Shylock: Victim or Villain? A Merchant of Venice.

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Iain Watts  Christian Fellowship School                 Centre no 34244        Candidate 2422

Shylock: Victim or Villain?

There are several perspectives to the character of Shylock in “A Merchant of Venice.”  Most of these are deliberately planted in the script by Shakespeare to provoke a negative or positive response from the audience.  The author deliberately casts different lights on him throughout the play; sometimes he is the persecuted, sympathy provoking outcast of society; sometimes a cruel, calculating fiend.  The background in which the play is set, the Elizabethan era, was in principal a Christian one.  However, racial prejudice thrived against most non-Christians, particularly against the Jewish people.  Anti-Semitism was socially accepted, mainly because of the bad image of the Jews that had slowly been built up by, and amongst, the Christians.  Indeed it did actually get to the point at one stage where keeping a Jewish identity was actually illegal in Elizabethan England.  Jews could were not allowed to practise Judaism or profess to be of any Jewish origin.  There was a stereotypical pre-judgement of Jews to be moneylenders that led to an all round dislike, and sometimes hate of them.  At the time, Shylock would have fallen socially into the lowest of categories, a common thief.  Shylock is the stereotype Jew of the time.  He is a notorious moneylender –the only occupation allowed to the Jews at the time- and is known as an infamous trickster amongst the Christians.    Shakespeare often places heavy emphasis on the fact that he is a Jew, and therefore different.  In Act 1 Scene 111, Shylock says in answer to a proposal to dine with a Christian;

“I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you,

walk with you and so following; but I will not eat with you,

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drink with you nor pray with you.”

We get our first insight into Shylock’s character when he meets with Antonio in Act 1 Scene 111 to discuss a loan.  Antonio is a “good” Christian who wishes to financially help out Bassanio, an old friend, court a wealthy heiress.  In a speech aside Shylock describes his contempt for Antonio.  He gives several reasons.   First and foremost, Antonio is a Christian.  He is part of the large majority of the country who in Shylock’s eyes have shunned and changed his faith to the point of blasphemy.  Secondly, Antonio himself lends ...

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