By a careful consideration on the ways in which Shylock is presented, examine how far the reader is invited to sympathise with him
GCSE Shakespeare Course work
'The Merchant of Venice'
By a careful consideration on the ways in which Shylock is presented, examine how far the reader is invited to sympathise with him.
'The Merchant of Venice' is a tragi-comedy play written by William Shakespeare. The play is set in the late 15th century in Venice in Italy. In the play Shakespeare brings up the question of racism and mortality in this Elizabethan age or for less educated people of that time it could just have been about an evil Jew who received his comeuppance. Shakespeare does this by basing the play on Shylock, a Jew.
Before I examine the way Shylock is presented and the relation between this and the reader's sympathy, it is important to establish the attitude to Jews in this time. Anti-Semitism had been present in England (where Shakespeare wrote) ever since Jews had lived there. This was mainly due to stories that had been told of them stealing babies, drinking sacrificial blood and forcing adult circumcisions. Basically, Jews had become scapegoats for everything. It is useful to know that the reason that anti-Semitic attitudes were roused at this time (and therefore the reason for Shakespeare writing his play about a Jew) was possibly because up until this time there had been very few Jews (possibly mostly converted to Christianity) as they had been banished from England (mainly due to the above views). In 1594 a (Jewish) Portuguese threat to the throne of England was convicted, hung drawn and quartered for supposedly attempting to poison the Queen (Elizabeth I), this was almost certainly a false accusation. This gives a huge insight into why Shylock is portrayed as he is and how his character would have been received by the British (predominately Christian) audience. This shows that initially the audience was not invited to sympathise with Shylock.
Shakespeare has taken full advantage of the Elizabethan attitude to Jews to enhance his character of Shylock and enliven the audience with a topical issue. Shylock is a Jew in a Christian majority.
To start with Shylock is portrayed as the typical stereotype Jew. He hordes money, isolates himself from Christians and, worst of all, is a usurer. Usury is forbidden in the bible but the Jews took it to mean that they could only not charge interest from other Jews, whereas Christians had other views. This is another reason for the Christian hatred of Jews. However the hatred of Shylock is also because he is unnecessarily malicious and vengeful, which has nothing initially to do with Shylock being a Jew, although in Shylocks case the attitudes that he had received ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
To start with Shylock is portrayed as the typical stereotype Jew. He hordes money, isolates himself from Christians and, worst of all, is a usurer. Usury is forbidden in the bible but the Jews took it to mean that they could only not charge interest from other Jews, whereas Christians had other views. This is another reason for the Christian hatred of Jews. However the hatred of Shylock is also because he is unnecessarily malicious and vengeful, which has nothing initially to do with Shylock being a Jew, although in Shylocks case the attitudes that he had received throughout his life probably caused this behaviour to some extent. However under the prejudices that Shylock would have to have suffered every day it quite probably could mean that the audience is getting a distorted view of his personality.
Shylock hated Christians. Christians such as Antonio had mocked him 'He has disgraced me,...laughed at my losses, mocked my gains, scorned my nation'. The audience could very well be encouraged to sympathise with Shylock at this point. However Shylock even goes to the extent of having a knife and scales ready to actually take Antonio's heart when the money was not repaid. This shows that Shakespeare was creating an image of Shylock that the intended audience (Elizabethan England) would hate for characteristics other than being Jewish. He appears to be a horrible person with an unhealthy love of money and lack of mercy, a fellow Christian could also be hated for this.
Although Shylock hated Antonio for being a Christian, there was another key reason why Shylock hated him. Shylock was obsessed by money and Antonio had great wealth. Shylock's profession is usury. Antonio has the ability to lend money to his friend Bassanio (who believes that he needs money to impress Portia with his wealth) and as his beliefs would make it immoral to lend money with intent of collecting interest; he is able to loan money, which therefore deprives Shylock of the business. However, as Antonio's assets are spread about the seas it then makes it necessary for him to borrow money. This leads to the bond between Antonio and Shylock. Shylock is excited about the prospect of revenge with the bond.
However, when the news that Antonio's ships have been lost in terrible weather conditions this news is met gleefully by Shylock 'I thank God'. He refuses to forgive and he insists that the bond should be followed and honoured. Little sympathy can be felt for this cold hearted man who show no mercy, when he knows that alone he could spare Antonio's life.
