By the end of the court room trial he has lost all his money and has to endure the humiliation of being forced to leave his Jewish religion and become a Christian. dimensions, senses, affections, passions? He needs it to woo a wealthy woman and has no money himself but, if successful, and he marries Portia he will be able to pay it back very easily. Science, English, History, Civics, Art, Business, Law, Geography, all free! What should I say to you? Throughout the action of the play we see how nasty the Christians are – their shameless selfishness and brutal discrimination against Jews. Shylock was also backstabbed by his own daughter, who stole from him and ran away with a Christian. It is blatantly obvious that Shylock matches the definition of the victim, much greater than the definition of a villain, because of his daughter’s betrayal and robbery, him enduring abuse and mistreatment from Antonio and the other Christians, and the fact that his dignity, belongings, and his religion was taken away from him. Shakespeare’s 10 most influential characters, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Characters List, All’s Well That Ends Well Characters List, The Merry Wives of Windsor Characters List, The Most Powerful Shakespeare Female Characters, The Two Gentlemen of Verona Characters List, https://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/characters/shylock-merchant-of-venice/. In The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare is decidedly not anti-Semitic. He is furious and it all comes out at last. It was forbidden to employ Jews and they were not allowed to enter the professions or conduct legitimate business and so, in order to survive they had to live on their wits. Antonio was one those citizens in the community who tormented Shylock. (act 1, scene 3), I will buy with But more for that in low simplicity If I can catch him once upon the hip, last; I hate him for he is a Christian, But more for that in low simplicity He lends out money gratis, and brings down The rate of usance here with us in Venice. If I can catch him once upon the hip, I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him. Although this may seem murderous, Shylock was so filled with rage and fury he did not show any mercy when he most likely would have if Antonio had not provoked him. Antonio agrees to that. Back in the Elizabethan times, Shylock, a character, from the famous Shakespearean play, The Merchant of Venice, would have immediately been seen as a villain, for one reason, and one reason only, he is a Jew.
following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray When most people read the play they immediately interpret Shylock as a villain. Shylock takes out his knife to cut the flesh from the area close to Antonio’s heart and she stops him and tells him that it is against the law for anyone to shed a drop of Christian blood. The Christians in this play, particularly Antonio, a merchant, had abused, betrayed, and insulted Shylock. Even more evidence to why Shylock should be classified as a victim, not villain.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'benjaminbarber_org-box-4','ezslot_10',107,'0','0'])); In conclusion as we have discussed above, Shylock is indeed a victim on more than one account. If I forgive him! In the way Shakespeare ends the play he shows how deeply-rooted anti-Semitism was in his time. with you. if you poison He yells on the streets “O my daughter, Fled with a Christian!” (2.8.15-16). He truly has a skill, of creating unique characters that, create controversy, and give reasons for people to discuss and debate. Lorenzo insults Jews, saying that Shylock and his religion are not strong enough to get a soul into heaven, which is extremely disrespectful. Exact the penalty. fed with This means lending money with outrageously high rates of interest. Jessica, not only eloped and left her religion behind her father’s back, but she also stole jewelry and ducats from her father. You call’d me ‘dog’; and for these courtesies Shylock pauses and she rules that for threatening the life of a Christian he will have to forfeit all his possessions and convert to Christianity. The trial takes place and Portia grants Shylock the pound of flesh, and counsels him to show mercy. Which he calls ‘interest.’ Cursèd be my tribe Is not so estimable, profitable neither, He tells him that his ships will be in the port in three days and then he will be able to pay.
