Preview

The Merchant of Venice Shylock Villain or Victim

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
767 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Merchant of Venice Shylock Villain or Victim
Shylock, Villain or victim?
The Merchant of Venice

June 8th, 2011

In the play The Merchant of Venice Shylock is supposed to be the protagonist, the definition of protagonist is; the leading character or a major character in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. But the way Shylock is portrayed is more along the lines of being both victim and villain. Shylock is out for one pound of Antonio’s flesh which will in the end kill Antonio and the flesh will do him no good anyway. But he also gets called cruel names and is pushed around and spit on in the public by Christians, Antonio and all of Antonio’s friends. And farther on into the play Shylock is betrayed by his own daughter who stole from her father and became a Christian. But as victimised as Shylock is, he is also out for revenge on all Christians and is willing to kill to get what he thinks everyone deserves. This makes him appear to be a villain. Firstly, Shylock shows his villainous side when he fools Antonio into signing a bond for his best friend Bassanio, promising Shylock a pound of his flesh if he cannot repay the three-thousand ducats in three months. Shylock has found out in this act that Antonio’s ships might not return, and Antonio may be unable to pay back the bond in time. This shows that shylock is out for pure revenge, as he says, “To bait fish withal: if it feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge.(3, 1, 47-48) He tells Salario that he will not use his flesh for anything but the purpose of having revenge upon Antonio and all Christians. But Shylock is shown as a victim when he is making the bond with Antonio and Bassanio and Antonio says, “I am as like to call thee so again, to spit on thee again, to spurn thee too.” (1, 3, 125-126) Antonio is reminding Shylock that he is just a Jew who he has spit on and ridiculed and will not hesitate to do so again in front of people. This shows that Antonio along with other Christians think it is normal and appropriate to humiliate and



References: http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/playmenu.php?WorkID=merchantvenice The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare, William The Merchant of Venice Oxford University Press NY 2001

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Both Shylock and Antonio are racially biased and they both put down each other. Shylock claims to be victimized by Christians; however, he exploits Christians in business matters. Antonio persecutes Shylock because he is a Jew. Shylock wants to take revenge against Antonio and despises him for being a Christian: "If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction." (3.1. 64-69).…

    • 513 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shylock is a major character in the play, most people consider him a villain. He is a wealthy, moneylending Jew who practices usury. He’s revenge is justified for many reasons, these reasons include him being abused for being a Jew and a moneylender at the same time. Another reason is that Antonio prevents him from doing business as he loans money interest free. Shylock was a victim of an unjust trial which leaves Shylock’s will to live demolished as he is bloodthirsty for revenge. He also complains that aren’t Jews and Christians the same, if a Jew were to do wrong to a Christian wouldn’t a Christian want revenge? Despite all of this he uses his patience and lends 3000 Ducats to Antonio interest free in an attempt to lure him into his death hole, which seemingly succeeds.…

    • 752 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the play The Merchant of Venice Shylock, a rich Jewish moneylender in Venice agrees to loan Bassanio three thousand ducats on Antonio’s guarantee. Shylock is made to be the villain in the Merchant of Venice because of some of the things he does. But even though he may not have been the only one in the wrong, he is still guilty of the deadly sins of, avarice, envy, and wrath.…

    • 483 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    But Shylock does not show Antonio mercy. This act shows hypocrisy because the Duke tells Shylock to do something, in this case to give mercy, but when Antonio is in the same situation, the Duke does not care and lets Antonio not give Shylock any mercy. The Duke says that Shylock should give Antonio mercy because he has just lost all of his ships with his goods and now a great merchant is out of business. Later, when Shylock is the one who is going to lose everything and be in an even worse situation than Antonio, no one shows him an “Eye of Pity”. All of the Christians get angry at Shylock for not showing mercy towards Antonio even though he is following the law. The only reason for that is Shylock is a Jew. Even though Shylock has already lost Jessica and a lot of his money…

    • 1054 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    First of all, Shylock is portrayed as the victim in the play; he is not mean. He has never done anything to hurt Antonio who is in fact the bad guy. Shylock is being persecuted by Antonio and his friends, because he is a Jew. Antonio had spit on Shylock, called him a misbeliever, a dog, had disgraced him, thwarted his bargains and more. While Shylock did nothing but take it without responding, in hope that one day he could have is revenge. I mean what would you do if you were in his shoes? The same thing. You would want revenge since you haven’t done anything to deserve it. So why can’t he. The one who deserves something bad is not Shylock but Antonio. Second of all, the bond. Antonio is the one who asked money to Shylock even thought he had done horrible things to him. Antonio was aware of the consequences of the bond and agreed to it. He knew that not bringing the money in time would cause him to die, so it is his problem if was not able to pay Shylock on time. He has to be a big boy and take responsibilities for his actions. In all of…

    • 682 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When Shylock is introduced, it is made clear that he is a Jewish man in a volatile situation. Shylock has loaned money to Antonio, a Christian, and states, "He hath disgraced me...and what's his reason? I am a Jew” (3.1.323). He comes across as bold without shame, rudely self-assertive, and cruel. He appears to be the obvious antagonist and villain in the play. Shylock contends that the good Christian, Antonio, has “disgraced” and “hindered” him, laughed at his financial windfalls and that if Antonio cannot pay his debt, he would take a pound of his flesh instead. He is seemingly filled with vengeance when he declares to the messenger from Venice, Salerio, “To bait fish withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge” (3.1.323). He obviously has no use for a pound of Antonio’s flesh, but he’s callous and flippant enough to suggest that he’d just use it for bait which leads me to believe he’d…

