The Merchant Of Venice Essay Example

villain who loathes Christians more. Additionally, during the court proceedings, he menacingly brandishes a knife towards Antonio.

In Trevor Nunn's 2000 film adaptation of 'The Merchant of Venice', Henry Goodman portrayed Shylock as a victim. He delivered his lines about the pound of flesh penalty as if he didn't mean it, and cried in court when he thought he had to kill Antonio, suggesting he didn't truly want to. The director highlighted the character's isolation and presented him as a protective father who is heartbroken by his daughter. However, both film versions depict Shylock as having both victim and villain traits. The actors in both films seek revenge and harbor hatred towards Christians, yet are also subject to teasing and abuse from them. It is important to note that Shylock is a Jewish moneylender from that era.

Shylock, who is solely focused on making money, is not trusted by the Venetians due to his willingness to cause distress for those who can't repay their loans. Unlike Antonio, who follows a Christian ethos and doesn't charge interest, Shylock charges interest to further his financial gain. When Antonio borrows money for Bassanio from Shylock, the latter warns that failure to repay by a specific date will result in consequences.

In the play, Shylock proposed that if Antonio failed to pay his bond, he could take a pound of flesh from any part of his body as forfeit. While this action can be seen as evil, some argue that Shylock may have meant it as a joke. Whether he is perceived as a villain or victim depends on how we interpret his words. Additionally, Shylock's treatment of his daughter Jessica further

portrays him as either the villain or victim of the story.

When Shylock and Jessica talk for the first time, he treats her like a servant and doesn't care about her welfare. He only tells her to take care of his house. Shylock's attitude towards his daughter is disrespectful and overprotective, as seen in these quotes: 'Hear you me, Jessica' and 'Lock up my doors and when you hear the drum...'

Keep your head out of the public street and instead, refrain from making noise near my house.

The sound of shallow foppery should not be allowed to penetrate when the Christian parade is occurring. However, Shylock's apparent heartbreak when Jessica leaves him and his statement that she is his flesh and blood may indicate that he is trying to protect her. Some believe that his concern lies solely in the money and jewels she took with her, as he once stated that he would rather his daughter be dead with the jewels in her ear. Although this is true, I believe that he is primarily worried about losing his only child and last remaining relative to a Christian, which would be the ultimate betrayal. When Shylock realizes that Jessica has taken his wife's ring, he shows a human side and becomes emotional, exclaiming that he would not have given it away for a wilderness of monkeys. This reaction portrays Shylock as a victim, similar to Laurence Olivier's tears over a photograph of his wife upon realizing the loss of her ring.

different interpretations of Shylock's character. One group viewed him as a victim, portraying him as nervous and intimidated with a shaking hand and quiet speech. They also showed Antonio as the strongest character by physically placing him higher than Shylock. When Portia ruled in favor of Antonio, Shylock appeared relieved. The other group portrayed Shylock as a threatening villain and Antonio as weak, with Antonio being tied up and blindfolded for most of the performance.

The portrayal of Shylock is that he has a single-minded desire to kill Antonio quickly, which is evident by his loud voice and expression of revengeful anger. While critic John Palmer views Shylock as a comical character created for amusement purposes, humanizing him for realism, I do not agree with Palmer's perspective.

Although some critics view Shylock as a tragic or lonely figure, Palmer contends that he is meant to be the villain of the play. Despite Shylock's mistreatment, Palmer does not feel sympathy for him and sees Shakespeare's portrayal of him as humorous. Conversely, Graham Midgeley counters that sympathizing with Shylock distracts from the intended comedy in the character.

Palmer's view is that if Shylock's words are considered without the comic framework, he appears as a tragic figure. Palmer perceives Shylock as a standard character of the play, whose religion sets him apart from others, making him an intense yet humorous character. The humor, in my opinion, does not arise solely from Shylock's personality.

I do not believe that we should sympathize with Shylock, as Shakespeare purposely portrays him as a villain. Although he is portrayed as separate from the others, it is not for comedic effect. Shakespeare makes a deliberate effort

to emphasize Shylock's negative traits, as evidenced by his statement, "But I will not eat with you."

The author states that he will not pray or socialize with others, as evidenced by the statement " nor will I pray with you... "

To sum up, I believe that Shylock is ultimately a villain with both comedic and tragic qualities. His desire for affection comes at the cost of his deep-seated greed to maintain what belongs to him, overshadowing his more humane side. Shylock's nefarious and vengeful character is exposed in his treatment of those close to him, such as his daughter Jessica. His desire for revenge dominates, and he shows no mercy towards Antonio throughout the play. Although he is a victim of prejudice in a Christian court, he still exhibits villainous tendencies.

Despite his belief that he could overcome the Christians, Shylock's naivety led to his downfall due to Venetian law being designed to serve the best interests of the Christians. This resulted in his forced conversion to Christianity, which many argue was a harsh punishment. Even though Shylock's life was spared, some posit that death may have been preferable since he lost all his wealth and his daughter had left him, leaving him with nothing to live for. He can no longer operate as the wealthy moneylender he once was. Despite his attempt at revenge, the audience sympathizes with Shylock due to the unjust and unyielding punishment imposed upon him.

Shylock's punishment may be viewed as unfair because it is linked to his offense, yet ultimately determined by his religious affiliation.