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In the Dukes opinion (Act iv, Sc.1) Shylock is “… an inhuman wretch.” Do you
agree? Do you feel that Shylock receives, “justice” at the end of the play? The
Merchant Of Venice was written by William Shakespeare, between 1596 and 1598. It
was first published in 1600. Although this play is described as a romantic
comedy, there is an underlying plot of moral dimension in the development of
Shylocks character. Shylock is a Jew and at this time Jews were the focus of
much racial prejudice and repression. In fact the Jewish community in the middle
ages suffered huge prejudice. Jews were associated mainly with money lending, as
Christians could not lend money at interest to other Christians. Shakespeare’s
portrayal of Shylock and Tubal is based on common prejudice and ignorance
tempered by his own liberal tolerance. This racial prejudice is relevant within
the play because is justifies the behaviour of shylock. It is this prejudice
that sets the plot and is a major theme within The Merchant Of Venice. Antonio
who is supposed to be a hero is portrayed as a self- righteous prig at times.
Portia who might be expected to play a timid heiress is in fact shown as a
strong-minded woman, and Shylock is represented as a tragic outsider. Shylock is
a moneylender. He follows the Jewish religion and has a house in Venice.
He
lives with his daughter and is a widower. It is not easy to see Shylock as a
straightforward villain though, despite the fact that when we first meet him,
this is what he appears to be. The Duke calls Shylock an “inhuman wretch.” The
Duke’s greeting for Antonio is warm, but he damns Shylock with great
forcefulness. What The Duke does here is enforce the audience’s views of
Shylock. Notwithstanding his jaundiced view of Shylock, the Duke tries to reason
with him, and attempts to play upon his feelings of comparison and mercy for a
fellow human being. Everybody including Tubal hates Shylock. In Act 3 SC.1,
Tubal winds up Shylock about his daughter leaving him for as Christian, and
taking the families treasures. Any sympathy that the audience may have for
Shylock as a result of his impassioned speech quickly evaporates as they listen
to him rail against his daughter. His only concerns are for his Ducats, his
jewels and now more ominously, his revenge. “Thou stick’st a dagger in me. I
shall never see my gold again- Fourscore Ducats at a sitting! Fourscore Ducats”
This tells us that he is extremely greedy and he has more concerns over his
wealth than his own daughter. Is this the act of a human being or of an inhuman
wretch? We learn that even Jessica despises her own father. Jessica acquaints us
with her unhappiness at home because of her father. The fact that Shylock is a
lone figure in the play is underlined by the fact that even his own daughter is
ashamed of him. Jessica is ashamed because of the way that Shylock acts towards
everyone in the play. As I have said, everyone hates Shylock but even his own
daughter does! She describes the house they live in as ‘hell’. What we must ask
is, what does this suggest about Shylock being a father? If he cannot show any
emotion as a father, surely he cannot then be human. Shylock is racist.
Even in
the opening scenes there is evidence for this. For example in Act 1 Sc.3,
shylock thinks to himself: “I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you,
walk with you, and so following: but I will not eat with you, drink with you,
nor pray with you…” This shows us his true feelings towards the Christians, and
hints to us of his bloodthirsty revenge that he longs to take on Antonio.
Probably the subtlest view of his racism is when he says: “… I hat you for you
are a Christian.” This surely shows us his true racist feelings deep inside of
him. He openly admits to the people he talks to that he hates them because of
their religion. Shylock is very cruel; his desire for Antonio’s flesh is almost
a lust. He shows no mercy for Antonio, it now seems to us that Shylock takes
sadistic pleasure in the prospect of taking his pound of flesh from Antonio. For
example when Shylock is in the courtroom, he openly starts to sharpen his knife,
while at the same time grinning. Shylock also full of bitterness and his
thoughts of his revenge are twisted. He is this way because of the racial
prejudice he has encountered through his life. When Shylock says: “If I can
catch him once upon the hip, I will feed far the ancient grudge I bear him” This
tells us about the bitterness that he holds. Shylock basically says here, that
if he can catch Antonio, he will feed the grudge that he holds for him.
Shylock’s thoughts of revenge as I have said are twisted. Is Antonio’s heart
really worth 3000 Ducats? No of course it isn’t, but Shylock will any excuse to
get his revenge upon Antonio.
Surely, if shylock were human, then he would not
want such an evil thing to be carried out. Even in the trial scene Shylock
almost carries out the taking of the flesh that is owed to him. It is only of
the intervention from Gratiano who, in a typical robust fashion of his, curses
Shylock and accuses him of being: “Wolvish, bloody, starved and ravenous.”
Shylock’s hatred towards Antonio in particular is enormous. When Shylock makes
the bond with Antonio he sees’s the opportunity to fulfil his revenge. The
reality is that he see’s the bond as a threat to Antonio’s life. It would be
unfair to explore just one side of the argument of Shylock being ‘an inhuman
wretch’, for that would form as biased view. Shylock has many reasons for being
who he is. Essentially the audience’s sympathy for Shylock is turned away by his
hatred of Antonio, who is the hero of the play. His eloquent description of
Antonio’s abusive language and behaviour redresses the balance though. We learn
of the cruelty Shylock receives, in the conversations that he has throughout the
play. This enforces the idea of Shylock not having naturally being the way he
is.
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