    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shylock begins to cause his own misfortune when Antonio approaches him for a loan to aid Bassanio in courting Portia. At first, Shylock is wary to lend Antonio the money. "I am debating of my present store...I cannot instantly raise up the gross of full three thousand ducats...Tubal...will furnish me (13)". Shylock realizes that he does not have the money on hand to lend to Antonio, and instead of turning Antonio down for the loan, he plans to borrow the money from another. Shylock is so intent upon binding Antonio, that when he himself cannot fulfill the request, he risks his own reputation simply for revenge against Antonio. He insists upon having a consequence if Antonio cannot repay the debt. "...let the forfeit be nominated for an equal pound of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken in what part of your body pleaseth me" (16). Shylock is so eager for this opportunity that he doesn't think about the specifics of the bond between he and Antonio.…

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The character of Shylock seems to be the villain because he wants the pound of flesh of Antonio's, who seems to be a good Christian. But the story behind is much deeper and Shakespeare gives evidence that all is not as it seems.…

    • 1110 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Merchant of venice

    • 887 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In Act I, Scene 3 with Antonio's name as collateral, Bassanio approaches Shylock and requests a loan. Shylock refuses unless he speaks personally to Antonio; so, Antonio appears and states that he will break his custom of not participating in usury for this loan. But Shylock utters abuse against Antonio, asking why he should lend him money when Antonio has berated him for his usury, spat upon him and called him a cur. With sarcasm he asks if he should ask how a dog can have any money to lend. Perhaps Antonio would like it if Shylock cowtows and fawns before Antonio, thanking the Venetian for his "kindness" in allowing him to lend the money.…

    • 887 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Man or Monster

    • 1485 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Consider the first scene in which we are introduced to Shylock on the streets of Venice. While the previous two scenes focused on Antonio and his entourage discussing Antonio’s melancholy, which provides a nice transition to reveal Antonio’s troubles, no mention is made of Shylock at all. He appears with no introduction or foreshadowing of his impending arrival, Antonio simply tells Bassanio, “Therefore go forth: try what my credit in Venice can do,” (1.1.179-180) Out of every usurer in the city of Venice it seems strange that Bassanio would decide upon the one man with which Antonio has a personal quarrel. Perhaps this is just a convenient storytelling device set up to reveal the play’s villain; or perhaps Shakespeare chose to fashion a character [Shylock] that would bring most every other character’s flaws to light, because as a Jew he is an easy character to hate.…

    • 1485 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the Merchant of Venice play written by William Shakespeare the character Shylock is highly debated as victim or villain. Throughout the play Shylock is mistreated by everyone. Shylock is physically, emotionally and mentally abused. By the end of the play Shylock has lost everything he owns, including his daughter Jessica. Thus Shylock is in fact a victim during the play.…

    • 347 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Few characters created by Shakespeare embodies pure evil like the character of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. Shylock is a usurer and a malevolent, blood-thirsty old man consumed with plotting the downfall of his enemies. He is a malignant, vengeful character, consumed with venomous malice1; a picture of callous, unmitigated villainy, deaf to every appeal of humanity2. Shylock is the antagonist opposite the naive, essentially good Antonio, the protagonist; who must defend himself against the "devil" Shylock. The evil he represents is one of the reasons Shakespeare chose to characterize Shylock as a Jew, as Jews of his time were seen as the children of the Devil, the crucifiers of Christ and stubborn rejecters of God's wisdom and Christianity.…

    • 1482 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    One of the major reasons I feel sorry for Shylock is because he is complicated yet wise and often gets tormented, mocked and humiliated in front of everyone. The first sign of victimization is seen in the theme of prejudice outlined by Shakespeare. This is first evident in Act one. Act one Scene three is one of the main scenes in which Shylock could be seen more as a victim than a villain. Mistreatment of others can become very addictive for many abusers and sometimes it seems as if everyone wants be a part of the mistreatment of Shylock. As the play progresses, Shylock is insulted in public, spat on and called rapacious names such as “cut throat dog”, especially from Antonio. We clearly see this when Shylock says, “You call me ‘misbeliever’, ‘cut-throat dog’ and spit upon my Jewish gabardine” and Antonio replies "I am as like to call thee so, to spit on thee again, to spurn thee too". Antonio and many other merchants frequently criticize and belittle Shylock and his business and…

    • 1652 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Because Shylock is a Jew and lends money charging interest, Antonio feels morally superior towards him. He uses any opportunity to show his scorn and publicly humiliate Shylock. This leads to Shylock resenting and hating Antonio even more.…

    • 385 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shylock is hated by Antonio because of his anti-Semitism. Antonio in particular spits upon him and calls him a cut-throat dog. So it is but natural that such a man begins to hate those persons who hate him. His hatred of Antonio is religious, patriotic ,personal and professional. Lorenzo elopes with his daughter that makes him more revengeful .He bears insults with patience. He says “sufferance is the badge of tribe.” In his impassioned speech in Act III ,Scene I ,beginning with “To bait fish withal” he rises to the magnitude of a tragic hero, “ I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes ,hath not a Jew Hands ,organs, dimensions, senses , fed with the same food ,hurt…

    • 1165 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays