Shakespeare Essay – Shylock: Villain or Victim

relationships between friends (such as Antonio and Bassanio), there are numerous love affairs (Jessica and Lorenzo and Portia and Bassanio) and finally one other relationship is that between Shylock and Jessica which is a father/daughter relationship.

Religion takes a huge role in this particular play, as the whole play is the discrimination of and against a Jew. Control and power are also very key topics in the play, this is shown in Act four Scene one. This particular scene also shows Portia on her way to becoming the heroine of the play. The central debate of this essay is, Shylock: Villain or Victim?The first Scene that Shylock is in is Act 1 Scene 3, which opens with him saying "Ho, no, no, no" - this immediately shows repetition which is a sign of villainy, then he moves on to talking about money, "three thousand ducats, well" this indicates to the audience what is important in Shylocks life, money. When Shylock says "sacred nation" it shows that he does have a heart and that his religion also takes a very important role in his life.

He continues making the audience believe that he is a victim by showing and telling them that he is being constantly insulted and mocked, "Many a time and oftIn the realto you have rated me. " He is obviously showing here that he is hurt by what the Christians say and do to him. Shylock shows signs of hypocrisy when saying "I hate him, for he is a Christian" because he has been saying how he, as a jew, does not like being discriminated against and he just announces his hatred

by saying that he hates Christians. Shylock is a money lender, we find this out when Antonio says "He lends out money, gratis" this is looked upon as being bad because he asks/demands interest or occasionally more in various bonds such as the one he seals with Antonio in this scene.Before this bond is said Shylock says that this is a "merry sport" which shows him as a very manipulative character. The following bond proves this.

This particular bond is commonly known as the "flesh bond" and is this, "If you repay me not on such a day, In such a place, such sum or sums as are Expressed in the conditions, let the forfeit Be nominated for an equal pound Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken In what part of the body pleaseth me.This shows a lot of villainy on Shylocks behalf, it is telling Antonio that if he does not pay back the money, Shylock will kill him. I believe that Shylock does this in the hope that Antonio will not pay him back so that he can get his revenge for being discriminated against. I personally believe that, although he says it, Shylock would not want to become friends with Antonio and the rest of the Christians.

As much as he would like the discrimination to stop, he has too much hatred in his blood to want to forget about all that has happened between Christians and Jews.Therefore Shylock is showing more villainy when he says "I would be friends with you" because he is lying. At the end of Act 1 Scene 3 I think that Shylock

is portrayed and thought of as a very evil and cruel, villainous character, the audience at this point would definitely be on Antonio and the Christians side. The second important scene that Shylock is in is Act 3 Scene 1. This scene involves his daughter - Jessica, although she is not present. The main dialogue is between, Shylock, Solanio, Salerio and Tubal.

It deals with many of the main topics of the play such as Jessica and Lorenzos elopement and the "flesh bond". Shylocks relationship with his daughter is not a healthy one, this is shown in Act 2 Scene 3 where Shylock announces that Our house is hell" - there are obviously a lot of family difficulties arising (possibly Jessicas elopement. ) Jessica tells him that she is ashamed of being his daughter in Act 2 Scene 3 which shows Shylock more as a victim. I believe that Shylock has a lot of love for his daughter although he does not like to show it.

This is questioned, though, in Act 2 Scene 8 where he is debating to himself what is more important to him money or Jessica, "O my daughter, O my ducats, O my daughter, O my ducats" this shows that his money is equally as important to him as his daughter is and there is repetition as well - another sign of villainy. As the scene opens, Solanio and Salerio enter to tell of the unsuccessful ships, they also take the opportunity to insult Shylock some more by calling him "the Jew" instead of his name.Shylock tells Solanio and Salerio that Antonio should "look to his bond" this shows that he still

wants revenge. Even more villainy is shown when he uses repetition in "Why there, there, there" and "precious jewels, precious jewels.

