In Act III Scene I Shylock delivers his most moving speech. “He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies—and what’s his reason? I am a Jew.” Antonio dislikes Shylock for his religion, yet he does not follow his own. Christianity is about showing kindness to others and treating others as you would like to be treated. Antonio is a Christian and that is his motive to spit upon Shylock yet he does not abide by his own religion’s beliefs.
“Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means…” The message Shylock is trying to give to the audience is just because he is a Jew does not mean he is not a human being. If a Jew and a Christian both have the same emotions, body, and mind then they should be considered equal. Christians mock the Jewish religion in front of Shylock; they look down upon him, spit on him, and dismiss him. They do not realise that just because he is a Jew does not mean he has no feelings and he does not get hurt by what they are saying.
On the other hand, Shylock disrespects Christians as well. “I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, or pray with you.” This shows that Shylock does not want anything to do with Bassanio or any other Christians. He would not eat or drink with them because he only eats kosher and he would not pray with them because he follows a different religion. He hates all Christians for their beliefs but he holds a grudge mainly against Antonio as he mocks the Jewish religion. This sums up Shylock’s personality. However, Shakespeare has given reasons for Shylock’s actions, he is scorned and physically abused by other Christians, and thus he does not have unfound hatred.
Antonio and others are allowed to show him contempt, but Shylock does not speak abuse back to them as he is being the better person. “Still I have borne it with a patient shrug.” He does not take the ill-treatment to heart as it has happened to him all his life and he has learned to endure it. “For suff’rance is the badge of all our tribe.” Jews have been given abuse for as long as their religion has been and eventually over time they have grown used it but it still does affect them as they are human beings and possess human emotions.
Portia, the woman Bassanio loves, is supposedly a good character but shows malicious, scheming, and controlling traits throughout the play. When she and Nerissa are considering her various suitors she is racist about the Prince of Morocco’s skin colour. “If he have the condition of a saint, and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me.” From this we can tell she is racist and judgmental. Later on in Act II Scene I when she is talking to the Prince of Morocco personally she says, “In terms of choice I am not solely led by nice direction of a maiden’s eyes.” This contradicts what she says earlier as now she is saying that she does look past his skin colour but before she said she would rather “he should shrive me than wive me” with a “complexion of a devil.”
Portia is also critical about every other suitor she has encountered except Bassanio. In Act I Scene II she says, “I had rather be married to a death’s head with a bone in his mouth than to either of these. God defend me from these two!” This proves that Portia is very self-centred and will only have a husband who is “a scholar and a soldier.”
We can tell that the Prince of Morocco is conscious of the prejudice against him because of his skin colour. Before he chooses the casket he says, “Mislike me not for my complexion, the shadow’d livery of the burnish’d sun.” He asks Portia not to judge him based on his skin colour for he has been tanned by the sun. His complexion does not change his personality. He proves that he is educated by mentioning mythology, “Phoebus’ fire scarce.” He is trying to show Portia here that he may look different from her but he is socially equal to her and has been as highly educated as she has.
The Prince of Morocco talks of his complexion as to persuade Portia not to be influenced by it, but he would not prefer to look any different, “I would not change this hue.” This also shows that he is proud of himself, “Hath fear’d the valiant,” and he is comfortable with the colour of his skin. “To prove whose blood is reddest, his or mine.” He shows here that underneath we are all equal, whether our skin is darker or not. The Prince of Morocco appears to genuinely care about Portia in this scene and tries to show her that he does not want her for her money.
Her response to his speech seems nice, but in depth it is manipulative. She says, “Yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fair as any comer I have looked on yet for my affection.” This appears to be a compliment but in Act I Scene II Portia discusses how she dislikes all her suitors and so this comment shows that she does not actually think so highly of him.
The daughter of Shylock, Jessica, is also shown prejudice for being a Jew. Although she has run away from her father and will convert to a Christian, her acquaintances through Lorenzo still look down on her. When Jessica comes into a scene no one acknowledges her, nor speaks to her directly. Jessica truly loves Lorenzo for when she runs away from her father she takes all his jewellery and money. She may not like Shylock but he is her father and this is a big act to carry out against him when he has taken care of her all her life. Jessica has been a thief to be with Lorenzo, but when we see her with him it makes the audience wonder if she will ever be accepted into the Christian society.
Prejudice is shown throughout the play from almost all characters. The play is based upon this theme for if Antonio was not prejudiced against Shylock, Shylock would not hate Antonio. If Shylock did not hate Antonio he would not then demand a pound of flesh from him. It is an exploration of intolerance and prejudice and the hatred they cause. Shakespeare is not opinionated on this subject as shown in the play, but he is possibly trying to make people aware of it. The Merchant of Venice illustrates the level of racial discrimination in Elizabethan times.
