Essay On The Character Of Shylock In The Merchant Of Venice

Shylock is the hated Jew character in The Merchant of Venice. Despite the presence of other, minor, Jewish characters, when The Jew is mentioned, he is instantly recognized as Shylock. The Jew accumulates several negative monikers throughout the play, and in act four, scene one, he is referred to as: an inhuman wretch, / uncapable of pity, void and empty / from any dram of mercy (Shakespeare 4.1.4-6), inexecrable dog (4.1.128), and a cruel devil (4.1.215). The society of Venice despises Shylock the Jew, yet he seems comfortable in his roll. While he is proud of his role as the Jew, the sentence of conversion is not as fatal as Antonio believes. For the most part, Shylock plays his role of the greedy, monstrous Jew well. He†¦show more content†¦Likewise, Shylocks daughter was liked well enough to be whisked away in elopement before she converted. The Jew has been thought of as the automatic villain, however, it seems he doesnt have to be unlikeable. While it may not have been necessary, Shylock seems as eager as the Christians for himself to be The Jew. Until it is his livelihood at stake, Shylock relentlessly demands a pound of Antonios flesh, and maintains his greedy demands. It is as if he tries to fulfill the stereotypes set by this Christian society. He seems to be asking for the others to remember he is a Jew as he cries out my deeds upon my head! recalling the Jews who condemned Jesus for crucifixion (4.1.204). This man has been the enemy to Christians and he will continue to be so. He is not just a villain out for his own gain, he comes from a long line of people who did bad things. To be the villainous Jew is not just something he was born into, Shylock endeavors to fulfill the role he was presented with. Shylock is proud to be the local Jew. He makes no apologies for fulfilling the stereotypes, and hurls insults after he is insulted, calling Antoio a rat and a serpent (4.1.44, 69). His praise comes from the old testament, as he compares Portia to Daniel in her initial judgements (4.1.221). This later is echoed by Graziano when Portias justice is no longer in Shylocks favor, who seemingly was unaware of this characterShow MoreRelatedThe Character of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice Essay3186 Words   |  13 PagesThe Character of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice Victim or villain. These two words are the total opposites of each other. A victim is someone that we in general should, or may, feel sorry for and attempt to sympathise or empathise with. But a villain is the one person that people love to hate. The best example of this I feel is pantomime. The victims or heroes are clear-cut and the audience willingly cheers them. 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