Shylock now feels justified in challenging revenge upon Antonio because Shylock blames him for all his problems and is bitter about the manner in which Antonio has treated him in the past. He is also very resentful of the torment of his race by the Christians. Shylock speaks in a way that he see’s himself as a representative of his nation, the Jews. ‘He hates our sacred nation.’ Shylock now feels this is a perfect opportunity to relive his hatred for Antonio as well as Christian’s and goes for Antonio’s life. This too is an act of villainy. Shylock then says he will avenge the treatment of his ‘clan’ and feed his revenge using the villainy Antonio and his nation supposedly taught him. ‘It will feed my revenge…the villainy you teach me I will execute.’ By saying this, Shylock will copy the example of Christians showing he is no better than they are even though he complains about their behavior towards him. This shows that Shylock could also be a victim as much as he sounds a villain because it is as if all this villainy has come from the way Christians have been treating him in the same villain-like manner. It is still debatable whether Shylock is victim or villain. So far, nothing has proved he is a victim apart from what Shylock claims. But it is possible that all this hatred and villainy could just be retaliation for all the villainy of Antonio and the Christian’s towards Shylock. Next I will discuss the scene where Shylock’s hatred towards Antonio now becomes apparent. In Act III Scene iii his repetition of ‘I’ll have my bond’ shows him to be openly aggressive. He warns those who have treated him as ‘a dog’ to ‘beware my fangs’. Shylock’s determination to destroy Antonio continues during Act IV in the trial scene. He refuses to show mercy when asked by Portia and the Duke. ‘On what compulsion must I? Tell me that.’
Another way in which Shylock is established as a villain is through his treatment of Jessica. It is in Act 2 Scene 5 that we first witness an interaction between Shylock and Jessica. During this he orders her about as if she was a servant and mentions nothing about her well being. He only instructs her to look after the well being of his house. ‘Hear you me, Jessica: Lock up my doors: and when you hear the drum… Nor thrust your head into the public street… But stop my house’s ears…Let not the sound of shallow foppery enter.’
Having discussed the aspects of the text that describe Shylock as a villain, I will now discuss all the point wherein Shylock seems to be a victim.
In Act 1 Scene 3, where we learn of the abuse he has suffered at the hands of the Christians. ‘…many a time and oft/ In the Rialto you have rated me…Still have I borne it with a patient shrug… You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, / and spat upon my Jewish gabardine… ’
He points out that while they spit on him and call him ‘a dog’ they expect him to lend them money. Antonio is unmoved by Shylock’s speech and says that he would call him this again. Antonio seems to be the one that Shylock focuses his anger on though a lot of other people behave in the same way towards him, for example Salerio and Solanio. Antonio does nothing to absolve himself in the eyes of a modern day audience. In fact he has no qualms about behaving in an openly abusive manner towards Shylock. He speaks in a condescending and scornful manner towards Shylock.
The majority of Venetian Christians refer to him as ‘the Devil.’ ‘Let me say ‘amen’ betimes, lest the devil cross/ my prayer, for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew. ’
Salerio and Solanio are constant tormentors of Shylock and mock him at every opportunity ‘I never heard a passion so confus’d. So strange, outrageous, and so variable. As the dog Jew did utter in the streets in the streets. .My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter!’
They seek to torment him when he is most vulnerable. For example when Jessica ran away, they taunt him about his losses and mock him.
Although he has an arguably unhealthy thirst for revenge, we can understand what he is feeling because it is only natural human flaw to want to avenge when you have been victimized and mistreated. Shylock passionate speech is designed to evoke the audience’s sympathy. ‘If you prick us, do we not bleed?’
At the time, the laws were in favor of Christians. Jews had few rights, they could not claim inalienable citizenship in any country and they depended on the mercy of the society that they lived in. After he loses the trial, Shylock's life was in the hands of the Duke.
Shylock is naïve in the way that he believes that he can take on the Christians and win when the foundation of Venation law is designed to serve the best interests of the Christians. Shylock’s punishment is overly harsh with Antonio forcing him to convert to Christianity. Shylock’s life is spared but he might as well be dead because he has nothing to live for. All his wealth has been distributed among his sworn enemies.
Overall, I feel that ultimately Shylock is a victim. This is inevitable due to the time period he is living in as well as the area where the laws are made to favor Christian’s. An example of this is when Shylock lost the case and received an overly harsh punishment from Antonio which was a religious conversion. This is harsh because not only has Shylock previously lost his wife, he has now lost his dead wife’s ring which was of great sentimental value to him, he lost his daughter and his wealth was distributed amongst his enemies. He now has no possessions due to the fact he has been victimized by the laws and the people around him. Having said all this, I’d say Shylock is a victim more than he is a villain despite the thin borderline although I think this was what Shakespeare intended, for the distinction between villain and victim to become blurred which is what he does well in act 4, the trial.