The question of Shylock being a victim is doubted once again when Shylock finds out that his daughter is missing as well as his money, Shylock shows more affection and worry towards his money than towards his daughter. This is shown in, Act 2 scene 8, – two sealed bags of ducats stolen from my daughter find the girl she hath the stones upon her and the ducats. Yet, the audience sympathizes with Shylock, as he is heartbroken to hear that Jessica has sold his wife’s ring.
Solano and Salerino are other Venetians that criticize Antonio at any opportunity they may be given. They torment him by reminding him of his daughter leaving him, this shows that he is a lone and vulnerable. The two pair does this when Shylock says in Act 2 scene 1 “she is damned for it” (eloping with Lorenzo) to which Salerino replies “if the devil may be her judge”. This implies that Antonio is not fit to judge as he is seen by the Venetians as some kind of an evil being like a devil. This also goes back to when Jessica mention her father as a devil – she is adapted the hatred to her father that the Venetians have. This is turns out to be certain as Salerino comments “There is more difference between thy flesh and hers than between jet and ivory; more between your bloods than there is between red wine and Rhenish” this signifies that even thought that Jessica may be his flesh and blood, she had more in common in the Venetians then with her own father. The audience at this point feels some consideration for Shylock as he is again being abused by Venetians and is left lonely because of the revenge he seeks. But Anger and frustration looms within Shylock when he makes another of his most compelling and dramatic speeches in the play. In the monologue Shylock uses a number of short and extended rhetorical questions such as “hath not a Jews eyes?” Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions…..as a Christian?” thus here he reminds Salerino and Solano that even though he may not be a Venetian, that other people of different religions or races
Are human just like them and feel the same pain and emotions as they do. This inevitably silences Salerino and Solano but also brings an emphasis to the audience that the audience feels great sympathy that the Venetians mock him to the point that he has to recall that he is a human and this section of the speech is almost a plea for tolerance that the Venetians accept him for what he is. However the audience feels dismay when Shylock states “If a Jew wrongs a Christian, what is his humility? If a Christian wrongs a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge” his pledge to act the same as a Christian for revenge reminds the audience that Shylock may feel as a human but his hunger for revenge almost possesses him to the point that he will “..will better the instruction” as a result the endless continuation for revenge that has engulfed Shylock causes him to seen as a villain also the revengeful ending Shylock leaves at the end is what the audience keep in the mind.
In Act 4 Scene 1 from the start, the duke speaks to Antonio first about the court case. This gives the impression that Antonio is the mostly favoured to win the court case because Shylock however naïve he may be that he will win, is in an unfair trial. It is evident that duke supports Antonio because when the duke is speaking to Antonio, the duke refers to Shylock as “a stony adversary” and “an inhuman wretch”. In addition, the duke shows no respect for Shylock because of the insult he has numerously applies (example made above). Also On frequent occasions, the duke identifies Shylock as “the Jew” this shows the Anti-Semitism that ruled over the court. The audience see the ill treatment that Shylock undergoes with all the Venetians but the duke, who is supposed to be neutral is however like everyone else and indubitably the audience are remorseful to Shylock.
When Gratiano enquires a sudden outburst just at the start of the court case, it shows the lack of sympathy and the huge anger that the court bears against Shylock. The audience is shown this as Gratiano relates Shylock to violent animals such as “dogs” and “wolves" expressing that like an animal he is a cold-blooded hunter. Gratiano also puts into the speech the aspect that Shylock is behaving in this manner because an animal has taken over Shylock and like Shylock they only desires are “bloody, starv'd and ravenous”. The audience contemplates that Shylock may have villainous behaviors because what Gratiano is addressing is some how true.
When Shylock is asked why he wishes to take the pound of flesh, Shylock replies “I’ll not answer that” Shylock has no reason but “a lodged hate and a certain loathing” for Antonio which he cannot explain. Shylock cleverly backs this up with examples of why some people dislike cats or certain types of music (lines49-50) as they cannot explain why he cannot too. As Shylock behaves in a stubborn and arrogant character, he discourages the audience and people in the courtroom to sympathise with him.
Shylock makes a good point again when the duke then asks Shylock a question: "How shalt thou hope for mercy, rendering none?" In reply, Shylock argues the mistreatment of many Venetian slaves by the Venetians themselves, rationalized by the fact that they bought the slaves and can treat them as they please, as with the bond, Antonio signed it and so the pound of flesh, which he has “dearly bought”, belongs to Shylock. Yet, however good the speech is, the determination of Shylock receiving his pound of flesh shows the audience of his anger and short of forgiveness, perceiving him to be a villain.
