From the study of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ is shylock presented as a villain or victim? To what extent will this view have changed from that of the original audience?
From the study of 'The Merchant of Venice' is shylock presented as a villain or victim? To what extent will this view have changed from that of the original audience?
The play is set in the late 15th century and is mainly about the character of shylock a money lending Jew; he is trying to live a simplistic life as a simplistic character in Venice a country that would have despised and alienated Jewish people. Christians very much believed in their religion/faith and would have disliked any Jewish person. Therefore the original audience would have hated shylock because of his religious beliefs and his job of money lending, as Christians wouldn't have been able to this job, as it would disagree with their belief.
Shakespeare captured the way Jews were portrayed in this play well and managed to display it in a certain way, which wouldn't offend, but captured both sympathy and understanding from the audience at the time. Shakespeare play would be looked at in a very different way in a modern performance as the audience wouldn't discriminate towards Jews/ shylock as Christians are taught differently to when the play was originally written and children would have learnt about different religions and cultures and could cope with a Jewish character.
Shylock's first appearance in the play is in act 1 scene 3 and his first line is;
" Three thousand ducats", this could be taken by audiences in two ways, as a Jewish man making his living and deciding on a lending. Or a greedy man who is discussing his money. This although seems a bit far fetched and malicious of the character the Christians in Shakespeare's time could have taken the line in this way. During this opening speech of the scene shylock uses a form of repetition, which isn't direct repetition of his own words, however it is repetition of Bassanio's words and shylock is repeating this for his own remembrance or to 'get it into his head' so that he can make a decision on whether to lend Bassanio this money;
"Three months-well"
"Antonio bound-well"
"Three thousand ducats, for three months and Antonio bound."
Also in this scene shylocks asks rhetorical questions;
"Hath a dog's money?" this is directed towards Bassanio and is not meant for an answer as it is to put him on the spot and make him feel guilty, he is referring to previous moments when he has been discriminated against by Bassanio and his Christian friends. He uses other rhetorical questions in the scene, which refers to the same meanings;
"What should I say to you?"
"You call me a dog and ...
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"Antonio bound-well"
"Three thousand ducats, for three months and Antonio bound."
Also in this scene shylocks asks rhetorical questions;
"Hath a dog's money?" this is directed towards Bassanio and is not meant for an answer as it is to put him on the spot and make him feel guilty, he is referring to previous moments when he has been discriminated against by Bassanio and his Christian friends. He uses other rhetorical questions in the scene, which refers to the same meanings;
"What should I say to you?"
"You call me a dog and for these courtesies I'll lend you this moneys?"
In act 2 scene 5 we go in more depth about the character of shylock and his relationship with his daughter and how he is protective of her. However he portrays himself as not caring and uses her as another of his possessions, which he can show off, but treats her little respect and acts although he cares more about his fortunes (money, gold and diamonds) this would cause a bad audience response and they would feel that at this moment he is a villain. He is being unkind and violent toward his own family and wouldn't be a very liked character as he is also a Jew. Also in this scene shylock is going to do business with Bassanio and Antonio, this could make the audience think he is a greedy man who is always thinking about making money this is because he has been seen doing business In both of his scenes so far.
Shylock is unaware however, that at this time his daughter Jessica is planning to run away to elope with a Christian friend of Antonio and Bassanio's.
In act 2 scene 8 shylock is not present however there are two Christians who are talking about him and the eloping of his daughter (Jessica). They are using language that would suggest they are discriminating against him, Shakespeare has written this scene because he wants to show how Christians would have acted towards and spoke about shylock. They call him a "dog" and a "Jew" which would be meant in an nasty way!
In act 3 scene 1 the audience would begin to feel sorry towards shylock because he feels that he is being mocked and feels like the Christians have helped his daughter elope, "you knew none so well, as you of my daughters flight" he also is angry and disappointed by his daughter's actions and says " my own blood and flesh to rebel" he is trying to say that the bond between his daughter however didn't seem strong but it was, and he loved her dearly. He also mentions the way he has been bullied and picked on by the Christians and Antonio. "Laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains" this is a key quote from shylock which explains how he has been treated, this would make the audience feel sympathetic toward shylock and judge Christians on the way they have been treating another person. However shylock would make an audience feel even more sympathetic with his famous plea for equality, "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!" shylock is trying to say that they are the same as one another and the only difference is their religions and the beliefs that are involved with the following of them.
