Shylock’s opposite character, a wealthy Christian named Antonio, is not beset by a burning hatred of different and foreign religions like the majority of other people living in Venice at the time. He made his fortune on the seas as a tradesman. He also took on the role of the city’s unofficial money lender, under-cutting Shylock’s business because he didn’t charge any interest. Obviously, Shylock wasn’t very friendly with Antonio, as he was indirectly robbing him of thousands of ducats. I think that Shakespeare made Antonio a controversial character, by not marrying him, and leaving open the interpretation that he was homosexual. This kind of behaviour was absolutely forbidden in such a proper civilisation, but nowadays homosexuals are not viewed with such persecution and hatred. Shakespeare did not make it absolutely clear that Antonio was gay, and so the argument can be viewed from both perspectives.
The first action concerning Shylock was a money lending deal, which involved Bassanio. It is one of the most bitter scenes in the entire play. Shylock’s first line in the play is “Three thousand ducats, well’. It degenerates into a war of words, so to speak, between members of the opposing religions. Shylock cannot resist a derogatory comment about Antonio’s dealings, perceiving him as a spiteful, twisted animal. This is amplified in the comment “I hate him, for he is a Christian,”, ”He lends out money gratis (no interest), and brings down the rate of usance here with us in Venice.” And “I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him”. However, he also describes the torture of his tenure as a Jew, accusing Antonio of spitting on him in the streets. It is noticeable that Antonio does not deny these allegations; instead Antonio swears that he is likely to do it again. "I am as like to call thee so again, To spet on thee, to spurn thee too". This confirms that even though Antonio was dependent on Shylock he still acknowledged the differences between the two religions. We learnt that Shylock had suffered at the hands of Antonio, but it did not appear it was just Shylock suffering, Shylock said: "For suffrance is the badge of all our tribe." In this scene we realise the suffering aimed at all of Shylock’s tribe, Jews, and that they were used to it. In the end, they strike a deal tying Antonio to the bond, either by paying back the three thousand ducats in full (gratis), or by Antonio forfeiting a pound of flesh.
By the end of the scene, Shakespeare has painted a picture of persecution and hatred of the Jew. The audience (especially of today) would be able to sympathise – if not empathise – with Shylock’s character. This can be viewed in two ways; as a poor, persecuted man attempting to make a living at one of the very few occupations open to him, or a greedy, cold, materialistic beast, caring of nothing but his monies.
The next few scenes including Shylock are significant in determining the Jew’s perceived innocence. In Act 2, Scene 5, Shylock leaves his house and all of its treasures in the hands of his daughter, Jessica. Unfortunately, Shylock didn’t realise that Jessica was relishing the prospect of escaping him, possibly due to years of possible neglect and mistrust. This would suggest that he was a villain. However, the contempt which Jessica views her own father, her “own blood” is nothing short of scandalous, especially from a parent’s point of view. Surely he is a poor old man, of whom Jessica is taking advantage? Any lingering questions were answered when Shylock came home and discovered his losses.
You see in this scene Shylock’s discontent with everybody, including his daughter. “…I have a Father, you a Daughter, lost.” This is the final comment made before they separate after a long argument over a comment Lancelot made. This quote is also tinged with spite, because he really does lose his daughter, but leaves too quickly to listen. Even though Shylock uses the discrimination as a reason for some of his actions Jessica is still seen as a Jew, but is held in higher regard by Christians than the scum Shylock is made out to be. When Shylock realises that Jessica has not only left him, but stolen his ducats, he is left paralysed with rage. His rage is aimed directly at the loss of his ducats rather than at the untimely disappearance of his daughter. This leads us to one of the most famous quotes from Shakespeare’s works.
“To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. 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. Hath not a Jew eyes? 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, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.”
Lancelot - a Christian - complements Jessica, thereby proving there can be respect between the different cultures and that the slander against Shylock is not purely because he is a Jew. Jessica is not a stereotypical woman of that century, she is strong willed and knows what she wants. In contradiction, it seems that a primary reason for Jessica to marry Lorenzo is for her to become a Christian, which would suggest persecution. “...I shall end this strife, become a Christian…” this maybe a cause or maybe an effect of her hate for her Father.
This leads us to a concluding scene involving Antonio, Bassanio (and his bride, Portia) and Shylock. Antonio’s ships had all capsized in the ocean, leaving him with no means of paying back Shylock’s loan, and rendering him faithful to the bond, entitling the Jew to a pound of the Christian’s flesh. When the news hit upon Shylock that Antonio’s ships had capsized in the seas, he relished the prospect of swift, painful and, most satisfying of all, legal revenge. Antonio pleaded with the tyrant not to end his life, but let him pay off the bond fourfold. To this, Shylock’s reply was “I’ll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak; I’ll have my bond, and therefore speak no-more”.
This heartless, merciless attack from Shylock damages his already failing reputation. “I’ll plague him, I’ll torture him, I am glad of it”. Shylock was not going to let slip this opportunity of revenge, saying, “cursed be my tribe if I forgive him!” Jessica, Shylock’s daughter, confirmed, “when I was with him, I have heard him swear to Tubal and to Chus, his countrymen, that he would rather have Antonio’s flesh than twenty times the value of the sum that did owe him”. Clearly, Shylock seeked revenge and nothing less, he proclaimed, “If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge.”
It could be argued, however, that Antonio deserves this unorthodox and brutal punishment. Immediately after his speech, Shylock went on to say, “he hath disgraced me, hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies – and what his reason? I am a Jew.”
The play ends with Portia denying Shylock’s right to shed any of Antonio’s blood, and Shylock in financial ruin.
Shylock is one undoubtedly of the most confusing characters in all of Shakespeare's plays. Outwardly, he appears to be a villain concerned only about money and revenge. It is a well-argued fact, however, that Shakespeare takes this ‘stereotypical’ Jew much further, making him a complex character whose sufferings at the hands of racists motivate his anger and subsequent bitterness towards Christians.
While Shakespeare gives no definitive portrayal of Shylock’s character, he does make important suggestions in support and in denial of this antagonist. His profile of the Jew leads to new levels unknown by any of the audiences at the time, an angle of persecution, a perception questioning the integrity of Christian’s prejudicing a minority, in this case Jews
Having said that, it is my belief that Shylock is not the victim of the play; he is the villain. The facts are that although he was mocked and scorned, the real reason that he was hated was no that he was a Jew, rather a merciless beast who overcharged his loans and cheated poor people out of hard-earned money
