Shylock: Villain or Victim?

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Shylock: Villain or Victim?

For years, Shylock, one of Shakespeare's most complex characters has questioned audiences. He may be seen as a 2-dimensional but there is something more real about him. The fact that he is a Jew is clearly stated right at the beginning of Act 1: Scene 3, when Shylock first enters the play. As the play unfolds, Shylock is presented to be the villain of the story because he is portrayed as cold, greedy and evil. But is he? Is Shylock really the villain in the play or can he also be portrayed as the victim?

In Shakespeare's times, the sixteenth century, Jews were rarely seen in England. In the Middle Ages, Jews had fled to England to escape France as they were being persecuted by the ruling Normans. They were given permission to live in England by Henry I, in exchange for a percentage of their profits from trading and usury (money lending). It was from this that the Jews were stereotyped as usurers. As the Jews had to pay some of their profit to the king, they would charge high interest rates to make sure that they had enough money for themselves and