Do you think Shylock is a victim or a villain?

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Shakespeare coursework

Do you think Shylock is a victim or a villain?

Use your study of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ to explain whether you sympathise with him or not

In the play `The Merchant of Venice' by William Shakespeare, the character Shylock has two sides to his personality. These two sides, victim and villain of the play, present themselves frequently in the play. Although many Christians see him as a great evil, the audience is forced to feel some sort of sympathy towards him, due to the amount of prejudice shown towards him because of his Jewish religion. Throughout the play we are shown the two sides of Shylock's character.

‘The Merchant of Venice’ is also a play which contains several linked stories. It is full of contrasting characters. There are high, witty characters that are aristocratic such as Bassanio and low comic characters such as Lorenzo and Gobbo. It has an enchanted princess in Belmont who is Portia and a bond plot set in Venice’s busy, financial world. It contains a trial, an elopement, a trick involving rings and women disguised as men. Into the middle of this light, romantic comedy, Shakespeare has planted a tragic villain. Shylock is unique in Shakespeare’s comedies. He is a figure of fun, and a sad, isolated human being.

        We first meet Shylock at the end of Act I. From the start, we see that only money matters to him. He is very good at his business, which is lending money to people, then charging very high interest on it. He knows all about Antonio’s financial affairs. He also realises that all of Antonio’s wealth is out at sea, and is quite likely to be lost. All of the research he has done on Antonio gives the impression that he has his plans well organised. Shylock reveals in his first long soliloquy, his deep and venomous hatred for Antonio. We learn that he has been waiting for a long time to gain his revenge for when Antonio had previously spat on him because Shylock was a Jew. At this point, the audience are making their minds up about Shylock, and from his first entrance, many of the people in the audience have already made their decisions.

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        Shylock now pretends that he wants to be friends with Antonio and to let bygones be bygones. Instead of charging interest on his loan to Antonio as he usually does, Shylock suggests as a “merry jest” that if the loan is not paid on the day named, then he may have a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Antonio readily agrees to this because he is a very trusting person and is certain that his ships will return safely home.

        One of Shylock’s most obvious faults is his love of money over people. He is obsessed with money, He has no moral ...

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