Is Shylock treated fairly Essay Example

go to a person who charges interest on money borrowing, when they could attain it for free? Also, because one of the only reasons the Jews lived in Venice was lending money, this made them hate some of the Christians even more e.g. Antonio.

In the play you can quite clearly see how Shylock is treated, whether you think this is fair or not, is entirely up to you.

Just about all the way through the play, Shylock is a resentful, cunning, merciless and an implacable person. He hates all Christians and despises Antonio especially. The first time we see how he can be evil and conniving is when Bassanio needs money to swindle his way into marrying a beautiful woman in Belmont called Portia. However because Antonio's ships are at sea and he will have no money until they reach port, Antonio cannot lend the money, or can he?

As Antonio's credit is exceptionally good in Venice, he can go to a money lender and obtain some money

Antonio tries borrowing money from Shylock, a money lender who lives in Venice, though Antonio will have a hard time persuading Shylock to lend the money.

At this point, when Antonio is asking for the money from Shylock, we can be sure that Shylock should be treated with disgust and hatred because of the wickedness he shows Antonio. Shylock declines the request for Bassanio to borrow 3000 ducats, purely on one reason, 'I hate him for he is a Christian'. - Shylock

Though, bear in mind at this point, the play is not all about religion and anti-Semitism, it is also about how one and other are treat. Shylock does not only

hate Antonio for that reason but for many others. Also in Act 1 Scene 3 you can see how Shylock mocks Bassanio at the beginning by being sarcastic and not answering his question on borrowing the money.

'Three thousand ducats - well...For three months - well'

You can see how Shylock would annoy Bassanio by saying 'well' a lot and not answering a simple yes/no question.

However - though Shylock shows his disgust at the beginning of the scene you may feel sorry, and sympathise nearer to the middle. Shylock 'reminds' Antonio of how he treats him and the type of things he says.

Antonio would call Shylock a misbeliever, cutthroat, dog and spit on his gabardine!

Shylock, at this point has an idea, an evil idea that eventually makes out the whole play. He decides that he will lend Bassanio the money, on one condition, Antonio signs a bond.

If Antonio fails to repay the 3000 ducats within three months, the Shylock gets to cut of pound of Antonio's flesh closest to his heart.

'...an equal pound of your fair flesh, to be cut of and taken' - Shylock

As Antonio is confident in his ships returning to the port within three month, he accepts the bond, 'Yes shylock I will seal unto this bond' - Antonio

This occurrence eventually causes a major problem at the end of the play in the trial scene.

Later on in the book Shylock is again treated unfairly in my opinion. Shylock's daughter Jessica seems to hate her father. In Act 2 Scene 3 Jessica acknowledges how she feels unhappy at home.

'To be ashamed to be my father child' - Jessica

The fact that Shylock is a lone person

and everyone hates him makes Jessica ashamed to be his daughter and would rather be a Christian, this is not a normal circumstance in any household, Jewish or not. A daughter/Son should love his/her father and mother and not be ashamed of them. A child should always be able to look up to their parents.

Lorenzo, a friend of Antonio and Bassanio has fallen in love with Jessica and convinced her to marry him and to convert to a Christian. Lorenzo eventually helps to Shylocks downfall. This reference to changing religion is very ironic to the audience (Elizabethan and present time) because shylock will also become a Christian...but for a very different reason. This is another part of the play that will make some people, if they have any sympathy at all feel sorry for Shylock and the way he is being treated by his enemies and by his own flesh and blood.

Again the plot that is about to be made by Lorenzo, will be pure shock and sentimentality towards Shylock. How would you feel if someone took your son or daughter away from you, when you have cared and looked after them for their whole life? But wait, this isn't the case with Shylock's daughter, from what she has said, she hasn't been cared for and looked after. She is unhappy at home, therefore why should she stay when there is no lovingness.

In Act 2 Scene 4, we find out about the horrible and devastating plan he has made for Jessica.

