However I believe that the context of the play does determine the response of both the characters and audience, but I also believe that Shylock is not as bad as he seems. Often, The character Shylock, in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, is portrayed as a beastly monstrosity, with a lust for Antonio's life. Through a more careful examination it can be determined that Shylock was an upstanding member of his community, who endured an endless amount of abuse. However he did retaliate to some of this abuse. Shylock endured much of Antonio's abuse, overt a long period of time.
The sheer volume of abuse he has to take throughout the play can see this. A good example is:
“He hath disgraced me half a million, laughed at my losses,
mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains,
cooled my friends, heated mine enemies...”
Act 3 Scene 1, beginning with line 52-Shylock
In The Merchant of Venice Shylock, the Jew is characterised as the scapegoat, just as the Jewish have been throughout history. Shylock’s prejudice and dislike for the Christians is largely based on their mistreatment of him:
“Signior Antonio, many a time and oft
In the Rialto you have rated me
About my moneys and my usences:
Still have I borne it with a patient shrug,
For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe.
You call me misbeliever, cutthroat dog.
And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine,
And all for use of that which is mine own.”
Act 1 Scene 3, beginning with line 103 -Shylock
Shylock feels the wrath of an unequal society and is frustrated by it:
“Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is?”
Act 3 Scene 1, beginning with line 52-Shylock
Shylock’s hatred for the Christians is what causes him to pursue his revenge on Antonio, however I feel that Antonio is the symbol of racism in society and he openly exhibits it. He is not fazed in the least after Shylock’s downfall. However some would argue that this shouldn’t faze Antonio as Shylock has just tried to kill him.
The feud between Christians and Jews is something that has gone on for a long time, it happened it in the play and still happens today. For instance in the Second World War, Hitler used the Jews as scapegoat for the troubles that Germany were having around that time. In medieval England, the moneylender or usurer was a sinner therefore you can imagine how the Christian community in Venice treated Shylock. No doubt they treated him as an inferior being to them and they saw them selves as more important and significant.
The audience know that Shylock is a hated character by the way that the other characters interact with him. Bassanio voices his opinions against Shylock:
“You shall not seal to such a bond for me: I’ll rather dwell in my necessity”
Act 1 Scene 3, beginning with line 150- Bassanio
Other examples of this are, in the courtroom where Portia, who has not yet met Shylock, feels hatred towards him because he is a Jew. Finally when the Duke of the courtroom expresses an opinion of Shylock:
“A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch”
Act 3 Scene 4
Many people depended on Shylock’s loans for help although no one really accepted interest which they had to pay back along with the sum of the money, which was borrowed. Shylock gained success in his money lending. Shylock made it clear that his relationship with Christians was strictly business. He makes it clear that this deal is strictly business because he does not want to socialise with Christians, this would, in a way, be going against his religion. A quote that supports this is:
"I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with
you, and so following; but will not eat with you, drink
with you, nor pray with you."
Act 1 Scene 3, beginning with line 32-Shylock
This passage tells us that Shylock was willing to offer his profit-making services to Christians but was not prepared to socialise with them. This tells us that he does not want to be friends with Christians.
Towards the end of the play when Shylock has trapped Antonio in, what looks like a corner he may not escape out of, the audience are obviously feeling sorry for Antonio. But I feel that Shylock is taking his anger for the way the Christians of the world have treated him on Antonio. I don’t believe that shylock hates Antonio as a person otherwise he would never have agreed to the bond. However Shylock does say:
“I hate him for Christian”
Act 1 Scene 3, beginning with line 39-Shylock
I don’t believe that this means he hates Antonio as a person but purely because he is a Christian. If he hated Antonio he would have said I hate Antonio.
In conclusion I do feel that the context of the play determines the response of the audience and characters to Shylock. This portrayed in what the characters say and act and how also Shylock responds to their racism towards him. The Merchant of Venice shows the reader and audience what a complicated character Shylock can be at times.
