Essay On Shylock In The Merchant Of Venice Words | 4 Pages Shakespeare’s, The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is a devout jew who lives in Italy during a time of jewish persecution. Shylock is a successful money lender who is constantly harassed by the citizens of Venice because of his faith Nov 10, · The Merchant of Venice Shylock Pages: 2 ( words) Shylock in the Merchant of Venice Pages: 9 ( words) Shylock: Victim or Villain? Pages: 5 ( words) Shylock The Paradox Villain And Victim English Literature Essay Pages: 3 ( words) The Merchant of Venice and Othello Pages: 11 ( words)?Merchant of Venice - Romantic Comedy or Not?Estimated Reading Time: 7 mins Resource Description Essay that compares and contrasts the characters of Shylock & Portia (Shakespeare’s The Merchant Of Venice.) William Shakespeare’s masterful storytelling in his play The Merchant Of Venice (MOV) allows audiences to introspect and gain insight into the anomalies which epitomise the human experience
Merchant Of Venice- Shylock Character Analysis | Examples & Papers
Which makes us wonder, is he really a villain? Throughout the story, Shylock has been portrayed in numerous ways. A father, a moneylender, merchant of venice shylock essay, and a faithful Jew. Different instances in the play force us to form an opinion on his character.
This opinion keeps changing with the change of scenes and events. So the question arises- Is Shylock a villain or a victim throughout this play? When Shylock is first introduced to us in Act 1: Scene 3, he talks about how he is ill-treated by the Christians for being a Jew. His account of incidences where he has been shamed by Christians, mainly Antonio, creates a sense of sympathy merchant of venice shylock essay the audiences.
It is at this stage that we first think of Shylock as a victim. If Jessica is willing to go to such lengths to get away from her father then he really must be like a villain.
At least that is what we are made to believe at the time being, merchant of venice shylock essay.
He tells her to lock all the doors and windows and not to open them for anyone. This can be seen as Shylock being an overprotective parent, but when he also tells her to secure all their possessions we understand that his intention is not only keeping Jessica safe but also his possessions.
So, it is hard to tell what he is more concerned about. He trusts Jessica and that is what makes her betrayal even more hurtful, thus the audience develops a greater sense of sympathy towards him.
O my ducats! O my daughter. He is desperate to get them back. This shows his deep-rooted love for his dead wife. Now we know that he is not completely heartless and has the capability to love. This whole conundrum leaves him very emotionally unstable. The audience can understand his grief and pain. A victim in the true essence. This makes him happy. When Salarino enquires whether he will actually execute the bond, Shylock delivers perhaps the greatest speech in the whole play.
Shylock says that if the flesh cannot be used for anything then it will at least give him revenge. Shylock says that Antonio has disgraced him, stopped him from making half a million, laughed at his profits, mocked his losses, disgraced his religion, made his friends enemies and his enemies, even bigger enemies. Shylock reasons that a Jew is no merchant of venice shylock essay than a Christian.
They both eat the same food, die from the same diseases, and live in the same seasons. If a Jew does merchant of venice shylock essay wrong to a Christian then the Christians take revenge but when the same thing takes place in reverse the Jews are expected to suffer. So if they both are the same then even the Jews should take revenge. The loss of his daughter and the loss he has suffered in searching for her along with the degradation he faces from the Venetians makes Shylock angry and he wishes for revenge.
To him having his revenge would be redemption. He thinks that he is the only one who is suffering. In the very same scene, he tells Tubal, his trusted friend, that he wishes his daughter was dead at his feet so that he could have his money back. This again puts him in the light of a villain as he wishes for his own daughter to be dead just to get his money back. We can understand that he values his money more than he values his daughter at this moment.
This could simply be due to the heavy emotional turmoil he is facing. He is overjoyed that he will finally be able to get his revenge. Tubal tells him that Jessica exchanged one of his rings, merchant of venice shylock essay, given to him by his wife, for a monkey.
Suddenly his merchant of venice shylock essay grows into a fire of rage. Shylock is ready to take his revenge on Antonio. He is delighted that at least one thing is going according to his wishes. As the day of the trial for the bond nears, many people try to convince Shylock to abstain from the penalty. He makes it clear that he will have his penalty and his penalty alone. Everyone tells him that such a bond would never be executed but Shylock retaliates, saying that the execution of the bond is justice and that the Duke cannot go against the law if he wishes the best for Venice, merchant of venice shylock essay.
Finally, the day of the trial arrives. Shylock is asked why he is so determined to have the penalty. Shylock says that for certain things there are no justified reasons.
Similarly, his hatred for Antonio is the only justifiable answer he can think of, merchant of venice shylock essay. Here he behaves like a complete antagonist. He also asks if there is any man who would not kill someone they hate. He makes his hatred crystal clear. He feels no mercy towards Antonio-that is until his own wealth comes into question. Merchant of venice shylock essay does want his revenge but he does not want it at the cost of all of his hard-earned capital.
The thought of losing the little he has left makes him rethink his decision and he breaks the bond. He seems to have gotten the defeat of a villain. This is the last time we see Shylock in the play, he is merchant of venice shylock essay. From the entire play, we know that Shylock has not been portrayed completely as a villain or a victim. He certainly behaves like both in different instances. We must understand the reason behind his villainy.
He wanted his revenge. Revenge for all the wrongs done to him. All the misery he had to face at the hands of Antonio. He became a victim of his own revenge.
It consumed him and he took on the shape of a villain. No father would like to be betrayed so horribly by their own daughter, a daughter they raised. This victimhood gave rise to his villainous side. In the end, Shylock became a victim of the discrimination of society. His method of revenge was agreeably inappropriate but the revenge itself was justified.
His questionable choices gave him the presumably false title of a villain. A title he has been remembered for decades. The Merchant of Venice: Is Shylock a Villain?. The Merchant of Venice: Is Shylock a Villain?
Accessed May 19, Categories: The Merchant of Venice. Download paper. Essay, Pages 6 words. Get a verified writer to help you with The Merchant of Venice: Is Shylock a Villain? Top Writers. Verified expert. Cite this page The Merchant of Venice: Is Shylock a Villain?. Related Essays. The Merchant of Venice Shylock Pages: 2 words Shylock in the Merchant of Venice Pages: 9 words Shylock: Victim or Villain? Pages: 5 words Shylock The Paradox Villain And Victim English Literature Essay Pages: 3 words The Merchant of Venice and Othello Pages: 11 words?
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Character Analysis-Shylock, The Merchant Of Venice
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May 09, · Shylock wants a piece of Antonio’s flesh due to a forfeited bond. Bassanio, Antonio’s friend offers to pay off the debt and even to give extra money on top. Shylock refuses and poses the question to Bassanio; he asks whether he would free his slaves and Bassanio says no Resource Description Essay that compares and contrasts the characters of Shylock & Portia (Shakespeare’s The Merchant Of Venice.) William Shakespeare’s masterful storytelling in his play The Merchant Of Venice (MOV) allows audiences to introspect and gain insight into the anomalies which epitomise the human experience Nov 10, · The Merchant of Venice Shylock Pages: 2 ( words) Shylock in the Merchant of Venice Pages: 9 ( words) Shylock: Victim or Villain? Pages: 5 ( words) Shylock The Paradox Villain And Victim English Literature Essay Pages: 3 ( words) The Merchant of Venice and Othello Pages: 11 ( words)?Merchant of Venice - Romantic Comedy or Not?Estimated Reading Time: 7 mins
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