Sympathizing with Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice

In ‘The Merchant of Venice’ Shylock is very strong minded and is singled out of the play because he is a mean Jew that charges interest. Shylock is very stubborn and determined to keep to his bond; a pound of flesh of Antonio.

Shakespeare engages a modern audience through the character Shylock. Shylock in The Merchant of Venice is the antagonist of the play and is subject to sequences of misfortune, much to the delight of the Elizabethan audience. However, in a modern context we show slight feelings of sympathy towards him as a result of today’s ideologies. Upon meeting Shylock we see that his religious standing puts him in an isolated position against the Venetian society. A line is recited

Shylock is a character famously known as being the antagonist of Shakespeare’s play merchant of Venice. In this play, Shakespeare portrayal of Shylock the moneylender is one of anti-Semitic stereotype. Shylock is depicted as a typical bloodthirsty Jew who lives a life void of any depth or meaning. His sole purpose for living seems to be to amass wealth and vengeance as seen from his adamant claim for his “pound of flesh”. Despite Shakespeare’s attempts to humanize Shylock at points in the story, it appears that his primary focus is to steer the audience against Shylock, painting him as being a cruel, bitter and inaffable figure. It is clear that in both Shakespeare’s merchant of Venice and Grace Tiffany’s Turquoise Ring, Shylock exposes

The stage lights illuminate Shylock’s home, initiating Act 2 scene 5. Shylock is seated on a couch tying a black tie around his neck. Lancelot is standing nearby.

“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.”

In a book or play, it is usually very easy to distinguish who the victim is and who the villain is. The villain usually causes all the problems in the story line and the victim is the one who suffers in result of the villain’s actions. In the play The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, we examine the life of Shylock as a victim. It is seen through three main events in the play. Shylock is ridiculed by his community and his family, he is betrayed by his daughter and the community he lives in, and he is forced to lose all his wealth.

Antonio’s flesh; “ Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken in what

Stereotypes for every different religion, ethnicity, culture, and gender exist among the minds of the human race. These typecasts have ruled this world for as long as there has been diversity among people. In Shakespeare’s comedic tragedy, The Merchant of Venice, one prejudice is very central to the theme. The play is dominantly set in Venice, one of the most liberal cities of the Renaissance era. In this place and time period, anti-Semitism is very much in force. The Jewish people are discriminated against and treated terribly by the Christians living in Venice. Shylock, a wealthy Jew, is mercilessly spurned many times by men like Antonio, a Venetian merchant. In contrast to this blind hatred is the longing and lust associated with

They can empathize with some of the emotions Hamlet was feeling, the grief and the sorrow, the abandonment and resentment. Not many carry their fantasy as far as Hamlet did. Shakespeare wrote of a man who had to face the great loss. Not the loss of his beloved father or of his lover Ophelia, but he lost himself in a world of make-believe where he could regain the control that he lost in his life.

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.

William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is a perplexing story of dark humor, race, religion, identity, love, and justice. Generally, most people understand The Merchant of Venice as a comedy about a bitter and outcasted Jewish moneylender named Shylock who seeks revenge against a Christian merchant who has failed to pay his loan back. However, there are many different perspectives on whether The Merchant of Venice is a comedy or a tragedy depending on one’s views on the difference between race and religion. If one views the story as a comedy, it is a dark comedy full of many problems, especially the controversial subject matter of anti-Semitic attitudes of its Christian characters. If one views it as a tragedy, it is a tragedy that concludes with majority of its characters in a “happy ending”—that is if one agrees that Jessica’s decision of love over betraying her father and giving up her Jewish identity is indeed a happy ending.

Shakespeare criticizes society’s output on Judaism through his play with the characters Shylock and Jessica. Shylock and Jessica are seen as outsiders in Venice and are discriminated by the Christian characters in the play for being Jewish. For instance, Gratiano describes Jessica, a former Jew, as an "infidel "(III.ii.223) despite converting and marrying a Christian. By calling Jessica an “infidel”, Gratiano is implying that she isn’t a true Christian and is still a Jew. Later in the play, Jessica is also told there’s "no mercy in heaven.."(III.v.31) because she was Jewish. This statement evokes the idea all Jews are sinful and can’t enter heaven. The two examples above show how Jews are seen as inferior to Christians in the play. Because of this bigotry, Shylock is vengeful toward Antonio with his bond. When he finds out about Antonio’s lost ships, he exclaims: I'll plague him, I'll torture him. I am glad of it." (III.i.115-116). This line demonstrates the stereotypical image of Jews that Christians see. What Shylock says relates to the 16th century where Christians often believed that Jews used their blood in religious ceremonies. By saying he’ll “torture” and “plague” Antonio, Shylock is conforming with the negative image society has of him. However, Shakespeare also paints Shylock as a human character treated unfairly by the Christians in Venice. After finding out that his daughter Jessica eloped to a Christian man, Shylock delivers a powerful speech about Jews being equals: “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 [...]as a Christian is?” (III.i.48-54). This speech presents to the audience that Shylock is human

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:

Another factor in Shylocks character that leads to him being perceived as the villain is that he is parsimonious. He will not give or

The Merchant Of Venice is structured partly on the contrast between idealistic and realistic opinions about society and relationships. The play tells us mercy is preferable to revenge. Shylock chose revenge over mercy against Antonio and how his choices affected him. The Court of Venice begging mercy of Shylock. Finally, Portia forgiving Bassanio for giving away his wedding band.