For many years, people have argued that Shylock is the villain of the Merchant of Venice. However, some would argue that he was not the villain and was only reacting to the way he was treated by people and other Christians. Before I address this question, I am going to impart my definition of a villain.
A villain can be a character in a book, play, film, etc. who harms other people.
Shakespeare may have predetermined Shylock to be a villain in this particular play because for many hundreds of years people did not like Jew's. Mainly because they were known throughout Europe as the moneylenders with high interest and often demanded the money back quicker than could be paid. The Christians of Elizabethan time, and the time before hand, blamed the Jew's for the crucifixion of Christ.
Shylock shows himself a villain in many different ways. Firstly, in the way he treats Antonio and Bassanio, because they are Christian and he is a Jew he shows forms of dislike towards them. He dislikes them so much he will not even consider eating with them
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Peer Reviews
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Quality of writing
Unfortunately the candidate fails to mention the use of language within the play, It is necessary to discuss various linguistic techniques, such as metaphors and smilies, in order to achieve a higher grade at this level. However the candidates uses a good range of vocabulary and there are few if any spelling or grammatical errors. The layout of the essay is a little confusing, the candidate needs to make sure that there are clear paragraphs, rather than odd sentences here and there. You should start a new paragraph each time you discuss a different topic.
Level of analysis
The candidate mentions keys points from the play to back up their opinions without simple retelling the story, which shows a good understanding of how this type of essay should be written. Though they have occasionally mentioned how they think Shylock feels or what he might be thinking, more of these points are required for a stronger level of analysis. Additionally the candidate shows evidence of independent research as they have mentioned facts related to the way in which the Jewish people were treated in the time this play was written, this shows the candidates interest in the play and makes their essay more enjoyable to read. Finally the candidates attempt to conclude this essay is adequate, they state weather or not they think Shylock is a villain, thus answering the set question and they go on to give reasons based on personal opinions. The only thing missing is a summary of the candidates key points and ideas. A strong conclusion is important as it brings the essay to a close and gives you a chance to leave the reader with a good impression.
Response to question
The candidate has written a good introduction, they define what is meant by a villain, introduce Shylock as character and describe why Jews were so disliked at the time this play was written. The only improvement needed would be to state what they planed to discuss. The candidates response to the question is clear and they have given personal opinions when discussing weather or not they believe Shylock to be a villain.
