There is genuine evidence when Shylock makes a great speech that he is a victim of anti-semitism:
You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And spet upon my Jewish gabardine,
You’d call me dog: and for these courtesies
(Act 1 scene 3)
Shylock makes this to speech to let the audience know he hates Antonio for having hindered him in business and for having him humiliated in public by spitting on him and calling him names. Shylock remembers this vividly, and this is expressed clearly through the shockingly dramatic account he gives. At this point we are almost inclined to believe Shakespeare is sympathising on the maltreatment of Jews as he makes us sympathise with the anger and humiliation Shylock feels.
Shylock evidently despises Antonio and has already thought of revenge before Antonio speaks.
If I ever catch him once upon the hip
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
(Act 1, scene 3)
He hopes to carry out exact revenge on Antonio for his own humiliation and the prosecution that the Jews have long suffered at the hand of the Christians. At this stage of this scene we learn of the agreement of the bond.
If you repay me not such a day,
Express’d in the condition, let the forfeit
Be nominated for an pound
Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken
(Act 1, scene 3)
Shakespeare uses alliteration ‘fair flesh’ to emphasise the importance of Shylock’s ideas of the terms of the bond, the seriousness is highlighted clearly through the sharpness and pace of his speech as well. Shylocks thorough and carefully laid out speech initiates the audience to have an almost negative view towards Shylock because of his inappropriate enthusiasm in this malicious plan. Shakespeare at this point has conformed Shylock into the stereotypically negative idea of Jews, perhaps it is his own prejudiced feelings of Jews that he has done so. Although Antonio does not like borrowing money from Shylock he will for the loyalty of his close friend Bassanio. Antonio’s character shows that he is a risk taker. This is shown when he accepts Shylocks high interest rate.
Why fear not man, I will not forfeit it,
This bond expires, I do expect return
Of thrice three times the value of this bond.
(Act 1, scene 3)
Antonio does this to receive the term of the bond in this manner because he is confident that he will be able to repay the bond. Meanwhile the audience perceiver the character Antonio as a man very loyal to his friend and again Shakespeare’s prejudiced feelings are highlighted. Always throughout history Jews have come out worst between battles with Christians and in this scene this is true, we are given the overall picture of Antonio as the Christian man being honest and loyal whilst Shylock the Jew is presented as a hatred filled evil man as habitually believed in that period. Antonio is also presented by Shakespeare as a very courageous man:
Come on, in this there can be no dismay
My ships come a month before the day.
(Act 1, scene 3)
Shakespeare has effectively drawn our attention closely when we hear of Shylocks hatred and his terms of the bond and Antonio’s bravery, in reality this is where our anxiety builds within the play because the audience is left very unsure because despite Antonio’s bravery many will wonder whether it will be sufficient enough help for him in the hands of this clearly spiteful Jew Shylock.
The next scene that I am going to explore is Act 3 Scene 1; in this Shakespeare presents two different characters in the street of Venice, Salarino and Salanio both Christians and friends of Antonio, at this point Shakespeare has created a purpose to a focal point in the play and the actual plot itself. Here we learn of the conversation between Salarino and Salanio as they discuss Antonio’s loss. At this point the audience is left reeling because Shylock’s evil plan has prevailed, as Antonio will now be unable to pay the bond. We are at this point able to believe Shakespeare has followed the conventional theory of how the Jewish man always succeeds and the good Christian man is left the victim. Solanio even so calls Antonio ‘the honest Antonio’, and repeatedly calls him ‘good’ so that Antonio status is enhanced even more positively, and the audience is able to side with him even more so. In contrast Shylocks character is darkened and made more malignant when Solanio suddenly becomes fearful as he spots Shylock approaching. Solanio mutters a prayer and likens Shylock to the ‘devil’. Again the idea that Christians have always feared the Jews and their supposed evils is shown here, and this could be an indication of Shakespeare’s own beliefs.
I am a Jew : hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew
hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passion, 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
(Act 3, scene 1)
However this can be said only to a certain extent as Shakespeare at the same time contradicts the foreboding view the audience has on Shylock when Shylock gives a powerful speech about the suffering he has faced at the hands of Christian because he is a Jew. We express sympathy with Shylock because he has suffered much discrimination. Shylocks passionate speech is in a way designed to remind the audience that Shylock is no different form any other man but it is religion that makes him an outcast in society.
Shakespeare adds more sympathy when he we learn the only companionship ever to Shylock was his daughter Jessica. We learn of how his daughter betrays him for a Christian. The impressions of theses two Christian characters are tormentors of Shylock in this scene and mock at every opportunity .
At this point it could be said Shakespeare is intellectually aware of the sufferings Jews go through and that Jews are not inferior that they suffer the pains of life that many do but at the end of Shylock’s speech the audience feels they have been left with an imperiously greedy man who is so bitter he can not let go of his grudge against those who have mistreated him. At the end of this scene we notice the presence of another character Tubal who is a fellow Jew. To inform Shylock
The final scene, which I am going to explore, is Act 4 Scene 1. This scene is set in a Vatican court. During the trial scene Shylock is there to claim his bond. At this point Shakespeare has effectively portrayed Shylocks obsessive hatred has become apparent towards Antonio as Shylock is determined to take his revenge. This is all due as he was treated badly by the Christians by cutting “a pound of flesh”
In conclusion Shakespeare’s views can be said to be ambiguous, because at many points in the play he seems to follow the conventional ideas of Jews being evil, and the stereotypical ideas that Christians had at that period, give example…. when Shylock is said to…showing Shakespeare has used the conventional idea that Jews are…evil…however there are many times when these views are contradicted, for Shakespeare certainly does evoke much pity from the audience towards Shylocks sufferings, and at some points he seems to ridicule and shame the Christians mistreatment of Jews but the constant stream of attack that we perceive against the Jews diffuse this idea, it could be better said that Shakespeare to some extent defends the Jews or that he is open-minded but much evidence in the play suggests that he is biased, and his views side with the Christians, who at the end have succeeded against Shylocks evil bond. And these views and ideas are perceived mainly through the characters Antonio and Shylock, Antonio the ‘hero’ and Shylock the ‘evil’ one, and the play ends with good prevailing evil, in all Christianity prevailing Judaism, with Christianity seen as the stronger and superior of the two and this being Shakespeare’s view. Overall at the same time we are left wondering if Shakespeare is only playing along with reconvention attitudes towards Jews. So as not to offend his audience and there are certain attempts he makes that Jews are not evil, that they suffer much too, referring back to
Swan
