Is shylock a victim or a villain essay. Shylock: Villain or Victim? 2022-11-01
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Shylock is a complex character in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. He is a Jewish moneylender who is mistreated and ridiculed by the other characters in the play, leading some readers to see him as a victim. However, others view him as a villain due to his vengeful nature and his demand for a pound of flesh as repayment for a debt. Ultimately, whether Shylock is seen as a victim or a villain depends on the interpretation of the reader.
On one hand, it is clear that Shylock is a victim of discrimination and mistreatment. The other characters in the play, particularly Antonio and Bassanio, frequently make derogatory comments about him and refer to him using anti-Semitic slurs. Shylock is also treated unfairly by the court, which sides with Antonio and Bassanio and forces Shylock to convert to Christianity as punishment for demanding his debt.
Despite this, Shylock's actions and behavior also suggest that he is a villain. He is vengeful and greedy, demanding a pound of flesh as repayment for a debt even though this would be a cruel and unusual punishment. He also refuses to show mercy to Antonio when he is unable to repay the debt, despite the fact that Antonio has offered to pay him three times the amount of the loan.
Ultimately, whether Shylock is seen as a victim or a villain depends on the perspective of the reader. Some may view him as a victim of discrimination and mistreatment, while others may see him as a vengeful and greedy character. Regardless of how he is viewed, it is clear that Shylock is a complex and multifaceted character who elicits strong reactions from readers and audiences.
Shylock as a Victim and as a Villain Free Essay Example
Shylock is a Jew and at this time Jews… Shylock is sometimes a victim and sometimes a villain although his punishment, in my opinion, was not completely deserved. His unrelenting callousness is enough to convict Shylock of villainy as he attempts to persecute those who have wronged him in the most terminal of ways, death. Shakespeare tries to portray Shylock in a number of ways however I believe his main focus in the play, is on his villainous side. He lashed out against the prejudice that was thrust upon him and is considered evil for doing so. He has never done anything to hurt Antonio who is in fact the bad guy. It contains a trial, an elopement, a trick involving rings and women disguised as men. .
The only thing Shylock cares about is hurting the man that has hurt him along his whole life. Such is the kind of racial discrimination toward Shylock, the Jewish character in "The Merchant of Venice. However, in Act III Scene III, roles are reversed when their racist antics turn into mercy. Also when he is given the option to have a surgeon at hand. At this stage we feel extremely sympathetic for Shylock as he does not know that he is going to lose his daughter.
Firstly, the audience emphasise for Shylock and feel that he is a victim, due to the duke in the courtroom. The extreme complexity of the main character — prince Hamlet in this play contributes to its popularity until today. Shakespeare shows that he is firstly a villain as he is spoken about in a conversation between Salarnio and Salerio. This concept will prove to the audience that the Jews are in fact "cheap" and have a frugal sense for possessions. Through manipulation and scheming, he beguiles the other characters of the novel. This portrays that he is rock like and has no emotions for any other human. Portia and Antonio are the most generous people in the play.
Shylock Victim Or Villain English Literature Essay
Now he appears not to care about his daughter at all, but he has his pride. For both Portia and Antonio, money is to be used, not hoarded and used for friendship. Shylock is a contrast to them because he is not even willing to share his fortune with his own daughter, Jessica. What was she to do when she fell in love with the Christian man known as Lorenzo? At the court Shylock presses the case whole-heartedly and his passion for the forfeit is blood lust. For the audience viewing this in the present they can see that Shylock has been badly treated, and has been a victim, and can see his reasons for wanting to kill Antonio.
Shylock is at his lowest in this scene. More over, it is only when he loses his money that he begins to know what suffering is. However the immensity of his vengeance can only be assumed by the amount of times Shylock has been abused by a Christian. Later in the play it is seen that Jessica regrets her decision to leave her father, which shows that it would not have been likely for her to leave without Lorenzo asking her to. This essay feels that Shakespeare intended Shylock to be a victim, however it can also be argued that Shakespeare himself decided to show Shylock completely defeated at the end of the play, and to not even have his religion to hold on to, that indicates Shylock to be to an extent a villain; moreso this essy believes he was created to challenge the pre-conceptions and ideologies of the Elizabethan era. This strong and powerful comment makes Shylock appear demanding and deprived of his own rights.
But, is Shylock really the villain? Shylock is upset when he discovers Jessica has left him but this quickly disappears because of the sheer anger he feels when he finds out that she has taken his fortune. Later on, Shylock also says that Antonio has called him a dog. All Jews are normal people, all they want to do is to be treated fairly, and they should not have to be picked on, or spat on, or even kicked on from people who are not Jews. In the course of the four centuries that have elapsed since the first presentation of this work, the portrayal of Shylock has become a mirror of each succeeding Christian society's attitude towards the Jewish community in their midst. Not forgetting the hatred of Jews in that society can also have lead to Shylocks dislike of Christians. Shylocks' conversation at the beginning of act four, scene one clearly demonstrates this as the Duke and Antonio urge Shylock to use both his empathetic and rational abilities.
Shylock in Merchant of Venice is portrayed as how a stereotypical Jew would be portrayed as, a villain and an antagonist Shylock : a Villain in appearance, a Victim at heart Essay character could have both good and evil aspects, creating a complex personality. By the time he is forced to convert to Christianity by Antonio in Act Four, Scene One, Shylock has already been mostly castrated by the proceeding events of the play, and the conversion serves only as the final blow to his masculinity. This play has numerous themes embedded into it and possibly the most important is friendship. What qualities and actions determine whether or not this individual is deserving of the title villain? The idea that Shakespeare's representation of Shylock is unquestionably Anti-Semitic will be impacted in this essay because thought this book Shakespeare portrayed Shylock as Anti-Semitic. This proves how much Shylock is mocked and has to endure in his life, even after the people closest to him have deserted him. Theme Of Revenge In The Merchant Of Venice 966 Words 4 Pages When we were little we were taught the Merchant of Venice in school. Which leads to the third aspect of why shylock was a villain, his religion.
Shylock says that Antonio has spat on him in the past. Macbeth: Degress of Evil Biography: William Shakespeare's Macbeth tells the story of a man who would be king. In some ways it becomes clear that Shylock is based on a stereotypical view of a Jew: that a Jew is obsessed with money. From just reading the book, I had anticipated Shylock to be a selfish, greedy, and all over quite an unpleasant man, but I think that his true colours shone through him. He has been discriminated against for being a Jew, he has suffered repeated abuse from Antonio and his friends, he has lost his family and he has lost all of his possessions and wealth leaving him alone and penny-less in sorrow.
Essay On Shylock Is A Villain In The Merchant Of Venice
Nevertheless, the whole audience is swept away by this speech. Him and his wife murder to get their way. To start off with him being a villain, he is a villain to Antonio, as he wants him dead. Shylock is consistently victimized and judged for being Jewish instead of his true character. With all of this, the worst is yet to come.
