“…But ships are but boards, sailors but men; there be land-rats and water rats, water-thieves and land-thieves, I mean pirates, and then there is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks…”
This is not Shylocks only insult he does it again when he refers to Jesus Christ as the prophet the Nazarite. This would be considered a great insult because this is where their opinions differ most: religion.
“Yes, to smell pork, to eat the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite conjured the devil into…”
Shylock uses symmetry in his speech to show the absolute separation between Jew and the Gentile.
“…I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you..”
“…I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you…”
Shylock makes his hatred of Antonio clear by bad mouthing him when he enters.
“[Aside] How like a fawning publican he looks.”
Shylock is not void of feelings as a normal stereotype would be. His emotion is obvious in the following verses. He stays in verse for the remainder of the scene as Shakespeare develops the emotions of hate and resentment still further.
“…He hates our sacred nation, and he rails
Even there where merchants most do congregate,
On me, my bargain, and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls interest. Cursed by my tribe
If I forgive him.”
“I am debating of my present store,
And by the near guess of my memory
I cannot instantly raise up the gross
Of full three thousand ducats…”
The framework of the play is the parallel between Shylock and Antonio. They both live in their own worlds that constantly clash because of the hatred they have for each other. There is more than just an annoyance involved, there is pure hate.
Shylock states his case when Antonio asks for money. He says that Antonio treats him like a piece of dirt and therefore why should he lend money to him. Unlike Antonio Shylock has specific reasons for his contempt.
“…You call me a misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine…”
“…You that did void your rheum upon my beard,
And foot me as you spurn a stranger cur
Over your threshold…”
Shylock actually holds the upper hand here, because Antonio and Bassanio both need Shylock. Overall, in this scene, the Elizabethan audience may have seen Shylock as evil for hating Christians. In contrast to this, the modern audience are more likely to see Antonio as hateful because Shylock has reasonable argument explaining his contempt.
Shylock then uses sarcasm about Antonio’s racial and personal names.
“What should I say to you? Should I say,
‘Hath a dog money? Is it possible
A cur can lend three thousand ducats?’…”
“…Fair sir, you spat on me on Wednesday last,
You spurned me such a day, another time
You called me a dog; and for these courtesies
I’ll lend you thus much moneys’?”
Antonio does not regret his harsh words or actions; in fact he intends to do them again and again. This promotes a sympathetic feeling towards Shylock in the audience because it is Antonio who is being irrational and merciless not the other way about.
“I am as like to call thee so again,
To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too…”
Act 2 Sc 5
In this scene we notice that Shylock treats his daughter Jessica like a servant and not like a daughter. His language is strict and commanding without any expression of kindness or love.
“Jessica my girl,
Look to my house,
I am right loathe to go…”
He shares his house with his daughter but never uses the term ‘our’ it’s always ‘my’.
“There are my keys…
Look to my house…
There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest…”
“Lock up my doors…
But stop my houses ears…
My sober house…”
The only things that really matter to Shylock are his money and his house with its possessions. He uses personification to describe his house as being alive.
“But stop my houses ears…
Let not the sound of shallow foppery enter
My sober house.”
In the trail scene, he says:
“Nay, take my life and all, pardon not that.
You take my house, when you do take the prop
That doth sustain my house.”
In this scene there is another example of Shylocks literal use of words and his need to explain any use of poetic language, possibly to insult the person he is talking to or just to eliminate any confusion.
“…But stop my house ears, I mean my casements…”
Act 3 Sc 1
In the next scene Jessica steals from Shylock, taking jewels and ducats. Shakespeare does this to test the Elizabethan audience to decide whether to feel sorry for Shylock or to laugh at him.
This confusion does not last long because at last Shylock runs around shouting as screaming for his last ducats and daughter. This is a comic scene and therefore the audience know what they are supposed to feel.
The audience begin to feel sorry for Shylock because he seems very fraught over the loss of his daughter and money. They begin to think that he really did care for Jessica but then Shylock says he would rather she be dead with the jewels in her ear than her running around spending his money with a Christian.