Shylock would be known as a victim in this scene because Shakespeare uses comparisons of a Jew to the devil, "unless the devil himself turned Jew", shylock also uses repetition of the word "there" in this scene to show the persons position and shylock seems to be annoyed that there is no news from his daughter. However he turns into more of a villain later on in the scene when he talks about his daughter In a very different way, he starts to become more selfish and even says he would like her dead, "I would my daughter were dead at my foot" he now cares more about his loss of money and not his daughter, "I shall never see my gold again" at this point the audience would have mixed feelings about shylock, they would feel sorry for him because of what his daughter has done but they wouldn't because he is being very selfish and revealing his real feelings for his daughter which are that he sees her as another object and nothing else. At the end of act 3 scene 2 all of Antonio's investments (ships) have been destroyed and he can no longer settle the bond between him and shylock. In the next scene shylock becomes aware of this he is pleased about this and this shows that all shylock wants out of the bond is Antonio's flesh, this would mean Antonio dieing and shylock would prefer that then his money back!! At this point the audience would not need any persuading to believe that he was a villain as it is an evil thing to want! "I am glad of it- I'll plague him, I'll torture him-I am glad of it" this is a very violent thing to say and we are now seeing another side of shylock, the evil, villainous side! In Act Four, Scene One. He walks in and places the scales of justice, on the table taking off his Jewish gabardine. The court scene is Shylock's only chance for some justice, if not in the bond then as a way of revenge for how he has been treated all his life. The court is very one sided from the minute Shylock is ordered in by the judge" go and call the Jew into the court" This shows the judge as being biased against Jews and Shylock, even before they start. He is blatantly influencing the court, with his own prejudiced views; therefore Shylock is having an unfair trial. He is being judged in a Christian court, not a court of law.
Shylock wants his form of justice in his bond he made with Antonio, who is known as the merchant of Venice, which is where the title of the play comes from. Shylock lent Bassanio three thousand ducats on behalf of Antonio .The bond was that a pound of flesh nearest to his heart could be taken if the money was not paid. Antonio assumed this was a sure thing that his ships carrying goods would come into port with ample amount of money, though Antonio's ships were lost at sea therefore making the bond active. During the trial Shylock loses the sympathy of the audience, by his words and actions. He takes out his blade and starts sharpening it destroying any chances that he will show mercy. He is ready to cut into Antonio's flesh when Portia stops him," The bond doth give thee here no jot of blood" The words expressly are a pound of flesh.
Portia reveals that there is a flaw in the bond. Shylock is allowed his pound of flesh but not a drop of blood, which would surely come if he enters his skin. "If thou doest shed one drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods are, by the laws of Venice, confiscated unto the state of Venice". The bond that Shylock had created has ruined his plan for revenge. The one thing that Shylock cares for more than anything will now be taken from him if he takes his justified revenge. The tables are now turned, with Venetian law saying that a penalty must be paid by an alien attempting to murder a Venetian. Still Shylock is classed as an alien in his home. Shylocks possessions are confiscated because of the attempted murder of Antonio. Antonio now makes two conditions for his life: firstly he must become Christian, and, secondly, he must make a will leaving all of his possessions to Jessica and Lorenzo. So without his revenge, wealth, and his daughter, now he is alienated from his fellow Jews. Ironically he is left alone with nothing but what ruined him; his new found Christianity.
My view of shylock in this play is that he is a sly character that can be portrayed as both a villain and a victim. He comes across in many different ways during the play and uses various types of language. He is seen as a villain in most parts of the play and those of which he isn't he is reversed later on referring to them and being villainous towards them. In the time the play was written the audience would have seen him as a villain no matter what he was doing as they would of disapproved of his religion and beliefs. In modern day performances audiences would not label him as a villain until the end of the play when his true villainous side is revealed.
