A victimized villain in venice

This also shows role reversal has taken place because in Act 1 Scene 3 Shylock was inferior to Antonio.

As a result of the way he was treated, he strikes cruel bargains with people when money-lending. The play genre is drama and it is set in the late s. He is now in danger of death or destruction. This definitely makes Shylock the victim as he has lost everything he owns and everything he stands for.

It takes someone very quick on his feet to change the tone with such dexterity. Money certainly cant buy happiness, and Shylock realises he is a lonely man, and there is nothing he can do to change that.

Act 4, Scene 1, Line 83 When Shylock enters the courtroom, you can tell that no one is on his side, and he has no friends, as even the Duke does not call him by his real name.

Did Jewish men bleed like women. They speak of love and think of money. Finally, when Shylock tries to enforce his bond on Antonio, it all backfires as the court says that he cannot shed a drop of blood.

He would prefer his pound of flesh from Antonio instead, since now he sees Antonio as the source of all his miseries and confirms his desire to make Antonio pay for this. Shylock bemoans the fact that: This shows that Shylock has set his thoughts on killing Antonio by getting the pound of flesh, and has no plans on changing them.

The interest is the way Shylock gains his money and to deny him this would take away the only incentive he had originally, so rightfully he argues his case in a moving and powerful speech. Act 4, Scene 1, Line 83 When Shylock enters the courtroom, you can tell that no one is on his side, and he has no friends, as even the Duke does not call him by his real name.

Furthermore, Shylock, being unfairly victimized because he was a Jew, redirects the hatred inflicted on him back at his enemies. Antonio agrees, but now has to borrow money himself, as all his money is invested in his ships and trade. They are only not more dangerous because they are indolent and forget to be.

Mistreatment towards Jews was common, especially in Venice as it was an anti-semitic city. Shylock is begged by everyone to show Antonio mercy.

Shylock is very bitter and wants vengeance. The play depicts of a cycle of hatred occurring between Christians and Jews.

However they feelings of a modern audience would change dramatically when Shylock implies that the ring Jessica had sold for a monkey had in fact been her mothers and was Shylocks only memoir of her. However, when the audience saw the play when Shakespeare was alive, things were a lot different.

Now, as Shylock has to become a Christian will everyone now be nice to him. As a result of the way he was treated, he applies the abuse by his Christian neighbours in the past and uses the hatred back towards his enemies thus resulting in Shylock being depicted as a villain.

Although i felt sympathy for Shylock, an Elizabethan audience would not feel the same as in that period of time Jews were seen as second class citizen and were looked upon as inferior to Christians.

Mark, Jew- O learned judge. Now Shylock is a lonely man as he has hardly anyone, he only has Tubal, apart from Tubal; no one is on his side. Both modern and Elizabethan audiences would be disgusted with Shylocks actions and may see him as a villain.

Sep 03,  · The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare depicts a Jewish money-lender, Shylock, as the antagonist and villain of the play. Shylock, being a Jewish man, is victimized throughout the play as a greedy, deceitful individual due to his Jewish heritage. Mistreatment towards Jews was common, especially in Venice as it was an anti-semitic city.

You will no doubt get a lot of opinions about whether Shylock is a villain or victim, and all of them will be valid.

There is also the view that Shylock is both villain and victim. I would suggest. Shylock is one of Shakespeare’s most complex characters due to the dual-nature of his personality.

in ‘The Merchant of Venice’ Shakespeare explores the tension between christians and Jews and the issues of. To someone determined to read The Merchant of Venice as a Jew-hating play, this scotches any argument that Shakespeare is of Shylock’s party.

Yes, Shylock is granted an illuminating moment of humanity – that, after all, is what Shakespeare does: every villain has his say – but thereafter, and by his own choosing, the Jew quickly returns to the engrossing Jewish occupation of requital. It is difficult to describe Shylock as a victim or a villain as there are many things that you can say for each.

At the end of the play some of the audience may felt strongly that Shylock is a victim. In The Merchant of Venice, the part of Shylock, a money lending Jew, is one which carries many emotions, pain, joy, cruelty and loss.

His character’s contrary attributes mean that one moments sorrow for Shylock can turn to hate in the blink of an eye.

A victimized villain in venice