He remembers that Antonio has cursed him, calling him a ‘misbeliever, dog Jew’ and how they ‘spit upon his Jewish gaberdine’. Antonio shows no remorse and insists that Shylock lend him the money as an enemy. Such an arrangement, Antonio claims, will make it easier for Shylock to exact a harsh penalty if the loan is not repaid. Assuring Antonio that he means to be friends, Shylock offers to make the loan without interest. Instead, he suggests, as if it is a joke, that Antonio loses a pound of his own flesh if the loan is not repaid on time. Bassanio warns Antonio against entering such an agreement, but Antonio assures him that he will have no trouble repaying the debt, as his ships will soon bring him wealth that far exceeds the value of the loan. Shylock then plays with them ‘merry sport’ by saying that he would gain no profit. This seeming casualness relaxes Antonio into thinking Shylock is being generous. Shylock seems to be making fun of himself, joining in a game that he supposedly cannot gain from. He makes himself appear a willing victim. Bassanio remains suspicious of the arrangement, but Antonio reminds him that his ships will arrive within the next two months.
In the first scene of act two in Belmont, the prince of Morocco arrives to attempt to win Portia's hand in marriage. The prince asks Portia not to judge him by his dark complexion, assuring her that he is as valorous as any European man. Portia reminds the prince that her own tastes do not matter, since the process of picking chests that is stipulated in her father's will makes the prince as worthy as any other suitor. With a lengthy proclamation of his own bravery and heroism, the prince asks Portia to lead him to the caskets, where he may venture his guess. She reminds him that the penalty for guessing incorrectly is that he must remain unmarried forever. The prince accepts this stipulation, and Portia leads him off to dinner.
During act two scene five another way in which Shylock is shown to be the villain of this play, is through his treatment of Jessica. It is in Act two Scene five that the first conversation occurs between Shylock and Jessica. During this he orders her about as if she were a servant and mentions nothing about her well being, only instructs her to look after that of his house. These quotes show examples of Shylock treating his daughter with no respect, as he is overprotective, etc, ‘Hear you me, Jessica’, ‘Lock up my doors and when you hear the drum… Nor thrust your head into the public street… But stop my house’s ears…Let not the sound of shallow foppery enter’- When the Christian parade is running outside.
In act two scene eight, Salerio and Solanio are constant tormentors of Shylock and mock him at every opportunity with these words, ‘as the dog Jew did utter in the streets in the streets: “My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter!”’ They mock him for speaking aloud in such shock in the streets when Shylock was repeating ‘My daughter! O my ducats!’. This is quite important because here Shylock is weighing out each loss- his daughter, and his wealth. The repetition of each daughter and each ducats seems to be equal but then his words sway as Shylock repeats O my ducats further. This suggests that Shylock would prefer to have his ducats back that his daughter Jessica. Suggesting that Shylock is a villain. Salerio and Solanio are mocking him though which makes Shylock seem the victim here.
In act three scene one Jessica, also a Jew as her father, falls in love with a Christian called Lerenzo. Jessica feels that her father will never change from being so protective and decides that the only way to be totally free of him would be to elope from him. During the Christian parade Jessica dresses as a male, steals the jewels and ducats that she can find in her home owned by her father, and leaves to meet Lerenzo and start a new life with him. Shylock later damns her for this and is also mocked by his outburst of fury, which I have described in act two scene eight. Deceiving her father and believing that she will be accepted into the Christian hands of Potia and others in Belmont. However when Jessica arrives in Belmont, we realise that Portia and the others at Belmont ignore Jessica. Her testimony against her father may be an attempt to prove her loyalty to the Christian cause, but the coldness of Portia, Bassanio, and the others is an understandable reaction. They must remember that she is a Jew and the daughter of their enemy. Lerenzo may love her, but she remains an object of suspicion for the others. I think throughout this scene Shylock is seen as the victim of the play. His daughter flees and steals many ducats and jewels. Shylock damns his daughter for this, ‘she is damned for it.’ The line ‘I would my daughter dead at my foot, with my ducats in her ear.’ Suggests that he would favour his money rather than his daughter. Although I don’t feel that this line is too significant because he may still be in shock as his daughter has only just betrayed him and he felt this was totally unexpected. I don’t believe that this line can decipher whether Shylock is seen as a villain or victim at this point. If this line was spoken further into the play I would defiantly believe at this point that Shylock is the villain of the play, towards his daughter. Shylock repeats in this scene ‘my own flesh and blood.’ Usually repetition is a sign of a villain but this line seems to be an exception as Shylock tries to reason with his actions that drove Jessica away. Line 86 of this scene ‘how now Tubal, hast thou news of my daughter?’ Shylock shows that he wants his daughter back and asks Tubal if he has made any sight of her. This obviously shows that Shylock cares for the welfare of his daughter because he has just realised that she has fled with Lerenzo.