But then he shows some humanity when he hears that Jessica bought a monkey with the ring of his dead wife. This shows Shylock having a certain degree of sentimentality towards the ring.
“I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys.”
We are forever wondering if Shakespeare thought of all Jews as evil, this is hard to believe because in Act 2 Lorenzo loves Jessica as herself, even if she is a Jew.
“…Most beautiful pagan, most sweet Jew…”
Although Jessica is unhappy to be called a Jew, and to be called the daughter of Shylock. Shakespeare is suggesting that there are good Jews. But he also suggests that all good Jews turn Christian.
In Act 3 Scene 1 is the famous speech made by Shylock. Some say this is where Shakespeare sympathises with Shylock. It sets Shylock apart from the stereotypical Jew and it forms his character to have a complex personality.
At the start of his speech he uses imagery. He uses it rarely therefore making it even more frightening.
“To bait fish withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will
feed my revenge.”
He also lists Antonio’s insults. It sounds like he is seeing pity, but he is seeking revenge.
“….Laughed at my losses,
mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted
my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine
enemies…”
“…If you prick us do we
not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh?...”
Act 3 Sc 3
The beginning of this scene shows Shylock talking to Antonio as he is locked up before the trail, proud at what the breaking of the bond has caused. Although Antonio could easily pay the bond back now, Shylock will not listen to Antonio, only tell him that the terms of the bond will be met.
“Hear me yet good Shylock”
“I’ll have my bond, speak not against my bond,
I have sworn an oath that I will have my bond…”
This really makes Shylock seem evil, as all he wants is the death of Antonio.
This scene is quite short, but really depicts the evil of Shylock
Act 4 Sc 1
The other characters in the court are obviously siding with the Christian against the Jew. Portia foresees this and tries to become acquainted with Shylock, so she can persuade him to act merciful towards Antonio.
“Is you name Shylock”
Portia confronts Shylock the Jew first,
“Then the Jew must be merciful”
She is trying to persuade the Jew to accept the money offered instead of killing Antonio. Portia talks privately to Shylock and negotiates the advantages of being lenient and merciful towards Antonio.
“It blesseth him that gives and that him that takes:”
Here Portia is still portraying a kind and patient attitude towards Shylock. This confuses the other characters in the court, as they are becoming anxious about the risk their friend is presented with. She cleverly causes them to have a rise and fall of hope and fear throughout the scene to maximize her chances of success. Portia is unable to persuade Shylock to be merciful towards the Jew.
“My deeds upon my head. I crave the law, the penalty and forfeit of my bond.”
Shylock’s desire for revenge increases tension in the court scene. Portia, having now realized that Shylock is extremely stubborn, changes tactics to defeat him. She cunningly makes Shylock put his trust in her and encourages him to be less stubborn.
“It must not be. There is no power in Venice can alter Antonio decree establishment.”
Once Portia has gained this trust and respect from Shylock she exploits his naivety.
“O wise young judge, how I do honour thee!”
Shylock admits and clearly portrays his happiness, to have the chance to take Antonio’s life, exposing his unnecessary vengeful and malicious attitude. Portia again tries to quietly persuade Shylock to accept the duckets offered. Shylock declines, and seems to be encouraged by the aspect of hope he has of wining the trial that Portia illustrated to him.
“Bid me tear the bond”
Here it becomes apparent that Portia begins to portray a worried attitude, as she is no longer convinced that she could win the case. She begins to beg which she had not resorted to so far in the trial. Shylock repeats his compliments of Portia and she schemingly develops confidence.
“ Have by some surgeon”
Portia begins to unfold her plan, but Shylock is intent on receiving the merchant’s life. He does not foresee that she is plotting against him. His frustration at not being to be able to take Antonio’s life is high. This is a terrible thing for a man to think like this.
It is possible that people at times in the play could feel sorry for Shylock, in Act 3 Scene 1 for example when Jessica runs away. However, it is shown that he is more bothered about the value of the items of his that she has taken, rather than his daughter herself. In Shakespearian times the Christian audience would also be less likely to sympathize with Shylock as the reputation of Jews, as you have read, was not a good one.