However, Shylock could be described as a character who is not necessarily hated completely by the audience, I think that this point is brought across well in the quote 'he becomes a half-favourite with the philosophical part of the audience'.
One point at which the audience may feel sympathy for Shylock is in act 3 scene 1. He states how he has been treated by Christians and in particular Antonio, and asks rhetorical questions such as 'have not a Jew eyes...hands, organs, dimensions?' in when he is morally asking if a Jew is any different from a Christian apart from religion. Sympathy is invited here as the audience is given a direct moral issue to think about and suggests Shylocks personality is nothing to do with the issue.
It was also a Christian with whom his daughter ran away and, worst of all, married. It cannot therefore be a surprise that Shylock has a hatred of Christians and therefore makes a bond to kill Antonio if his bond is not repaid. Shylock was also born of a religion that believed in the statement 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth' As Shylock's daughter was taken away by a Christian to him it could make sense for a Christian to die in return.
Shakespeare creates Shylock to be an evil character that we are supposed to hate. Shylock loved money. He is portrayed as a money grabbing, selfish man. This is demonstrated in the fact that he would rather kill his own daughter than lose profit. He states that he would rather his 'daughter were dead at his foot, and the jewels in her ear!'
This shows that there was one thing more important than money to Shylock and that was revenge. In Shylock's pursuit of revenge he sacrifices any aspects or attitudes of mercy that he might have otherwise shown. This is best shown in the courtroom scene, where the Duke asks how he 'Shalt...hope for mercy, rendering none?' to which Shylock replies that he has no reason to be judged at all as he believes he has done nothing wrong. This shows us something about Shylocks character with regard to his religious beliefs. Shylock, being a Jew, would have not have read the New Testament of the Bible and therefore would not believe in such phrases found in the bible as 'Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy', in which the Christians would have believed. However, as was mentioned earlier, Shylock may have, in some opinions, good grounds for wanting revenge, so the audience may be pre-disposed to feeling sympathetic to him (possibly described as lawful revenge) if he hadn't taken his need for revenge so far as to actually want to kill Antonio.
Shylock may also be portrayed as worse than he is in relation to other characters as his unlikeable characteristics are magnified when other characters act with a much more reasonable and generous attitude. For example Bassanio offers Shylock twice as much as Antonio owed to him, but Shylock would still rather have his bond.
Shakespeare does invite some sympathy for Shylock in making the character of Shylock a Jew. If Shylock had been in the majority of Christians then there could be no reasonable explanation for his behaviour and he would therefore simply just be a horrible individual. So giving him this identity does encourage some sympathy for Shylock.
Sympathy could also be invited in the fact that Shylock was born a Jew and therefore had no control over his religion or his profession. However being a Jew did not mean that Shylock had to become malicious, vengeful and a tyrannical father. This was merely the personality of Shylock (although he could have been driven to it) and he had the power to change this.
However, sympathy is definitely not invited when in the play it is shown what a tyrannical father Shylock is to Jessica. She confides in Launcelot and tells him of how she hates her life and the pressures under which she is forced to live under. In her opinion 'house is hell,'. Jessica also claims that she is embarrassed to be the offspring of Shylock "ashamed to be my fathers child." This would heavily indicate that Shylock is an evil man and therefore the audience should not sympathise with him.
Another factor that could affect the amount of sympathy that the audience can offer Shylock is to how the actor plays the character. This is one way that the actor could change the sympathetic view of the audience although there are many. If Shylock is played as an evil, malicious, vengeful man who happened to be a Jew then sympathy in parts such as Act 3 scene 1 would not be granted by the audience. However the actor playing Shylock could play the character in a way that portrays that Shylock is bitter because of his persecution and suffering then the audience are more likely to feel sympathy for him.
In conclusion, Shylock is mainly portrayed as an evil character, with bad sides to his personality, and I believe that this is how Shakespeare intended him to come across as. The audience will always have some sympathy for Shylock as shown above. However the extent of this sympathy may not be much as; whatever the circumstances leading to his behaviour it does not excuse his twisted and evil mind and the fact that he was willing to take another mans flesh for revenge. This means that Shylock can never be seen as an honourable or good man. Whenever he will be played he will always come across as evil.
Amy Luck 11 dk