Although he has an arguably unhealthy thirst for revenge, we can empathise with what he is feeling because it is a natural human flaw to want to gain revenge when you have been wronged. Shylock tries to gain the audience’s sympathy, he out to all the audience when saying, ’if you prick us, do we not bleed?’ Which makes him seem only human too, and the audience can realise his reasoning for wanted revenge.
The line, “Precious jewels, oh precious jewels.” Is repeated by Shylock in this scene. I think the words precious jewel could mean his daughter and precious jewels also could be meaning his ducats and other jewels of great value. If this were the case here Shylock could be seen as both villain and victim. The villain side of him could be repeating aloud the fact that he has lost his jewels but the more caring side to see this text as could suggest that Shylock is fretting over the loss of his daughter as the victim.
The laws at the time when the play was written were in favour of Christians. Jews had few rights. Likewise, after he loses the trial, Shylock's life was in the hands of the Duke. Shown in this line, ‘if it be prov’d against an alien…He seek the life of any citizen…the offender’s life lies in the mercy of the duke only.’ In Act 4 Scene 1.
‘He hath disgraced me laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned as my nation.’ ‘The sacred nation’
**HOW FATHER DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIPS DIFFER
TRIAL SCENE!!!!!!!!!!????????????? DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
**USE IN TRIAL SCENE
It is during the trial scene and the scenes immediately preceding it that his obsessive hatred towards Antonio now becomes apparent. In Act three, scene three his repetition of ‘ I’ll have my bond ‘ shows him to become more aggressive out loud, he warns those who have treated him as ‘a dog’ to ‘beware my fangs’. Antonio has realised Shylock will not listen to reason, so has to bare himself to his fate.
(ANTONIO REALISING FATE SHYLOCK AGGRESSIVE ALOUD)
In conclusion, I feel that ultimately Shylock is a villain. The way he treats those he is close to, for example his daughter Jessica exposes his vindictive and very evil character. He lets his lust for vengeance take over, and throughout the play Shylock shows no mercy towards Antonio. I feel that Shakespeare intended Shylock to be the victim, Shylock made the interesting character created to challenge the pre-conceptions of the Elizabethan era.
Shylock is naive in the way that he believes that he can take on the Christians and win, knowing that at the time of the play Venation law is designed to serve the best interests of the Christians. Shylock’s punishment is possibly made to harsh AS Shylock is made to convert to Christianity. It could be argued that Portia had taken Shylock’s punishment too far. Shylock’s life is spared but he may be better off dead because he has nothing to live for. Remembering that all his wealth has been taken from him, and his daughter has left. So Shylock can nolonger be the rich moneylender that he has been in the past. Although Shylock had attempted to pursue his revenge he still has the audience’s sympathy because of the unfair and harsh punishment he has been given. It is unjust that Shylock’s punishment is formed from his crime, but made on the basis of his religion ultimately. Shylock should be seen as the villain of the Merchant of Venice for this.
