Is Shylock a Victim or a Villain in the Play "The Merchant of Venice"?

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Is Shylock a Villain or a Victim in the Play

 ‘The Merchant of Venice?

 

I am going to talk about whether Shylock is a victim or a villain in the play ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare. In different parts of the play he is portrayed as being both. I will look at his relationships with his daughter, Jessica and Antonio, his role as being a moneylender, the fact that he is Jewish and what happens in the court scene.

In Act 3 Scene 1, Bassanio asks Shylock to lend Antonio 3,000 ducats. However Antonio is Shylocks enemy so he is unsure of whether to lend the money. Whilst he is deciding, Shylock says ‘Atonio is a good man’ meaning that he is financially secure but Bassanio thinks that he means that he is a good person. Shylock asks for more time to consider the request. Antonio had, in the past, treated Shylock very badly. Antonio didn’t agree with the way that Shylock lends money for interest and this is one of the reasons that they became enemies.

Shylock also says that he hates Antonio for being Christian, but Antonio also hates Shylock for being Jewish. Being disliked because of your religion was a normal thing when the play was written. Jews were locked in a walled part of the city every night when it got dark and the gates were guarded by Christians. When a Jew left their walled part of the city, they had to wear a red hat. This resulted in Jewish people being verbally and physically in the streets. This could suggest that Shylock became a victim of racism. Shylock says ‘You spit upon my Jewish gaberdine’ to Antonio. This is an example of some of the abuse that Shylock may have been subject to, because of his religion. Eventually Shylock agrees to lend Antonio the money that he had asked for, on condition that if he cannot repay it within 3months, Shylock can take a pound of flesh from anywhere on Antonio’s body.

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          Act 2 Scene 3 is only short but it tells the reader a lot about Shylock and his daughter, Jessica’s relationship and also what Shylock is like to work for and live with. She says ‘Our house is hell’ this suggests that things go on inside her house that causes her dislike of her father. She also says ‘What a heinious sin is it in me, to be aham’d to be my father’s child!’ Jessica is in love with Lorenzo, who is a Christian. Shylock greatly disapproves of their relationship because of Lorenzo’s religion. In Act 2 Scene 8, ...

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