She is to leave her house and Shylock disguised as a Page. If you think that's evil and crafty, she will also take his jewels

and gold. Shylock should have been able to give his daughter his love and his wealth, though the one thing that cannot be stolen by his daughter, which is worth far more than material things, he does not give her at all - his love.

His wealth that he values above all, she steals. It is up to you to decide whether or not he deserves this. Shylock will be left with nothing, no wealth - it's taken by Jessica, no love or prospects - Jessica is gone. He is only to be left for the revenge of Antonio in the trial scene.

Bassanio has sent a diverting letter to Shylock which will lead him away from his house on the night of the escape, thus giving Jessica the chance to escape with his possessions. Is she sure that she wants to leave the house and leave Shylock alone, yes.

'Our house is hell'...'I have a father, you a daughter, Lost'

This is where a very interesting parallel comes in here. Shylock leaves Jessica, his "trustworthy daughter" to look after the house whilst he reluctantly goes to dinner with Bassanio. Ironically, whilst he is gone, Jessica steals all his possessions and then escapes with Lorenzo. Do you think this is fair on Shylock?

You may also feel very sorry for Shylock when he finds out about the horrific tragedy of his daughter leaving. This part is also very ironic because he seems more concerned with his money than with his daughter.

'My Ducats! Oh my daughter!'

Again, is he treated fairly?

In Act 3 Shylock is so upset and mad, he takes his revenge out on Antonio by listing all the evil things

that Antonio has done to him.

Shylock states that Jews have the same 'organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions...': 'If you prick us, do we not bleed?'

We may agree with Shylock on how his own flesh and blood rebelled against him and took of with his possessions . However, any sympathy that is gained towards Shylock by the audience on his compassionate speech quickly disappears as he complains about his daughter. His only concerns are about his ducats, his jewels and now more threateningly, his revenge.

'Why there, there, there, there, a diamond gone cost me 2000 ducats...'

He talks about torturing Antonio and gaining his revenge.

'I'll torture him! I am glad of it'

As you can see, he is not really one bit concerned about his daughter but just his ducats.

Shylock is finally amazed by something he is dying to hear, one of Antonio's ship has sunk of the coast of Tripoli.

Tubal also teases Shylock at this point by reminding him that Jessica is spending his money and then quickly balancing this by reminding him that Antonio will not be able to pay his creditors, but then again quickly reminds him of a ring that Jessica has swapped.

One given to Shylock by his wife and a very special ring to him. Jessica swapped this turquoise ring for a monkey! A common monkey! This must have upset Shylock dearly.

'...a ring that he had of your daughter for a monkey.'

But then, teasing Shylock again, he reminds him of Antonio's problem and Shylock is again relieved.

'Nay, that's true, that's very true...'

By the end of the scene any sympathy that Shylock has gained will have been cancelled by the knowledge of Shylock being

wickedly manipulated by Tubal. This shows Shylock at his worst. At this point my opinion of Shylock and my sympathy for him is very low. I think, at this moment in the play, Shylock deserves any punishment he gets.

Eventually near the end of Act 3, Shylock demands justice (revenge on Antonio) and will finally get to go to court to take action on carrying out his bond, sealed by Antonio.

The Trial scene. Antonio is brought to the trial so that Shylock may claim the forfeit of his bond.

At the beginning of the Act the Duke is introduced to Antonio and Shylock.

Antonio's greeting is warm but he damns Shylock with great force, calling him

'A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch,/Unacceptable of pity, void and empty'.

Shylock has already lost our pity and sympathy and the Dukes words just confirm this.

Antonio tells the Duke that he accepts the bond and that the penalty should be carried out.

Portia in this scene is dressed up as a lawyer and will try to help Antonio through the case.

She had given six times the amount of money that is owned for Bassanio to give to Shylock, but he rejects the money, he would not 'draw them' because he wants the bond instead.

Also the Duke asks shylock the question...

'How shalt thou hope for mercy, rendering none?'

