‘If I ever catch him once upon the hip,
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.’
He hopes to carry out exact revenge on Antonio for his own humiliation and the prosecution that the Jews have long suffered at the hand of the Christians. At this stage of this scene we learn of the agreement of the bond.
Shylock:
‘If you repay me not such a day,
Express'd in the condition, let the forfeit
Be nominated for an pound
Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken’
Shakespeare uses alliteration 'fair flesh' to emphasise the importance of Shylock's ideas of the terms of the bond, the seriousness is highlighted clearly through the sharpness and pace of his speech also. Shylock’s thorough and carefully laid out words invite the reader to a more negative Shylock because of his inappropriate enthusiasm in this malevolent scheme. Shakespeare at this point has conformed Shylock into the stereotypically negative idea of Jews, perhaps it is his own prejudiced feelings of Jews as to why he chose this type of perception.
Even though Antonio does not like borrowing money from Shylock, he does so out of love for Bassanio. This is shown when he accepts Shylocks high interest rate.
Antonio:
‘Why fear not man, I will not forfeit it,
This bond expires, I do expect return
Of thrice three times the value of this bond.’
Antonio does this to receive the term of the bond in this
manner because he is confident that he will be able to repay
the bond. Meanwhile the reader is shown that Antonio as a man, is loyal to his friend and again Shakespeare's prejudiced feelings are highlighted. Always throughout history Jews have come out worst between battles with Christians and in this scene this is true, we are given the overall picture of Antonio as the Christian man being true and devoted whilst Shylock the Jew is shown as an evil hearted man.
However the feelings between the Jew and Christian are mutual:
Antonio:
‘Mark you this, Bassanio,
The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
An evil soul producing holy witness
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek’
Antonio admits that he hates Shylock for he is a Jew, and we see a glimpse of hostility towards the Jews in Christian culture. ‘The devil can cite scripture for his purpose’, he likens him and his faith to the devil. He behaves as if the faith holds no such holiness whatsoever.
In this scene, Shakespeare has effectively drawn the reader’s attention closely, when we hear of Shylocks hatred and his terms of the bond and Antonio's bravery. In reality this is where our anxiety builds within the play, as the reader is left very unsure because despite Antonio's courage, we question whether it will be sufficient enough to help him in the hands of the scheming Shylock.
In Act 3 Scene 1, Shakespeare presents two different characters in the street of Venice, Salarino and Solanio both Christians and friends of Antonio, at this point Shakespeare has created a purpose to a pivotal point in the play and the actual plot itself. We come to understand that Antonio is unable to repay the bond, and Shylock's evil plan can now take full form. Shakespeare does not allow Antonio to beat the bond, to show that Christian’s are victims of defeat, and maybe to increase the reader’s sympathy for the Christian. Shakespeare ambiguity is very evident here. Solanio even so calls Antonio 'the honest Antonio', and repeatedly calls him 'good' so that Antonio is displayed as ‘true’. In contrast Shylocks character is darkened and is shown in a far more vindictive light. However Shylock’s speech at first appears to contradict this:
‘I am a Jew: hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passion, 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...’
‘..If you prick us do we not bleed, If you tickle us, do we not laugh?
If you poison us, do we not die?’
Again, we are shown Shakespeare’s ambiguous attitude towards the roles of the Jew and Christians, as he contradicts the horrific portrayal the reader has on Shylock, when Shylock gives a powerful speech about the suffering he has faced at the hands of Christian because he is a Jew. We feel sympathy with Shylock because he has suffered plenty discrimination. Shakespeare uses plenty metaphorical innuendo, when we learn the only companionship ever to Shylock was his daughter Jessica. We learn of how his daughter betrays him for a Christian, Lorenzo. At this point it could be said Shakespeare is aware of the sufferings Jews go through and that Jews are no less human for they too, suffer the many pains and joys of life. Shown to the reader, is a Shylock whom apparently seeks religious harmony.
However, Shylock does not look for sympathy but rather a justification for himself and his reasons to kill Antonio:
‘..And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?
...The villainy you teach me I will execute, and
it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.’
The reader is subject to the display of the blood hungry, revengeful beast that is; Shylock, even though his cause and reason is just. Shylock’s justification to behave as badly as they, shows him in a less sympathetic light. While we do understand his reason, we cannot excuse such profound wickedness.
