Shylock Villain or Victim Essay Example For Students

Shylock Villain or Victim Essay In the day of Shakespeares plays going to the theatre to see a play was often a very popular source of entertainment. People would squash into the globe to see the performance, and feel part of the action; cheering and clapping away. Also when they felt anger, it was seen as ok, to throw mouldy fruit or vegetables at the stage in disgust at the action taking place. The Merchant of Venice was 1st performed at the globe all those years ago and is still being performed today. The Merchant of Venice is set in Venice/Belmont, Italy. It would have been set there as not to offend the audience because I dont think any of the spectators at the time would be from Venice. There for it isnt possible for some of the actions in the play to upset or offend the culture of Italy at the time. Also being in Venice it cannot offend the legal system close to home. There are many themes and issues to the play such as friendship, marriage and relations (especially ones between father and daughter. I. e. -Jessica and Shylock). Also religion, law, discrimination and prejudice, control and power and the position of women are key themes in the play. While the play was 1st being performed the women were not allowed to act, so men had to wear womens clothes, and pretend to be women. This sort of shows how women were treated then; unfairly in comparison to the men. But the main, central debate is still about Shylock and weather he is a villain or victim. Dustin Hoffman wrote: is he tragic or is he comic? And of course hes both. Hes one of the most complex human beings Shakespeare wrote. And hes very much correct, he plays the part of two characters, but a lot of people do think that he is one or the other. And by looking at evidence you can see him being one of the two. Some people believe that Shylock is blood thirsty, were as some believe hes a godly and clean living character. In Act 1, Scene 3 we are introduced to Shylock, this is the 1st time in the play, were we can start to get an idea of weather Shylock is a villain or a victim. The 1st sign of him being a villain it the very first line he says. This shows what he is thinking about most. He says 3000 ducats well. By saying this he is showing that the only thing on his mind is making money, and that he is obsessed with it. It is in this scene that Bassanio seeks Shylock out and asks to borrow money from him in Antonios name. Also in this scene do we learn of Shylocks hatred for Antonio and the Christians:How like a fawning publican he looks! / I hate him for he is a Christian. Another sign of villainy is the use of repetition, Shylock does use a lot, and he says it in this scene- ho, no, no, no, no. Another sign of villainy is the thought of revenge, and he blatantly says him self, he is mainly in this bond for the revenge when he says he has an ancient grudge against Antonio. It seems a though he is agreeing to the bond, expecting Antonio to be unable to pay, and to see him dead, and the Christians unhappy. Perhaps he receives the terms of the bond in this manner because he is confident that he will be able to repay the bond. Shylock feels justified in exacting revenge upon Antonio because he blames him for all his problems and is bitter about the manner in which Antonio has treated him in the past. He is also resentful of the ridicule and torment of his race by the Christians. Through the bond he feels he will be able to avenge the treatment of his religion I think if Shylock thought Antonio would be able to pay him back, he would have not gone through with the deal. He is seeking revenge for all the poor treatment he has received from them. He also shows how much he feels he needs to be in control, another sign of villainy. When he says Antonio shall become bound well He wants to be in control of the situation, and for it all to come through. Also he says how much he hates the Christians, proving my point, saying he wants them dead. We also see Shylock as a manipulative type of character when he calls the bond a merry sport, which isnt usual for a life threatening deal. You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, and spit upon my Jewish gabardine This line by Shylock on Antonio and Bassanio, is heavily implying that they are racist towards the Jews. We can see this appears in later scenes, in act 2 scene 8 Salarino and Salanio refer to Shylock as the, Dog Jew. And of course in those days (or indeed now) it would be seen as such a high insult to be called a dog. But he later brings this back on the Christians where he says Thou calldst me a dog, before thou had a cause/but since I am a dog beware my fangs He is saying that seeing as they called him a dog before, he know has the right to act like one, and he joke saying Beware my fangs because he intends to have Christians dead. But as well as seeing Shylock being a villainous character, we also see him become a character who is a bullied victim. For instance, he says to Antonio how he has been insulted all his life- many a time and oft in the Rialto you have rated me. He would be thinking here why should he do a favour for someone who has insulted him all his life, and judged him also. And also he has been spat upon- And spat upon my Jewish gabardine He there makes him self very hurt and damaged. Which you could imagine he is. Also he actually offers Antonio his friend ship (Although whether he meant it or was again being manipulative is debateable). But never the less he does say to Antonio- I would be friends with you. Shylock also says how he is victimised- (definite sign of being a victim. )- I am as like to call thee so again/to spit on thee again, to spurn thee too. I think that in this scene Shylock is immediately shown as a villain, but as you get to know him, you see that it is because he has been victimised before. In Act 3, Scene 1 Shylock is feeling a lot of emotional distress as he has recently heard of his