like a peasant and Antonio is royalty, even

Throughout the play Shylock is presented in different ways: a victim who lives in a prejudice and intolerant society, a villain who deserves scorn and rejection and a tragic figure who has admiral traits worthy of respect but destroys himself by giving in to his flaws and weaknesses. This

He declares, "I'm very glad of it. I'll plague him, I'll torture him, I am glad of it." (3, 1, 115-116) At the end of Act 3, scene 1, Shylock's true motive is revealed. Shylock says, "I will have the heart of him if he forfeit, for were he out of Venice I can make what merchandise I will." (3, 1, 125-127) All these comments clearly attempt to paint Shylock as a money-worshipping murderer and not as a person.

the ancient grudge I bear him”. Here he is saying that he has an old

His hatred for Antonio is also obvious and it is so strong that he refuses all offers of money so that he can cut off a pound of his flesh. In Act 3 Scene 1 Shylock makes his famous “Hath not a Jew eyes?” speech, and it is probably at this point that the audience

Shylock is also the victim when Jessica leaves. He loses his only child, that underneath his cold exterior it becomes apparent he loves her and struggles with the depth of his grief. He loses hold on his business and walks through the streets morning the loss of his child to the men he detests. He cries in anguish ‘The curse never fell upon our nation till now; I never felt it till now…. My own flesh and blood to rebel! I say, my daughter is my flesh and blood.’ This scene evokes compassion towards Shylock but he is tormented more by Salario and Salanio. This shows him as a repentant father, a man a victim to his child’s will and prejudice surrounding his race.