Shylock also demonstrates how strongly he believes in Judaism by the way he says, ”he hates our sacred nation and he rails” and “cursed by my tribe if I forgive him” these lines show how great insult Shylock takes from Antonio’s behaviour to Jews. All of the above is justified by Antonio saying, “spit on thee again”, Antonio agrees to this because he is a man of honour. I feel that the bond Shylock proposes to Antonio to take a pound of his flesh in a way is sadistic but this has come about because of all the racial hatred Shylock has suffered from Antonio and his other Christian associates. This has forced Shylock to take extreme action and this action is based on the pure hatred that only Shylock could posses for Antonio which has been built on by the incidents were Antonio has spat on Shylock and said racist remarks.
You feel sympathy for Shylock because of the persecution he suffers for being a Jew but it is only a small amount because it is overcast by his hate for Antonio and the bond of a pound of Antonio’s flesh which would probably lead to the death of Antonio. People also do not feel sympathy for Shylock because he is so focused on his pursuit of profit over his enemy Antonio even if it is taken another life because of the way he sees business as business but is more personal with the bond.
Shylock and his daughter Jessica do not have a good relationship in the play, she sees him as a loner and she is ashamed of him she shows this by saying “Our house is hell” and “To be ashamed to be my father’s child”. Reference to changing religion occurs in this scene, from a Jew to a Christian but this is going to happen eventually but for two totally different reasons. When Shylock hears his losses of fortune to his daughter he says the speech “if you prick us, do we not bleed?” Shylock explains how Jews are human just like Christians they have the same passions and feelings. Shylock repeats the common link between Jews and Christians that they are both human and this is done to great affect and this speech is a moving part in the play. There are not many times we feel sympathy for Shylock in this play but this speech makes you feel for Shylock this is because of the language he uses and repeats the words like human linking it with humanity successfully but when you think about it shylock is the one who wants to act out inhumanity on Antonio. Jessica has taken the one thing that only Shylock could give her and that was his love that was worth far more than all his money but he is till more concerned about the money. It is ironic and adds insult to Shylock that Jessica was assisted by a Christian and is to be married to him. You do not get the impression that Jessica thinks that shylock loves her because he never shows it to her personally but he does show it by letting her be in charge of the house and I do not think she takes this as an act of love. But this turns Shylock’s thoughts towards revenge and carrying out the forfeit on Antonio by him saying “if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge”.
You loose sympathy for Shylock because he seeks revenge on Antonio and because he is not so concerned for the loss of his daughter but for the loss his wealth and you realise this when he says “thou stick’st a dagger in me. i shall never see my gold again. Fourscore ducats at a sitting” Shylock is not concerned about how much his daughter is truly worth to him, but he is calculating how much of his fortune he has lost. When Shylock hears that one of Antonio ships have been sunk u see how much delight it brings to him by him saying, “I am very glad of it, ill plague him …” this helps Shylock feel better about losing his wealth and this feeds his revenge.
At the trial scene the Duke’s opinion is totally correct of Shylock when he says “a stony adversary, an inhuman wretch …” and we feel no sympathy for him because of his eagerness to carry out the forfeit on Antonio. When the duke tries to plead with Shylock he uses the same tone as Shylock used with “if you prick us do we not bleed” with that Antonio is a human being as well and can he be saved of dying but it does not seem to work as Shylock is stubbornness which the reason for is hate for Antonio and how he loathes him. Even when Shylock is offered thirty six thousand ducats he declines showing the utter hatred he has for Antonio and the other Christians as I feel he sees Antonio the leader of the Christians and he is the leader of the Jews and now he finally has the edge of them in the war between Judaism and Christianity therefore representing Shylock and Antonio and he is not going to let go of this hold. Shylock sees hatred revenge and profit as the way, only Shylock can profit from a pound of flesh because he has lost his fortune and has nothing left now that his daughter has run away. Shylock has become so eager to kill Antonio that he begins to sharpen his knife with anticipation whilst being cursed by Gratiano as a “Wolfish, bloody, starved and ravenous”. This shows us how far Shylock is willing to go, that he will use his own knife and weighing scales, also how he is not even moved by Portia speech about mercy.
Shylock has placed lots of trust in the law and hopes that it will serve him justice against Antonio and his revenge will be complete, but when the tables are turn and Shylock cannot spill any of Antonio’s blood it looks like justice will done against Shylock by Antonio and the Christians and he will be the one who will need mercy. This is because Shylock is to become a Christian which is going to be highly degrading to him as he despises of Christians and he will now beg for mercy not to change his religion as he says “give me my principal and let me go” but he was not willing to do this Antonio so why should Antonio let him get away with it.
Overall Shylock is a bitter twisted man who is always out to seek revenge on Christians, especially Antonio and he uses the bond as the perfect way to get revenge on Antonio but this back fires on him and he ends up being punished for all this hate he has and ends up having to become what he despise and that is a Christian. There is also a sub plot to shylock story which is his daughter running away with his money and I feel this is because she can not show affection to him and say that she loves him because he is so full of hatred and revenge and this is why she eventually leaves. At the end of the play you would have thought that shylock realises that hatred and revenge gets you know were in life but he still does not.