In Act 3 Scene 3, Shylock meets Antonio in the custody of the jailer hired to guard him. Antonio pleads to speak with but Shylock is very insistent with the bond. escorts the bankrupt to prison. Remembering the many times Antonio condemned him as a dog, Shylock advises the merchant to beware of his bite. Assured that the duke will grant him justice, Shylock insists that he will have his bond and tells the jailer not to bother speaking to him of mercy. Shylock is stubborn and is determined not to allow Antonio escape the misfortunes of the bond:
Shylock:
‘I’ll have no speaking
I will have my bond’
Solanio attempts to assure Antonio that the Duke will not allow such practice (pound of flesh) to take place. Antonio, however, once again is shown modest and brave, for he knows that to avoid a corrupt State, the law must come first. In contrast to the raging Shylock, he does not scream, nor rant, nor cry. Whether or not Shakespeare attempts to show Shylock in a sympathetic or malicious light at this point is arguable. What can be clearly seen is that Antonio is displayed courageous and heroic. He does not dare argue the course of law, in order to uphold a ‘true’ and ‘respectable’ Venice. His concerns are now that of his friend Bassanio:
Antonio:
‘With us in Venice, if it be denied,
'Twill much impeach the justice of the state,
Since that the trade and profit of the city
Consisteth of all nations. Therefore, go;
These griefs and losses have so bated me
That I shall hardly spare a pound of flesh
Well, gaoler,on.Pray God,Bassanio come
To see me pay his debt,and then I care not!’
Act 4 Scene 1, is set in a Vatican court. During the trial scene Shylock is present to claim his bond. At this point Shakespeare has effectively shown how Shylock’s obsessive hatred has become apparent towards Antonio as Shylock is determined to take his revenge. The Duke and Bassanio both plea for mercy on Antonio’s behalf, to the Jew, to no avail. With an offer of 6000 ducats to spare the life of Antonio, rejected by Shylock, there is argument between Bassanio and Shylock, but Antonio stops this:
Antonio:
‘You may as well do anything most hard,
As seek to soften that—than which what's harder?
His Jewish heart. Therefore I do beseech you
Make no more offers, use no farther means,’
Antonio defends the bond but also remarks that the Jewish heart is that of solid contempt and is unchangeable. Shylock too defends his bond once more:
‘You use in abject and in slavish parts, because you bought them.
Shall I say to you, “Let them be free! Marry them to your heirs”
...You will answer, “The slaves are ours.” So do I answer you.
The pound of flesh which I demand of him Is dearly bought. 'Tis mine and I will have it.’
Shylock uses irony, and exposes how hypocrisy of the Christians by showing that the bond represents ‘justice’ and if this justice is not performed, the State is corrupt and should consequently free all slaves.
Further on, the reader must not forget that Shylock refuses any money offered to him in the confidence that he will feed his grudge. The lawyer however, shows many error and fault in the bond. Shylock is not permitted to spill blood nor take a life without suffering severe repercussions. Furthermore, his life is in the hands of the Duke. The Duke spares his life to show ‘Christian Mercy’, but seizes all his wealth.
However, it is here we ask the question, if ‘Christian mercy’ is such an important virtue, why did Antonio not refuse to allow punishment onto the Jew. He could have forgiven him for his sins, and argued against the punishment, for the forgiving of sins are the words of Jesus Christ. Ironically, this is a New Testament ideology and the method of punishment sides closer to the Old Testament ideologies. Ironic in the sense that, Shylock too has held this attitude throughout the play, and now it is the Christians, whom have taken it and acted upon it.
So indeed,Antonio agrees that the Jew be punished , and so displays the hypocritical elements of ‘Christian mercy’. Antonio asks that half of the wealth is given to Lorenzo and Jessica, the contents of his will upon death, should all be offered to the couple and the final condition being that he must become a Christian. Shylock left shattered, agrees to the deal and asks for permission to leave court. At the end of this decisive scene, it is Antonio whom remains far from the joy of the ‘triumphant win over Jew’.
In conclusion Shakespeare's views are very ambiguous, because at many points in the play he seems to follow the stereotypical ideas that Christians at that period demonstrated e.g. Antonio’s description of Shylock (Act.1 Sc.3 lines:94-98) Shakespeare uses the idea that Jews are evil. However there are times when these views are contradicted(Act1.Sc.3 lines:105-109), for Shakespeare certainly does evoke much pity from the towards Shylock’s sufferings, and at some points he seems to shame the Christians mistreatment of Jews, but the constant stream of attack that we observe against the Jews dampen this idea, it could be better said that Shakespeare to some extent, defends the Jews or that he is open-minded, but much evidence in the play suggests that he is biased towards the Christians, who at the end have succeeded against Shylock’s evil bond. These are perceived mostly through the characters Antonio and Shylock, Antonio the 'hero' and Shylock the ‘villain’. The play ends with good prevailing evil, in all Christianity prevailing Judaism, with Christianity seen as the stronger and superior of the two and this being Shakespeare's perception. We do not know whether Shakespeare was simply following his audience with callous attitudes towards Jews. Shakespeare’s heart indeed seemed split, between ‘The pained, yet revengeful Jew’ and ‘The noble, yet chauvinistic Christian’.
