In Shakespeare’s time, everyone of the Christian faith hated the Jews, as they believed that in biblical history Jews were the people who killed Jesus. Shakespeare deliberately made Shylock a Jew so that the audience’s hatred would be directed towards Shylock, even before they knew his character. However modern audiences do not act like Shakespeare’s audience as it would be anti-semenism now, so our sympathy towards Shylock.
Shakespeare establishes the role of Shylock in Act 1 Scene 3. Shylock gets humiliated by Antonio in this scene. I know this because Shylock says “You call me ‘misbeliever’, ‘cut-throat dog’ and spit upon my Jewish Gabardine” but Antonio replies “I am as like to call thee so, to spit on thee again, to spurn thee too”. Venice was a trading city and relied on merchants like Antonio so that the city would not collapse. So the profession as a merchant was much respected, and the merchants were very proud of this. Whereas ‘usurer’ was a hated profession but many Jews were forced to take up this job. So Antonio feels like he has the right to talk and treat him like he does, and in that time he was probably right.
Another way in which Shakespeare portrays Shylock is the bond. It is obviously a trap as Shylock is very specific by using a time and a place. This bond is an act of revenge against Antonio, whereas Antonio’s bond is to show his friendship between him and Bassanio (his loyal friend). I know this because in Act 1 Scene 3 Shylock introduced the bond as ‘a merry sport’. However Antonio doesn’t realize what Shylock intends the bond to do, and Shylock asks for ‘an equal pound of carrion flesh’ from Antonio if the bond is not paid as stated.
Shakespeare uses Act 3 Scene 1 to intensify the drama, and does this by portraying Shylock as the villainous character. Shakespeare makes Shylock show his hatred towards Antonio. He uses things like threats and angry reactions to make Shylock even more hated. In Act 3 Scene 1 Line 50, Shylock says “Let him look to his bond”. This is a threat towards Antonio about the bond. It is to remind Antonio that he will need to pay the agreement. Shakespeare also shows Shylock as being more dignified than Antonio, “He hath disgraced me” shows how Shylock is being let down by Antonio. In Shakespeare’s time, this was a rare occasion as the Christians hated the Jews and treated them as if they were of a lower class, so this would have created uproar in a Shakespearian audience, and Shylock would have been hated even more. In the time of Shakespeare Jews were thought to be greedy and obsessed with money and in Act 3 Scene 1 Line 91, Shakespeare makes Shylock emphasize “I would my daughter lay dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear.” This is the reaction of him when his daughter runs away with a man of the Christian faith. This is as shocking in Shakespearian time as it I in a modern audience, that a father would prefer his daughter dead to have his jewels back. This is used by Shakespeare to intensify the audience’s hatred and distaste of Shylock.
In the dramatic climax of the play, Shakespeare again compares Shylock and Antonio as villain and victim, but there is an almost certainty as to know who is the villain and who is admired. Shylock is bloodthirsty and ruthless for revenge. As he enters the courtroom he says “By holy Sabbath have I sworn to have the due and forfeit of my bond. If you deny it, let the danger light upon your charter and your cities freedom.” Shylock is saying that if he doesn’t get what his bond agreed, then let the city corrupt. Also the Duke treats Antonio like he is royalty (because have an occupation of a merchant was very respected in Venice). However at the end of Act 4 Scene 1, Shakespeare deploys an unexpected and dramatic twist so that the audience gets what they want to happen to Shylock. Shakespeare has Shylock fall into the same sort of trap as Antonio, and has it backfire at him, thanks to Portia’s contribution. “If thou tak’st more or less than a just pound, be it but some much as makes it light or heavy in the substance or the division of the twentieth part of one poor scruple, nag, if thee do turn but in the estimation of a hair. Thou deist, and all thy gods are confiscate.” This is the part where Shylock is “bared once upon the hip” and he knows how it feels as Antonio did.
Collecting and analysing all this information, I have come to the conclusion that Shylock is a villain because he ‘feeds fat to the ancient grudge’ he bares Antonio, he would prefer his money than his daughter and he is ruthless to the end. However Shylock has been victimized a little bit but his villainy easily overcomes our sympathy for him.
