Merchant Of Venice Shylock Greed Quotes

Shylock responds with a weak argument concerning his hatred towards Antonio with, “affection, Mistress of passion,” who affects men’s moods in ways they cannot explain (4.1.49–50). Saying, just as certain people cannot explain their distain towards cats, certain music, or eating meat, Shylock cannot explain his loathing for Antonio; there is no reason. This makes 4.1.43-61 especially powerful with the range of emotion Shylock expresses during his opaic argument. During 4.1.43-61, the use of repetition by describing the same image, “gaping pig” (4.1.53) and the “woolen bagpipe” (4.1.55) solidify Shylocks character in being narrow minded and determined. The question of, “Are you answered?” (4.1.61) is used to satisfy Shylock in his own explanation of his hatred towards

Shylock requests a pound of flesh from Antonio on his search for justice. He claimed, "My deeds upon my head. I crave the law, The penalty, and forfeit of my bond" (4.1.195-196). Essentially, he tries to make everyone believe that as a follower of the law he would 've allow Antonio to cut a pound of flesh from his very own body if it was the other way around. Portia challenges Shylock 's hidden intentions. She says, "Shylock, there 's thrice thy money offered thee" (4.1.218). Getting his bond repaid was really not his moto. She is giving him the opportunity to understand that mercy is more important than justice, that he should show an act of mercy for Antonio. Still, Shylock persists and really just shows his real vision when he says, "By my soul I swear / There is no power in the tongue of man / To alter me. I stay here on my bond." His moto is really to hurt Antonio and finally gain revenge. Shylock shows himself as an individual without mercy. Where all that really matters was the insatiable thirst for revenge that controlled his actions.

Shylock, a jewish merchant preyed upon for nothing more than his religion, Antonio, a devoted christian, is Shylock’s biggest tormentor. This is show-cased “You, who spat on my beard and kicked as you would a stray dog out of your house” 1.3 115-116, this quotation represents Shylock’s side of the story, how he sees the way Antonio treats him, throwing it in his face. Shylock’s growing frustration towards his tormentors taunts causes a rather deeply meaningful spew of speech to flow from his mouth "I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? 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? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villany you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction. " 3.1 1300 Shylock is trying to convince them to stop fighting him for they all are human, all one species, all made the same. "If a christian wrong a jew, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Jew wrong a Christian , what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villany you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction. " 3.1 1330 Shylock is saying what happens if a christian commits a crime to a jew or vice versa,

Dissimilarly, Shylock’s emotion had been caused by the mistreatment he suffered as a result of him being a Jew in a Christian community. Anti-Semitism was omnipresent in Venice, signifying that Shylock was discriminated against pervasively. This led him to channel all his anger towards the Christians because of the inevitable exploitation he

the merchant, Antonio, loans money from Shylock at the price of not returning the money, a

Wealth, therefore, has a flimsy grasp on romance that can easily be overcome with genuine affection. The same is true for Jessica, who steals her father’s gold before she elopes with Lorenzo. After discovering this, Shylock cries out, "My daughter, O my ducats, O my daughter!" (II.viii.15). By associating the antagonist with twisted ideals, Shakespeare creates a stark contrast between the corruption of wealth and the genuineness of love. This contrast reiterates the superficiality of wealth and suggests that its overemphasis can lead to corruption and decay in a relationship.

The Enmity between Christians and Jews is first revealed in this passage by Shylock’s tetchy, sarcastic reply to Bassanio. Bassanio politely invites Shlock to dinner and Shylock replies sarcastically saying, “Yes, to smell pork…” He further separates himself from Bassanio by referring to, “…your prophet, the Nazarite.” Also, in an irritated way, he lists the things he is prepared to do with Christians, and the things he in not prepared to do. In this passage, “I will buy with you…nor sell with you”, Shylock repeats the word ‘YOU’ Eight times, making it sound like an accusation, not only against Bassanio, but all Christians, for wronging

“There is no doubt that Shylock is a cunning and vengeful man, but nothing can justify the treatment he receives at the hands of the Christians.”

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

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.

Antonio was a typical narrow minded christian when it came to religion; however, he was so true and passionate about his friends he was willing to risk his life to help his friend in need. Antonio, a christian, strongly abhors and is very abrasive towards Shylock, a jew: “You call me misbeliever, cutthroat dog, And set upon my Jewish gaberdine,... You, that did void your rheum upon my beard, And foot me as you spurn a stranger cur” (1.3.121-128). Within this quote Shylock is talking to Antonio and telling him after he has called him a dirty dog, spit on his beard and Jewish clothes, and kicked him he wants to ask to loan money from him. This shows that Antonio is very narrow minded because the main reason he mistreats Shylock is because he is a Jew. In addition, this shows that he is very abrasive when it comes to Shylock because he has done so many terrible things to him over a period of time and hasn’t felt sorry or bad once for what he has done and how he as treated him. In addition, although, Antonio is very narrow minded when it comes to religion he is willing to risk his life to help a friend in need. Bassanio, one of Antonio’s friends had asked Shylock to put a loan under his name to wow his dream girl, and Antonio ends up sealing a bond risking his life for Bassanio: “Expressed in the condition, let the forfeit Be nominated for an equal pound Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken In what part of your body pleaseth me….” (1.3.160-163). Within this quote Shylock

Shylock finds joy when roles are reversed, causing people to beg for his mercy. Throughout the play, Christian characters were racist to him, they were constantly disrespecting him due to his Jewish background. However, in Act III Scene III, roles are reversed when their racist antics turn into mercy. The characters want to save Antonio from being harmed, and so they beg Shylock to change his mind:

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

In the play the ‘Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare the antagonist Shylock is both the victim and the villain. Shylock is a Jewish moneylender and is initially portrayed as anger filled and bloodthirsty but as the play continues we begin to see him as more human and his emotions become more evident. As the antagonist, Shylock is a fearful adversary to Antonio, the protagonist. But as good begins to win over evil, Shylock is crushed and we see evidence of his mortality in his grief. Shylock changes significantly though out the course of the play and he is formed into a too complex character to be labeled just victim or villain.

Shylock’s revenge against years of ridicule is what brought about his downfall. In the end, his refusal to accept anything but the bond that was agreed upon caused him to lose his home, his daughter, his fortune and his religion. This is a tragedy indeed.