By the Duke doing this it prepares us for when the court does not give any mercy to him when Shylock's plan foils. Shylock basically seals his own fate by rejecting Antonio's mercy and desiring only the law.

Though Shylock could have taken the bond and carried out the forfeit, he could have been merciful. It wasn't Antonio's fault that

his daughter fled from him, though instead, he chose the law and his rights.

Just there, it seems that Shylock has won. As Shylock and Antonio are concerned hatred, revenge and profit must prevail. However we have yet to see how friendship and love, of mercy, and of Portia the lawyer.

Later on in the play we have the.... well obscene part where shylock sharpens his blade ready to cut into Antonio's flesh. This is when Gratiano interrupts and accuses Shylock

of being 'wolvish, bloody, starved and ravenous'.

This is when Portia (dressed as Bellario) is introduced. At first she is on Shylock's side, conning him into believing he will win. She asks Shylock 'Is [Bassanio] not able to discharge the money?' and Bassanio tells her that he can and that it is just that Shylock will not accept it.

Portia then says how no one can change the forfeit and if Shylock does not take the money then he must take his bond.

'...there is no power in Venice that can alter a decree established'

Portia is at the moment teasing Shylock by allowing him to think that he is going to get his bond and take Antonio's flesh. He believes that Portia is on his side and will continue to allow shylock to take his bond.

'Oh wise young Judge, how do I honour thee'

This is where Portia asks to see the bond (just to make sure everything is ok). Shylock eagerly hands over the bond for Portia to examine. He knows that there i nothing wrong with it.

'Here' 'tis most reverend Doctor, here it is'

At the moment, Shylock is happy and is getting his own way. However that is soon

going to change and you will have to decide whether or not Shylock gets the punishment that he deserves, or whether he is treated unfairly.

Portia examines the bond and still allows Shylock to get away with what he is doing.

'You must prepare your bosom [Antonio] for his knife'

'Hath full relation to the penalty'

Portia informs Shylock to take his flesh, and states that he is definitely allowed because of the bond and it is legal.

'The court awards it and the law doth give it'

'The law allows it and the court awards it'

The moment of triumph for shylock, after all the time he has waited his time has finally come. He will take his bond and have revenge upon Antonio, soon his enemy will lie dead. Revenge will be sweet. However, Shylocks happiness is stopped by Portia just as he is about to cut the flesh.

Portia has found that the bond does not state anything about blood being taken from Antonio. Therefore will allow Shylock to take the flesh, but, if one drop of Christian blood comes out or the flesh weighs more than a pound or less he will be prosecuted.

Shylock decides not to take the bond but to instead, take the money he refused in the beginning.

Bassanio eagerly hands the money over to Shylock but Portia stops this and states that he either takes his bond or nothing at all.

He decides to take nothing and is punished by the court. The Duke does not have Shylock executed but instead decides one half of Shylocks possessions will be taken and the other half will go to Lorenzo and Jessica.

Perhaps the crowning fate that Antonio demanded Shylock

go through was the worst. Shylock was to be converted to a Christian. The one thing that Shylock hated, the Christians, he was to be.

How can someone deny you the right to follow your own religion just because you are different.

It's like the Nazis killing all the Jews just because they were different. I think that it is very wrong and that shylock has not been treated fairly.

He has gone through enough I think. Losing all his possessions and losing his daughter is enough for one man to go crazy. Taking the rest of his possessions e.g. his house and converting him to a Christian is just taking it too far I think.

Overall I agree that Shylock had done a lot of evil things in the play and I realise that he is not a real character, but this probably happened in real life in the time the play was wrote. Shylock, I think, had the right to be evil towards Antonio but not to take it as far as killing him. Antonio was very nasty and unsympathetic towards Shylock and I think Antonio should have been punished for that too. Racism seemed to be acceptable in those times, I don't think that kind of behaviour would be tolerated at all in the present time. Racism is very wrong and I do not approve of how Shylock was treated to a certain extent.