As soon as Portia is introduced into the courtroom as Balthazar (the young doctor), she is in control of the room therefore indicating powerful position she holds as well as being the lawyer of Shylock. She takes full advantage of this by stringing Shylock around to think he is going to win but she inserts a twist to finally get what she wants
Portia makes an attempt to soften Shylock’s heart by making a speech about mercy, to which Shylock gives no attention.
Portia cleverly elevates Shylock to a godlike status, telling him that mercy is the like an asset where only the highest have:
“It is enthroned in the hearts of kings” and “tis mightiest in the mightiest”.
Shylock responds with “my deeds upon my head”, this statement shows the carelessness he has for mercy, but this shows that mercy means giving up his bond. Nevertheless, his ruthlessness towards the speech makes the audience feel insensitive towards him making him to be a villain.
But what brings out the villain in Shylock is when Bassanio offers him a twice the money, despite that shylock refuses; this illustrates to the audience that Shylock is so hungry for revenge that he will surpass even his greatest obsession or his one true love in life –money, again refuting him to be a victim.
When Portia announces that Shylock go a head to take his pound of flesh
Shylock rushes to sharpen his knife, demonstrating his eagerness of taking a pound of flesh, fulfilling his insecurity about how people treat him and obtaining his revenge. This sets him out to be almost inhuman and consequently in ravelled in pain that he cannot see what he is about to do.
Portia’s character transforms from good, gentle and noble to hypocritical, manipulative and vindictive. The audience see this when, when she delays the loophole explanation by letting Shylock get his hopes up then cleverly brings him to an all time low by ‘letting him dig his own grave’. Her loophole explanation is very cunning and surprising that Shylock go forth with the bond that all his goods will be confiscated. However when Portia declares the death sentence this is ultimately going against her mercy speech by showing she is a hypocrite but this death sentence may be the result of the encouragement stemming from Gratiano’s bursts of overwhelm. Still, the audience are once again to show sympathy for Shylock as his revenge has led him to his own death but it also shows that Portia is of the same character as Shylock as she will go to great lengths to get what she wants just like Shylock.
There is a contrast in Portia’s speeches because she raises Shylock’s status in her mercy speech while in the lines 342 to 259 when she tells him “down, therefore and beg mercy from the duke” - she degrades and humiliates him. Giving him the lowest status out of the court, also the image of a dog is brought back into audience’s minds furthering the remorse felt for Shylock.
Shylock is given his final revelation and his defeat. Antonio shows mercy to Shylock by giving half of his money to his daughter and the other half to the state. Antonio shows mercy once again by proclaiming Shylock become a Christian.
When Shylock leaves the courtroom in Act IV, Scene 1, he is stripped of all that he has. He is a defeated man. Yet we cannot feel deep sympathy for him—some, perhaps, but not much. This is because Shylock has led himself into going into his own trap, and coming out defeated instead of fighting for what he set out to do – revenge but respect for his people in turn he has subsided to his own enemy’s side making out to be a coward.
Shakespeare uses language almost to insult Shylock and Shylock to insult the Venetians. The speeches in which major characters such as Portia and Shylock are given devices such as rhetorical questions, emotive language and magic three. Shakespeare also implements language again into Gratiano’s outburst; he uses direct address and powerful emotive language, which shows the amount of disgust he feels towards shylock such as “thy desires...wolfish, bloody, starved and ravenous”. Shakespeare also uses metaphors and similes in Gratiano’s speech to show the audience the picture of Shylock most Venetians had of Shylock. Shakespeare changes the control of Shylock which Shylock had before in Act 4 scene 1 to someone equally clever and spoilt as Shylock, Portia. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to bring about comedy in the play since when Nerissa and Portia dress up as men and the discontent of Portia giving up her life for Antonio when Bassanio declares him and his wife would. Portia also gives Bassanio a ring which she gives to him to know that he is faithful, but when she is the lawyer Portia declares to have the ring which brings humour to the audience as Bassanio has no idea that it’s Portia and that is scared she might think that he is unfaithful.
In conclusion Shylock is a victim of society’s prejudices but the prejudices have inflicted and taken over his life to an extent of taking another person’s life. Shylock is very naïve in thinking that he would have been victorious since the Venetian law was put their not to benefit Jews but Venetians. Instead of Shylock asking for a pound of flesh he should have thought about turning Antonio into a Jew as then Antonio would have seen how thee prejudices of society affects the turn out of a person such as Shylock. Shakespeare uses contrast in Shylock’s behavior as one time the audience views Shylock as a intelligent worthy man who is only driven by his anger and injustice while the other time the audience views him as a vindictive man hungry for revenge. There is great controversy if Shylock is a villain or victim. But in my view o see him a villain who has come to his own destruction and nevertheless is blinded by his revenge in turn leaving him lonely. However I see Shylock as a man only craving to be respected and happy to get on with his own life.