Shylock is a very complex and divergent character, an average summary of the script would suggest Shylock is the villain in the story. It is only when the script is looked at in a lot of detail that elements of Shylock being the victim of the story can be analysed. Shylock can be seen as cunning and deceitful character, this can be seen all the way through between Antonio and Shylock. When Antonio asks Shylock for a loan. “But lend it rather thine enemy, who, if he break, thou mayst with better face exact the penalty” It is clear that Antonio has abused Shylock for a long time due to the list of insults Antonio has called Shylock. “You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, and spit upon my Jewish Gaberdine”. This is one of the first times we see Shylock as the victim in the play. The bitterness between Antonio and Shylock almost makes the two characters look like representatives of their cultures and religions. Shylock comes across bloodthirsty from the beginning. ‘If I can catch him once upon the hip, I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him’. This means he doesn’t want his money back, not even the profit! He does this because he hopes something awful will happen to Antonio so he can carry out his bond.
Shakespeare also tried to capture the passionate side of Shylock, the audience learn that Leah, Shylock’s wife had died, leaving Shylock a wifeless, single parent and heartbroken man. Shylock is bereft with sorrow when Jessica steals from him, especially because she takes a ring from him, which she sells for a monkey. ‘I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor: I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys.’ Obviously the ring has a lot of sentimental value, and Shylock admires the ring, as it is a memory of Leah. He feels almost betrayed and stabbed in the back by Jessica, as she would have known how much the ring meant to him. Selling it for a monkey is almost mocking him. At this point the audience have a lot of sympathy for Shylock, it would appear that Shylock’s only memory of Leah has been lost, and all that is left are his memories. In act three, scene two, is the only time in the whole play do we see a powerful passionate side of Shylock. We have only seen a merciless, bitter and vengeful man. By adding this very confined side of Shylock makes him an even more intuitive character.
I shall now go on to talk about Shylock’s relationship with Jessica. Shylock is a strict and very committed Jew. You would expect Shylock to have been brought up, similarly to how he intended on bringing up Jessica. It appears that Jessica is an only child. Like her father she is very independent. ‘Farewell; and if my fortune be not crost, I have a father, you a daughter lost’.
Shylock is very independent as he is self-employed due to the Venetian job crisis. Due to the information that Shakespeare supplies us about Shylock, it would appear that he has no family, nor friends. He lives within the slums of Venice with Jessica with many servants, it is clear that he is a very wealthy man due to having these servants, and a factor for why he is so despised the extreme price rates he puts upon his loans.
It is not surprising that Shylock would disown his only daughter because she had fallen in love with a Christian and intended to marry him. Shylock also feels betrayed by Jessica, as when she leaves, she steals from him 2000 ducats and precious jewels. “I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear”. Shylock is starting to have to act as if Jessica is dead. Once a Jew marries another Non-Jew or lives a way of life that is not Jewish, their family and friends shut away from them, and are treated as if they no longer exist. This is how Shylock had begun to act towards Jessica. Shylock allows Jessica little freedom, and no social life, it was predictable she would rebel against her father’s strict ways. ‘Our house is hell’. This shows Jessica’s feeling to the constant conflict between her and her father. Jessica is ashamed of her Fathers ways ‘Alack, what heinous sin is it in me to be ashamed to be my fathers child!’ This is for numerous reasons, Shylock’s orthodox religion, controlling his and Jessica’s lives. Not allowing Jessica to have a social life meeting people. Nor allowing Jessica to see or hear any Christian festivities. Jessica announces she is Shylock’s daughter, but does not have his way of seeing life. ‘I am a daughter to his blood, I am not to his manners’. This is because she can see and hear what the public thinks of her father. She also resents his methodology and does not want to be despised like Shylock. The only person that is still alive that he loves is lost to him, it is not surprising that a man with so much sorrow would want to take out his ferocity and pain on his enemy, Antonio. This is a valuable quality of the character Shylock.
When Shakespeare wrote the play ‘The Merchant Of Venice’, Shakespeare intended on Shylock being laughed at. Shylock was created for a captive audience, but also for the audience to be questioned by their prejudice minds. Should Shylock deserve their laughter, or their contempt or sympathy? Jews were considered to be the greediest people, and the worst of those who lent money. Shylock is one of the great pieces of work from Shakespeare due to the very reason of stereotype. Antonio has no idea what wretchedness occurs within Shylocks pitiful life. Shakespeare is like a modern day journalist, writing an article about Shylock, throwing him to the dogs for an audience to see the anguish of Shylock’s life, but underneath lies Shakespeare’s real message of prejudice and guilt. Shakespeare lured the audience into a false pretence by ridiculing Shylocks Jewish faith but then turns it round to make the audience feel empathy for Shylock. This is one of the many effective qualities of Shylock.
