‘Why, look you, how you storm! I would be friends with you, and have your love…
…Supply your present wants…
…This is kind I offer’
This passage would probably lead an audience to believe that he wants a friendship, but I feel that the hostile way in which it was presented really shows a more evil side of his character. Shylock’s first reaction to Antonio is that of a hateful man, he raises his voice and uses an aggressive tone. After a little consideration Shylock thinks up a ‘merry jest’ as the bond. It is the careful consideration after such a hostile outburst that automatically reveals Shylock’s sinister intention. He knows full well that Antonio will accept to the bond on principle, and Shylock’s now sly tone and body language point toward him really hoping Antonio will be forced to suffer the forfeit.
Furthermore Shylock mistreats his servant, Launcelot and his daughter Jessica. He mistreats his servant by complaining behind Launcelot's back of his laziness. Shylock says;
‘The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder,
Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day
More than the wildcat…
…His borrowed purse’
Shylock also acts villainously towards Launcelot by acting dictatorially towards him.
‘Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call.’
Shylock judges this man because of his poverty and because he is socially beneath him. This shows Shylock as a prejudiced and a selfish man, who wants to pass his stereotypical views onto his daughter by ‘guarding’ her from the Christian beliefs and believers.
‘Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum…
…Nor thrust your head into the public street to
gaze on Christian fools …’
Although it may seem instinctive to fear for one’s kin, I felt it shows Shylock as someone who is narrow minded, and not willing to even let his family hear the ‘Christian music’, the productions choice of body language and tone at this point made me feel that he wanted her to share his hatred, and wanted her to support him in his spite.
Another of Shylock’s negative attributes made clear in the production is his greed.
‘My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter!
Fled with a Christian! O my Christian ducats…
…A sealed bag, two sealed bags of my ducats!
Shylock grieves his stolen ducats and diamonds just as much, if not more than he does his daughter, it would seem that it is this insatiability that drives him to the merciless extent of demanding the pound of flesh in the Venetian court.
However contrary to these points is his ‘If you prick us…’ speech, this really represents a more human, and moral side of Shylock’s character. Although Shylock describes how all humans are alike, and equal, which is very noble, he still has a very malevolent meaning, ‘if you wrong us, then shall we not revenge?’
‘To bait fish withal…
Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew got hands, organs,
dimensions, senses, affections, passions…
…If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we
not laugh?
I feel that in the RSC production the line: ‘if you wrong us, then shall we not revenge?’ was heavily emphasised, and was made more vindictive by what could be described as a smug grin. This, to me, suggests that Shylock is in fact planning to get the forfeit and is pleased that he is going to do so.
Shylock’s true wickedness and ruthlessness is shown during the court scene. Even before the Duke has passed judgement, Shylock has set-up his scales, and is sat sharpening his knife on his boot, whilst looking very merry. I believe this is because he knows already, by law, he is entitled to the forfeit, and will finally get revenge for his being spurned. Shylock’s stubborn and merciless nature drives him to demand the pound of flesh from Antonio, even though he knows it’ll kill him. Even when presented with triple the loan, Shylock’s dark and sinister being compels him to murder Antonio. This could be described as un-Christian behaviour, which is quite possibly what Shakespeare, and consequently the RSC set out to achieve.
Throughout the RSC production I felt, as an audience, that Shylock was presented as an un-Christian character, to the extent that he is wicked. I believe the reason he is treated as different and people are prejudiced, and racist toward him is because he is a Jew. As was true in the Shakespearian period, Jews were unpopular, and seen as greedy, and corrupt – misbelievers. To some extent I feel that the modern audience was also racist toward him, this was when Shylock was stripped of his possessions and forced to give up his religion. The audience laughed at this, which I felt was shocking, although this man had mistreated others I felt he did not deserve this, and did not deserved to be mocked for his losses. I feel that the message of the play was an anti-Jewish message, the play is a dark-comedy, and it would seem that Shylock provided the darkness, and comedy through his being mocked, and his having to lose his faith.
