The Merchant of Venice - Does Shakespeare come across as prejudice in this play?

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

Does Shakespeare come across as prejudice in this play?

Isobel Manley – August 2002

The main theme of the Merchant of Venice is of Shylock, a Jew, and Antonio, a Christian taking part in a deal involving the Jew lending the Christian a sum of money. The bond they make is that if Antonio cannot pay Shylock back, Shylock can take legally a pound of Antonio’s flesh as payment. The other plots in the play consist of Jessica, Shylock’s daughter eloping with Lorenzo, another Christian and Antonio’s friend Bassanio, who is courting a rich lady, Portia of Beaumont who are both of course Christian. Shylock and Tubal, his Jewish associate, both receive verbal abuse from the Christian groups e.g.

Solanio: ‘The villain Jew with outcries raised the duke, who sent him to search Bassanio’s ship’

and:

Solanio: ‘I never heard a passion so confused, so strange, outrageous, and so variable, as a dog Jew did utter in the streets’

The Christians such as Solanio and Salerio never refer to Shylock by his name. They call him Jew as if his name did not matter i.e. as if he is not worthy of a name, and when referring to him, it is always with contempt. I think this puts the writer across as prejudice against non-Christian people and their beliefs. On the other hand, this story could also put across the point that Shakespeare ridicules prejudice and discrimination because some phrases in the play where Christians are prejudice seem to be emphasised ridiculously.

Another point of racial prejudice is conveyed in the sub plot of Portia’s courtship. Left riches by her late father, she is obliged to obey his will that suitors may come to her mansion and court her, but before marrying her, must choose and accept what is inside one of three caskets, one silver, one lead and one gold. This would mean that a suitor if he chooses the wrong box, would have to leave and live forever as a bachelor.

One suitor, a prince of Morocco, arrives only to choose the wrong casket and as he is leaving Portia jokes with her servant Nerissa:

Portia: ‘A gentle riddance. Draw the curtains, go.

Let all of his complexion choose me so’

This comes across as Portia mocking the prince’s black skin and blotches the kind and considerate image of Portia that has been projected to the reader in earlier scenes.

Throughout the play, Shylock is continually mocked and projected as an evil man.

His daughter, Jessica eloping with Christian Lorenzo, and taking money and jewels with ...

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One suitor, a prince of Morocco, arrives only to choose the wrong casket and as he is leaving Portia jokes with her servant Nerissa:

Portia: ‘A gentle riddance. Draw the curtains, go.

Let all of his complexion choose me so’

This comes across as Portia mocking the prince’s black skin and blotches the kind and considerate image of Portia that has been projected to the reader in earlier scenes.

Throughout the play, Shylock is continually mocked and projected as an evil man.

His daughter, Jessica eloping with Christian Lorenzo, and taking money and jewels with her, seems to be a the subject of a sub plot written with the purpose to ridicule and mock Shylock even more than would normally be acceptable. Even when Shylock attempts to stand up for himself and his beliefs, the way in which he does this seems to give the other characters in the play even more reason to mock him.

Shylock: ‘Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last,

You spurned me such a day, another time

You called me a dog, and for these courtesies,

I’ll lend you thus much moneys?’

The Christians’ reactions to these statements are continually of ridicule and contempt towards the Jew throughout ‘The Merchant Of Venice’. Shylock is portrayed as evil and selfish with no feelings. Surely if a man can both cry, stand up for himself and believe in something so strongly, he may not be so cold-hearted.

Shylock obviously feels a strong resentment towards the Christians.

In Act One Scene Three, Bassanio has just introduced Antonio to Shylock.

Shylock: ‘How like a fawning publican he looks.

I hate him for he is a Christian

But more, for that is in low simplicity

He lends out money gratis, and brings down

The rate of usance here with us in Venice.

If I can catch him once upon the hip,

I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.

He hates our sacred nation, and he rails

Even there where merchants most do congregate,

On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift

Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe

If I forgive him.’

While speaking this part, Shylock reveals his plan to the audience. He speaks of the ancient grudge between the Jewish religion and the Christian religion. He promises himself that if he ever became tolerant of the Christian religion and its followers, a curse would fall on him. Shylock is telling the audience of his plans to catch Antonio out and achieve revenge on the Christian group. At this point in the play we, as the audience, become more aware of the sly, twisted side of the Jew, which seems to make apparent the vengeful side of the character and his plan to avenge the wrongs committed against him.

In ‘The Merchant Of Venice’, Shakespeare presents his views through his characters. The Christians, who are portrayed as the heroes, mock Shylock the Jew continually. Shylock is treated with no respect and made to feel worthless.

Bassanio is constantly loyal to Antonio throughout the play. He seems to care more for his friend than for Portia.

The act of disloyalty done towards Shylock when his daughter elopes with a Christian is a predictable outcome because Shylock has all the distressing acts carried out against him, whereas the Christians seem to lead happy and easy lives.

The loss of the money and jewels taken by Jessica seem to affect Shylock more than the loss of his daughter. Shakespeare, is again projecting the Jew as selfish and ruthless, caring more for his own money than his family i.e. his own flesh and blood.

Act Three Scene One:

Shylock: ‘Why there, there, there, there, a diamond cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfort. The curse never fell upon our nation till now, I never felt it till now. Two thousand ducats in that, and other precious, precious jewels. I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear. Would she were hearsed at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin. No news of them?

Why so- and I know not what’s spent in the search.

Why thou loss upon loss. The thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief, and no satisfaction, no revenge, nor no ill luck stirring but what lights on my shoulders, no sighs but of my breathing, no tears but of my shedding’.

There is an extremely large degree of betrayal and deceit in ‘The Merchant Of Venice’, mainly on Shylock’s part. He is portrayed as sly and cunning and also takes delight in the idea that his evil plans to take Antonio’s flesh may actually happen.

Tubal: ‘Yes, other men have ill luck too. Antonio, as I heard in Genoa.

Shylock: What, what, what, ill luck, ill luck?

Tubal: Hath an argosy cast away coming from Tripolis.

Shylock: I thank God, I thank God. Is it true, is it true?

Tubal: I spoke with some sailors that escaped the wreck.

Shylock: I thank thee good Tubal, good news, good news! Ha, ha! Heard in Genoa?’

This scene informs the reader of Shylock’s delight in hearing the ill luck of Antonio, realising that Antonio’s flesh could soon belong to him.

Unfortunately for Shylock, the play does not end like this. He is notified that in the bond with Antonio, this did not give him the right to spill Antonio’s blood, so he can go ahead with taking his flesh, but if one drop of his blood is spilt, Shylock will be prosecuted.

Shylock breaks down at the news. He is forced by the Christians to bless Jessica in her marriage to Lorenzo and, as if he had not suffered enough punishment, he is ultimately disgraced, by being forced to give up his religion and become a Christian.

In my opinion, the play is prejudice and immoral. However, I also think there is a hidden meaning, the Christians are even more contemptible than Shylock. They are displayed throughout the play as being selfish and disrespectful towards Shylock. The play seems to mean different things to different people. Shakespeare could well be ridiculing the Jewish religion, but he could be mocking Christians also. Alternatively, it could be Shakespeare’s intention not to mock either religion. I think the answer remains ultimately with the audience.