Say this: Even there where merchants most do congregate, Shylock simply replies saying he would have Antonios friendship and forgive him for what he has done Why look you.. He is simply just a victim to human emotions. For Jessica to trade away her father’s ring he got from her late mother, for something as ridiculous as a monkey, one can just think how devastated and hurt Shylock must have been, when he heard this tragic news. People who believe that Shylock is a villain usually include the fact that he is greedy, and cares about his ducats over anything in this world. revenge?”. Over your threshold. Each Shakespeare’s play name links to a range of resources about each play: Character summaries, plot outlines, example essays and famous quotes, soliloquies and monologues: All’s Well That Ends Well Antony and Cleopatra As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Coriolanus Cymbeline Hamlet Henry IV Part 1 Henry IV Part 2 Henry VIII Henry VI Part 1 Henry VI Part 2 Henry VI Part 3 Henry V Julius Caesar King John King Lear Loves Labour’s Lost Macbeth Measure for Measure The Merchant of Venice The Merry Wives of Windsor A Midsummer Night’s Dream Much Ado About Nothing Othello Pericles Richard II Richard III Romeo & Juliet The Taming of the Shrew The Tempest Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus Troilus & Cressida Twelfth Night The Two Gentlemen of Verona The Winter’s Tale. Shylock’s story truly is tragic, and he definitely should not be called the villain of this play, but the victim instead. About my moneys and my usances. Thou torturest me, Tubal: it was my turquoise; / I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor: / I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys” (3.1.102-104). Top Shylock Quotes. “Fair sir, you spet on me on Wednesday Just because Shylock has acted on revenge as most of us do, it doesnt make him a villain. Shylock is a character in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. The motive behind Shylocks decision has simply been an act of revenge to Antonio as Shylock says in Act 3, Scene 1 To bait fish withal..
Other Christians were also insulting Shylock’s Jewish religion. We are definitely attracted to the Christians and we can see how horrific Shylock’s intention is but that is outweighed by the provocation he is subjected to: his social shunning, attempts to exploit him, daily insults about him and his religion, and the dramatic acts of the abduction of his daughter and the stealing of his property. In the Rialto you have rated me
The bond was a pound of flesh from Antonios chest. So not only did he have to give up all his assets, wealth and belongings, he had to suffer the ultimate humiliation for a Jew. 400 years ago when Shakespeare wrote the play, racism was commonplace.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'benjaminbarber_org-box-3','ezslot_1',104,'0','0'])); Shylock was written to be hated! The Jewish religion bases itself on a very close related society. Shylock is a Jewish moneylender in Venice. Audiences hissed and booed and threw things at the actors who played them. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Shylock’s poor heart is broken when he hears about Jessica’s betrayal. You call me misbeliever, cutthroat dog, Shakespeare also gives us insight into the inner Shylock – not only his bitterness and anger but also his more sympathetic feelings such as the hurt he has experienced, his thoughts about the injustice of anti-Semitism and his isolation from normal society. The login page will open in a new tab.
It is true that Shakespeare presents Shylock as a bitter, Christian-hating, money-grabbing, stingy man, dressed in the gabardine that set Jews apart from other citizens, but he gives Shylock a strong reason for hating Christians and wanting to get revenge for how they have treated him and the Jewish community.
In this play, The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is the victim, because he is mistreated.
The definition of victim is a person who dies or suffers as a result of voluntarily undertaking some enterprise or pursuit. He has lost his only daughter to a Christian and he has lost the ring in which he kept in remembrance of his deceased wife. Professional writers in all subject areas are available and will meet your assignment deadline. © 2004 – 2020 No Sweat Digital Ltd. All rights reserved. The definition of victim is a person who dies or suffers as a result of voluntarily undertaking some enterprise or pursuit. A Twenty-first century audience will feel sorry for Shylock but an Elizabethan audience would probably have cheered. In The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare created a small Christian society of wealthy merchants and their friends – mainly young men who had nothing to do but hang around and gossip.
His wealth, dignity and his religion was taken away from him because he had wanted something that was rightfully his, a pound of Antonio’s flesh. bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine Antonio had also physically kicked Shylock before and easily would do it again (1.3.114-115).
Not only did she steal her father’s most prestige ring, but she traded it away for a monkey. and if you wrong us, shall we not Shylock said “Hath not a Jew eyes? That may be the readers own prejudice because Shylock is without doubt a victim as he has suffered losing everything; money, pride and even his family. After so much suffering, Shylock took Antonio to court so that he could get his part of the bond.
To an extent, we feel sorry for Shylock’s victimization based solely on his Jewishness.