" Shylock damns Jessica for running away, this shows retaliation for running away and it puts across a certain amount of evil for cursing and damning her. Throughout this scene Shylock seems to be getting more and more money craving. This is shown when he says "two thousand ducats in that and other precious, precious jewels.And also when he states that he will never see his gold again, because Jessica has taken all of Shylocks money and precious, valuable possessions. Shylock gets more villainous throughout this scene until his large monologue from lines 49 to line 69, the very peak of his powerful hatred and evilness is when he says "I wish my daughter were dead at my foot". In the middle of his monologue beginning "To bait fish withal; - if it will feed nothing else, it Will feed my revenge.

.. " The audience will begin to realise that maybe Shylock is not such a money-minded, horrible, heartless Jew.They will begin to see the other side to Shylock, "I am a Jew, hath no a Jew eyes...

. If you poison us, do we not die? " This is a touching speech and shows that Shylock may well be a victim instead of the villain that he has been portrayed as so far. He continues making the audience believe that he may well be a victim by saying to Tubal (A fellow Jew - his friend) "Hast thou found my daughter? " this line shows that he is obviously concerned about her and that

he does want her to come back. Throughout the rest of this scene Shylock continues to be shown as more of a victim than a villain.This is quite a change from the rest of the play so far.

The third and final important, key scene that Shylock appears in is Act 4 Scene 1. This is known as the court scene because it the scene where Shylock goes to court to take the "pound of flesh". At the beginning of the scene Shylock is not in the court room, there is a short conversation between the Duke (The judge) and Antonio, all throughout their conversation they talk of Shylock as "The Jew" and the Duke calls him "an inhuman wretch".This makes it clear immediately whose side the Duke is on and that he dislikes the Jewish as much if not more than Antonio does. When Shylock enters he comes across as extremely cocky. He knows that by the end of this, Antonio will be dead, he really believes that he will have his bond, "I would have my bond" and "I stay here on my bond" At this point in the play, Shylock goes back to being the villain that he has been throughout.

This is shown when he shows hatred in saying "More than lodged hate" There is a lot of racial discrimination going on in the curt room from the Christians to Shylock and also from Shylock to the Christians. Before Portia enters, everything is going very well on Shylocks behalf and he believes that Antonio has no chance of living. Therefore Shylock is still being very cocky, arrogant and quite sarcastic, this is

shown when he says "What, would you have a Serpent sting you twice? This occurs until Portia comes in dressed as Balthazar half way through. She tries various different methods of trying to find Shylock guilty, such as, "Which is the merchant here? And which the Jew? " Portia (Balthazar) continuously calls Shylock "The Jew" Shylock shows that he shows no remorse and wants to kill Antonio by saying My deeds upon my head, I crave the law" When Portia says that Antonio must prepare his "bosom" for Shylocks knife, Shylock becomes incredibly grateful and almost worships her.

I think that this is because underneath Shylock has been worried that someone would come up with something that would stop him from killing Antonio. Of course Portia finds one way, that is that if Shylock draws one drop of Antonios blood he will be charged. From here on in Shylock becomes more and more apologetic and sorry, "Give me my princaple and let me go. " owards the end of it he becomes very desperate and has to start begging to be allowed to leave the court.All of this shows that Shylock is clearly a very weak character and victimised, but he has been and incredibly villainous throughout the rest of the play.

Shakespeare chooses not to put him into the final Act/Scene, this shows that he clearly was not the hero of the play and proves that he has in fact failed. Having looked at all the appropriate evidence given from the three key scenes that involve Shylock I have come to the conclusion that he is the victim of the play.Although he does show various

villainous characteristics such as wanting to continue with the flesh bond and kill Antonio. But in the end he is insulted more than any Jew could ever be insulted, being told that he must become Christian. All that happens to Shylock, the amount of insults and discrimination and racism towards him counts up to be enough to say that he is the victim of the play.

His daughter ran away from him, he lost his servant (Lancelot) and worst of all he lost his religion and faith.