Prior to the actual scene of the trial Shylock is portrayed in two different ways; as a man making a living at one of the very few occupations open to him or, as a greedy cold materialistic man. Overall throughout the play I feel that Shylock is more of a cold character than anything else. This becomes applicable when he beats his daughter, Jessica, because she failed to lock the door of his house. This shows him as a victim and a villain; a victim because he is scared of the outside world and a villain because he thinks he is so mistreated that he feels its necessary to hit his only family member in order to emphasize the importance of protecting his possessions.
The outline of the trial scene is; Shylock wants his form of justice in a bond he made with Antonio. Antonio is known as the merchant of Venice, which is where the title of the play comes from. Shylock lent Bassanio three thousand ducats on behalf of Antonio. The bond was that a pound of flesh nearest to his heart could be taken if the money was not paid. Antonio assumed this was a certainty, that his ships carrying goods would come into port with ample amount of money, though Antonio’s ships were mysteriously lost at sea thus making the bond active.
How does Shakespeare manipulate the audience response to Shylock in the trial scene?
When Jessica runs off with Lorenzo, a Christian friend of Bassanio’s, Shylock earns pity from the audience when he tells Bassanio that,
“My daughter is my flesh and blood”
When he says this it is like he is saying Jessica was a part of him and that now she is gone he feels like a broken man. He turns into a coldhearted man when he screams in rage showing his emotions and strong views;
“My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter! Fled with a Christian! Only Christian ducats!”
This statement shows his hateful beliefs towards Christians but also shows an evil man inside who feels that his wealth is more important than the life of his daughter.
During Shylocks famous plea for equality speech in Act 3: Scene 5;
“What’s his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes?
Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections,
passions fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons”.
In Elizabethan times, the audience would probably have felt very little sympathy towards him due the prejudice and moral issues which they would have held against him whereas, an audience of today will more likely have felt very sympathetic to him. This is because all Shylock is trying to say is that we are all the same as one another, but are pushed apart by religious beliefs and traditions.
Throughout the trial scene Shakespeare uses contradictory emotions for example Shylock gives his speech about equality, but he takes out his blade and starts sharpening it on his shoes destroying any chances that he will show mercy. He is ready to cut into Antonio’s flesh when Portia stops him;
“The bond doth give thee here no jot of blood”
The words expressly are a pound of flesh. Portia reveals that there is a flaw in the bond. Shylock is allowed his pound of flesh but not a drop of blood, which would surely come if he enters Antonio’s skin.
“If thou doest shed one drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods are, by the laws of Venice, confiscated unto the state of Venice”.
The bond that Shylock had created has ruined his plan for revenge. The one thing that Shylock cares for more than anything will now be taken from him if he takes his justified revenge.
The tables are now turned, with Venetian law saying that a penalty must be paid by an ‘alien’ attempting to murder a Christian within the Venetian community. Still Shylock is classed as an alien in his home. Shylock’s possessions are confiscated because of the attempted
How does Shakespeare manipulate the audience response to Shylock in the trial scene?
murder of Antonio. Antonio now makes two conditions for his life: firstly he must become Christian, and, secondly, he must make a will leaving all his half (as the victim) of his possessions to Jessica and Lorenzo after he dies.
Not only has Shylock been converted to a Christian and humiliated in court, without his revenge, wealth, and his daughter, now he is alienated from his fellow Jews. Ironically he is left alone with nothing but what ruined him; his new found Christianity. Shylock can be seen as both comic and tragic because of his quick-witted responses, almost playing with the insults that are thrown at him from day to day, and tragic because of the loss of his daughter, friend and possessions. I think because he has been driven to the edge of insanity, from the torment and prejudice pushed on him throughout his life by his own Venetian community. That has led him to such misfortune and bitterness.
Overall, Shakespeare manipulates the audience to Shylock using contradictory emotions. He builds Shylock up in a serious fashion using legal events but then quashes these with wit and comic. He leaves the audience believing that Shylock is a weak, broken man with nothing and this will have been once again, due to the ethnic issues held against him due to his religion whereas the Christians in the trial scene are seen as the heroes. Because of this, the audience would have felt righteous towards Shakespeare and his social beliefs.
A modern audience may have a slightly different perspective on this due to the type of society we live in today. I feel that they would be more sympathetic towards Shylock due to his misfortune but this would be counteracted with the fact that Shylock has got what he deserves, due to his hatred towards another religious group.