Elements of comedy were added to the ‘Merchant of Venice’. When Portia questions Shylock, ‘Have by some surgeon, Shylock on your charge, to stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death?’ For when Antonio loses a pound of flesh, Shylock turns to the bond and points at it with a knife ‘I cannot find it, ‘tis not in the bond’. This macabre humour also adds another layer to the character’s personality. We see Shylock’s bloodthirsty side, we learn about how he has been the victim of racist remarks from other character’s such as Antonio. But by adding this clever sense of humour, gets the audience out of the habit of thinking they know the character. The audience creates a bond with Shylock. But the manner, in which Shylock delivers the quote, is not expected by such a serious man whose passion lies within money. Combining humour is also an effective quality that Shylock has.
In the court scene Shylock is portrayed as a frail old man with grey tangled hair. He is short and stout wearing all black. The black signifies death and he looks very insignificant compared to the grand gold and greens that is on show from everybody else in the court. In Shakespeare’s time you could almost imagine the character being booed like a pantomime. When he enters everyone in the court mutters, and you can sense an atmosphere surrounding him. Shylock in the courtroom is very isolated. No one else in the court is Jewish, and nobody else is on his side of the dispute. He enters carrying scales and a knife, the courtroom all boo and hiss at him, presumably Antonio is an admired man and they do not wish this to be his fate. Shylock’s black attire represents death, sinister and mercilessness. His black garment also suggests pain, maybe he is still mourning the loss of his wife? The black that suggests his sinister and barbaric ways is always on the Christians minds. Not one would see another reason for why he would wear such sorrowful colour, apart from being sinister and behind the times. The Christians are unmelodious, they are always looking down at Shylock. Shylock wants to kill Antonio even more for this reason! Just to spite them, as he knows he will never be loved like Antonio is loved by his people. Another indication that black portrays is mercilessness, Shylock was offered the amount owed three times over! Yet he declined, as he wanted to pursue his bond. He spends time sharpening his knife on the sole of his shoe this not only aggravates the Christians, but it also causes tension, as we know that Shylock means business. He even cuts a hair in half with the knife, this shows how sharp the knife is and causes uncertainty within the audience, the merciless man is about to aspire his bond.
Antonio wears all green and gold which suggests honesty, innocence and goodness. The colours he wears are misleading as he can be seen as innocent in the eyes of another Christian. He has done nothing wrong but paid a debt late due to natural disaster. Antonio has even offered Shylock three times the amount of money originally owed. The Christians at this point probably consider Shylock to be the Anti-Christ. However, in the eyes of a Jew, Antonio is seen as a vicious tyrant and deserves to die. He has caused years of torment and distress to Shylock. There is a lot of tension within the courtroom, as when the audience looks at the situation from different perspectives, the audience doesn’t know what they want to happen!
Antonio does show a lot of honesty to his friends and lover. He turns up to court knowing that it could be the last thing he ever does. When Shylock thinks he is about to pursue the bond, all of Antonio’s friends brace Antonio for the pain he is about to endure. This reflects upon Antonio’s character, he is loved and the goodness he has done for others is shown at this part of the scene, it seems as if they are giving something back. This is also when there is a lot of dramatic tension, as all of the audience is on the edge of their seat, wondering what is going to happen next!
Portia wears red, which indicates love and danger. As soon as she enters the courtroom scene all attention of the court and of the audience watching the scene are automatically attracted to Portia’s blood red garment. She also appears to be very commanding as she strides into the courtroom. She is very assertive and over powers the rest of the court wearing the only primary colour in the room. The two indications in which red represents are looming within the room. The red side, which is love and romance for Bassanio. Little does Bassanio realise this due to her clever disguise. The other indication that is danger is directed at Shylock. At first Shylock is under the impression that Portia is supporting him but her deceiving red attire misguides him. ‘O noble judge! O excellent young man!’ It was a first, as somebody once stood by Shylock. Given a little time Shylock realises what he has got himself into, the red that he saw as love was engulfed by danger. At the end of the scene when Shylock is forced to become a Christian, it is almost made compulsory that he kisses the cross. You can see in his eyes the pain it causes him to do so. You can feel the suspense hooking the audience in at of the end of the scene. Again the audience should be very emotional at this point, as he has psychologically and literality lost everything in his life. He is a beaten man that thought he had a cunning plan that would get revenge on the Christian community, instead everything back fired.
In conclusion, Shylock has a minor part in the play compared to characters like Antonio and Portia. However this does not make his role in the play any less. Shylock is the reason for why the play is listed as a chaotic comedy. Shylock is one of the great inventions of the great playwright that was William Shakespeare. His diverse origin and culture creates tension between the character and audience, he is most likely played by a Christian to abuse the role. Taking advantage of stereotypical features. It is Antonio that has the last laugh in the Merchant of Venice. However it is Shylock that is on the minds of all the audience as they leave their seats. This is due to the many effective qualities he has, that are always keeping the audience on their toes. His supposed ‘villain’ of the play turns out to be the great victor that makes the play the legendary piece of art it is. Shakespeare had written many playwrights but in my opinion ‘The Merchant of Venice’ is the best due to the sole reason of Shylock’s chaotic lifestyle, and the conflict between his Jewish faith and that of a Christian’s.