The Merchant of Venice By William Shakespeare

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The Merchant of Venice

By William Shakespeare

I have just read the play “The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare and I have decided to write about Shylock, one of the main characters in the play.  He is a greedy, Jewish moneylender. In the play, Shylock lends out money to a Christian, who he dislikes immensely and this feeling is mutual.  If Antonio, the Christian, cannot repay Shylock the money that is owed to him within three months, Shylock will take a pound of Antonio’s flesh.

Shylock is disliked by the Christian’s of Venice and seems to have just one companion, Tubal. At the beginning of the play he does not seem to be a gentleman because he says:

        “I hate him for he is a Christian;

                But more, for that in low simplicity

        He lends out money gratis, and brings down

        The rate of usance here with us in Venice.”

He does not give us a good impression of himself at this stage in the play because he says he hates Signor Antonio for the reason that he is a Christian.  He curses Antonio because Antonio lends out money without interest and also because Antonio brings down the rate of interest for Shylock who is a moneylender.  I did not like Shylock in this part of the play because it seems that Shylock is being impertinent towards Antonio for no reason.

But further on in the play we realise that this is not true, when Shylock makes a lengthy speech about the way Antonio has him mistreated previously:

        “You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,

        And spat upon my Jewish gaberdine,”

So now I have pity for Shylock because it seems that he has been treated badly by the Christians.  I think he is giving as well as he gets and he then goes on to say:

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        “Fair sir, you spat on me some Wednesday last,

        You spurred me such a day, another time

        You called me dog.”

From what I see, Antonio treats Shylock dreadfully and I think Antonio is very rude asking for a loan after treating Shylock so badly.  Shylock calls Antonio “Fair sir” in a sarcastic way and then goes on to give a list of all the dire doings Antonio has done to Shylock.  I feel very sorry for Shylock because it seems he put up with a lot more grief than the Christians have.

Shylock then makes a ...

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