At the beginning and throughout the play, Shylock is ridiculed and jeered at by Antonio and his Christian friends. Solerio and Solanio, two characters whose purpose in the play is give information and move the story along, constantly mock, torment and make fun of Shylock’s religion.
‘As the dog Jew did utter in the streets: My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter!’
Solanio, Act II Scene VII
This quote is a fine example of the Christians somewhat unjustified behaviour towards Shylock where they judge him on the stereotypical view of Jews at the time and do not often take into account his whole character. Here, they are laughing at Shylock’s obsession with money, and the fact that he has lost his daughter Jessica because she has eloped with a Christian. As Solerio and Solanio are only minor characters in the play, Shylock is seen as a victim because even they can make fun of him and are somehow superior to him.
As the enemy, they are biased and have a tendency to pick out the bad parts of his nature. He is referred to as ‘The Dog’ and has references to the devil. He is taunted also about his business. He, unlike Christian moneylenders, charges interest for his services. Antonio publicly humiliates Shylock and criticises him about the way he lends money. In Act I Scene III, Shylock says to Antonio:
‘In the Rialto you have rated me
About my moneys and usances”
Yet all the time he responds with nothing, this could mean that either he is too good natured and so does not stand up for himself suggesting he is a victim; but the more likely situation is that he is biding his time to get revenge on the Christians. This is when the bond is set up between Antonio and Shylock. Antonio is somewhat taken aback by the terms of the bond. In this scene Shylock is quite wise and cunning. He appears to have a foresight as if he can see what is going to happen. He creates through the bond the important symbol of the pound of flesh. There are other examples of this premonition such as;
‘There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest,
For I did dream of money-bags to-night’
Shylock, Act II, Scene V
His relationship with his daughter, Jessica is rather strained. His behaviour leads her to act as she does, in turn affecting the entire cast of characters when she becomes a Christian. This is the ultimate betrayal for Shylock.
In Act III, Scene I, Shylock makes one of the most famous speeches in Shakespeare’s writing. Shylock seems intent on revenge and recounts the times of insult at the hands of Antonio and his friends. He uses questions to emphasis his points such as,
“Hath not a Jew eyes?”
Shylock’s daughter, Jessica, elopes with Lorenzo, a Christian, and Shylock is left with no money, and alone. She has stolen all Shylock’s jewels and money, and also his turquoise ring, which was given to him by his wife Leah. The ring was very precious to Shylock, and he is very angry with Jessica for selling it for a monkey. This portrays him as a victim because even his own daughter cannot stand to be around him, and hates him. Jessica says she is ashamed to be her father’s daughter, and describes her house as hell:
‘Alack, what heinous sin is it in me to be ashamed to be my father’s child!’
During the play, Shylock becomes more and more isolated. Firstly, his servant Launcelot leaves his service to work with Bassanio, and then his daughter leaves him to elope with Lorenzo. Both Bassanio and Lorenzo are Christians, which again suggests that he is a victim of racism.
In the courtroom, Shylock loses everything: his money, his house, his religion, and he is forced to leave his money to Jessica and Lorenzo. He is forced to convert to Christianity, and I think this was the worst punishment for Shylock because his religion is very important to him, and he already hates Christians. Forcing Shylock to convert to Christianity is practically racism because it is like saying that Christianity is the ‘right’ religion and you are not supposed to be Jewish.