daughter running away. Not only did she run away, but also she left with Shylocks Jewels. An inspector calls essayWe see that near the start of the play Portia says: I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, than be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching. She is saying it is hard to practise what you preach, yet this seems to be very hypocritical at this stage because she has gone against her earlier emotions of having justice and mercy. Also we can see again this links back to earlier where she was wanting mercy because she wanted women to be equal to men, if she really believed in this she would treat Jews and Christians the same. Shylock is again viciously attacked by Gratiano once more, which is a big sign of racism. Again in this scene I would say he is mostly playing the part of the victim. In this scene there is a big presence of friendship from Bassanio to Antonio when he says: The Jew shalt have my flesh, blood, bones, and all/ere shalt lose for me one drop of blood, he is saying that he will take the pain for Antonio if he wanted, because to see his best friend die, would be enough pain. I think that Portia knew all the way along about the loophole in the law, and I think she was leading Shylock on to say things he didnt mean, like how he would only accept his bond, no money or anything, later on, he would wish he didnt say that because he indeed ends up loosing all his money and everything which is precious to him, including his right to stay with his own religion. Gratiano also mocks Shylock about his earlier speech were he says: O upright judge! Mark, Jew, O learned Judge. Shylock spoke similarly to this when he said O noble judge! O excellent young man! This was indeed only false hopes, as the discrimination to Jews really showed through from the judge and all Shylock had were very much false hopes. Although it seems as though it is mostly pay back, which seems unfair, as Shylock was the one who deserved revenge. As well as these 3 major scenes, there are other smaller parts where we can see if Shylock is villain or a victim. Such as in Act 2 Scene 2 we can see the Christians being racist which is a sign that they would later do it again. They were being racist to one of there servants called Lancelot. They said to him: For I am a Jew If I serve the Jew any longer. Also we see that in Act 5 Shylock is not there, this meaning that he cannot be the hero of the play, because the hero must be in the last scene, if he is indeed to be a hero. Although he is mentioned, and thought about. Another way, in which Shylock is established as a villain, is through his treatment of Jessica. It is in Act 2 Scene 5 that we first witness an interaction between Shylock and Jessica. During this he orders her about as if she were a servant and mentions nothing about her well being, only instructs her to look after the well being of his house: Hear you me, Jessica: / Lock up my doors: and when you hear the drum Nor thrust your head into the public street But stop my houses ears Let not the sound of shallow foppery enter / my sober house. We can see in Act 2 Scene 8 Saleranio and Solanio are constant tormentors of Shylock and mock him at every opportunity: I never heard a passion so confused, / So strange, outrageous, and so variable, / As the dog Jew did utter in the streets in the streets: / My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter! Shylock used the words O my ducats! O my daughter earlier in the play, and they are bringing it up again, and using it to tease and mock Shylock. This is probably because Shylock was having trouble deciding on what he cared more for, and which he wanted back, which is ironic, because at the end, he had neither of those two and he also lost his right to believe in his own religion. I think that in conclusion Shylock is over all a victim. He is a Jew, and he suffers persecution from the Christians. For this he becomes bitter and resentful oh the Christians and sought to use his financial strength to damage Antonio and Bassanio (and the Christians in general). As Sir Peter Hay quite rightly says: He becomes that which he most abhors. Hes torn to shreds emotionally by the society around him. He becomes the very thing thats reduced him, thats taken his humanity away. Shylock can be seen as being all too nai ve, but a human character, on a strict religion who ends up being humiliated. It is clearly seen that in that day and age, Jews were not at all tolerated. I think because of the poor treatment that Shylock had received over the years, and I think that loosing his daughter was the final injustice. At the time of loosing his daughter and the jewels I think he would have probably said things which he didnt actually mean, sort of in the heat of the moment. Those made him seem more villainous than he perhaps was. In the end Shylock did have a right to a pound of Antonios flesh, but seeing as the court was being run by Christians it was very much an unfair trial, he was mocked, and victimised. At the time I dont think Shylock would get much or any sympathy from the audience at all, seeing as the audience would be mostly filled with Christians. After the trial Shylock was even forced to denounce his religion and was fortunate to not loose all of his belongings. Although Shylock was not in the final scene (Which the hero of a play normally is), but I think that his presence was felt. I think that all the way through Shylock was victimised and bullied, which may have made him say/do things which made him look villainous. Its also a good idea to work out Shakespeares views on the Jewish. I think that he is aware of the racist attitudes, and by writing this play he wants to express his views. If he was a straight forward racist he wouldnt have been given Shylock his great speeches which show how hurt and victimised he was. But he has conformed to society because shylock is still heavily persecuted. But over all I believe Shylock was a victim.