Jessica when running away is very deceitful and takes all her father’s wealth: “Here, catch this casket, it is worth three pains” This is tremendously emotional for the audience because here they are seeing a daughter running away from home and they know that regardless of what has happened that Shylock will be upset. This is reflected in the Merchant of Venice, although the audience of the play is made to feel sorry for Shylock at times, such as when Jessica, Shylocks daughter, elopes with a Christian. From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. Torture is a powerful word and very horrific, which shows deep desire to get revenge on Antonio. When Solanio finds outs that Shylock has lost his daughter and his money in Act 2 Scene 8 he teases Shylock but not to his face: “My ducats and my daughter” The structure of this sentence is clever. “If every ducat in 6 thousand ducats were in 6 parts,and every part a ducat,I would not draw them. ” I think Shylock is a victim because he is always being made fun of by all the other men in Venice. Shylock repeats himself for revenge again and has many horrific ideas such as the “pound of flesh”. I am a Jew. What makes this more convincing is the fact that Jessica is saying this because she has known Shylock her whole life and she still hates him. The utilisation of a rhetorical question has enabled Shylock to communicate indirectly to the audience, which could influence their opinion of him. I am bid forth to supper, Jessica. Additionally in Act 2 Scene 2 we see an insight into Shylock’s domestic life from his servant Lancelot: Shakespeare has cleverly included Lancelot in this scene so the audience can get a perspective of what Shylock the man is really like. They describe Shylock as “the dog Jew,” an example of how Bassanio and Antonio believe Shylock to be beneath them and how Christians thought themselves better than Jews. When Antonio is free to go, he makes the request for Shylock to give up his faith as a Jew. Shylock as being a character symbolizes the Old Legs, Judaism, which can be the belief of justice, retribution and following the law by letter. These are the characteristics of a stereotypical villain. Shakespeare’s intention here is to show how Shylock constantly wants to be in control, but as we see later in the play this is not always the case. How does the change in appearance, clothing, body language, and tone affect how the audience views Shylock? Shylock is malevolent to his servant Lancelot and extremely commanding: “I do not bid thee call” “Do as I bid” The way that Shylock said this was in a mean manner and is harsh towards Lancelot. Thirdly, Shylock is shrewd. “The Merchant of Venice” is one of Shakespeare’s most well known comedies and was written in the late 1590’s. and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? One Thou torturest me, Tubal: it was my turquoise; / I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor: / I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys”. Firstly Shakespeare has used alliteration so the audience can clearly hear the words especially “daughter” and “ducats” as they are important here. The imagery created is extremely efficacious because Shylock has an extremely valid point and has divulged this with a rhetorical question. A “cut throat dog” suggests death and execution which would make the audience shiver. In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock does not have the biggest role in the play but he is the character that everyone remembers. Loyalty is a major theme of the play and there is none between these two characters. The Merchant of Venice June 8th, 2011 In the play The Merchant of Venice Shylock is supposed to be the protagonist, the definition of protagonist is; the leading character or a major character in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. The choice that the viewer makes by deciding if Shylock is a victim or a villain depends on the background and the time the play is being shown. Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. Firstly he demands his “pound of flesh” and this is a recurring theme throughout of the play. in conclusion i believe shylock is the victim and the villian. Back in the days, Jews were strongly disgraced because of their religion. Had Jessica not left he may have stayed within reason of right and wrong. What makes this more convincing is the fact that Jessica is saying this because she has known Shylock her whole life and she still hates him. “. In addition, Jessica is taking all Shylock’s wealth and money is a big theme of the play, which Shakespeare exploits here. so in someways he is a victim but sometimes a villian I think Shylock is a villain because of his actions and emotions. This is significant because he knows that the end is approaching, so the audience would feel for Antonio because they know that Shylock is eager to kill him. Shylock is introduced into the plot of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by Antonio and Bassanio. In context Lancelot should respect his master not deceive him. I also noticed when depicting this was the arrangement of the words and I saw that the word “ducats” is before “daughter”. ” Overall, I believe Shylock is a hero and a villain because of the thing he’s said,and the deeds he’s done. We never find out what happens to him. This would have an inducing effect on the audience because this phrase would leave them to answer this question in their own mind. Is it true, is it true? Max Keyword Density. The fact that Antonio is nearing death makes the audience feel for him as his life is on the line. “and what’s his reason? In Act 2 Scene 6 we see a different side of Jessica. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? the only reason they do this is because he is a Jew. I think shylock is a victim because he thinks that he should have every right to fulfill the bond, even if it is a little extreme. All you need to do is fill out a short form and submit an order. The word “bond” is a key word used consistently through the play especially by Shylock. “, If he had been treated better by them he may not have wanted to cut of a pound of Antonios flesh of after being offered six times the amount he wanted, “If every ducat in 6 thousand ducats were in 6 parts,and every part a ducat,I would not draw them. Published: 1st Jan 2015 in Gratiano in the court mocks Shylock, “O learned judge”. As an Elizabethan audience would suddenly conclude that Shylock is a villain, an audience from Britain in the days of the Holocaust would have the greater part saying he’s a victim. He is persecuted by all the non-Jews he knows: He tells Antonio, “suff’rance is the badge of all our tribe”. The atmosphere is drastically tense, Shakespeare uses hyperbolic language to express emotional sadness. So this could infer how he likes his money more than his daughter. Shylock does not appear at the start of the play for one key reason I believe, which is Shakespeare wanted the audience to see Shylock enter by himself for dramatic effect. He is a victim of discrimination, of abandonment, cruel criticism and treatment. This is why Shylock is regarded as a villain. O my daughter! Firstly Lorenzo addresses Shylock as “Jew’ which is prejudiced, whereas he uses words such as “heaven” and “gentle” to portray Jessica. Additionally in Act 2 Scene 2 we see an insight into Shylock’s domestic life from his servant Lancelot: “the Jew is the very devil incarnation”. The last words of Shylock are really quite heartbreaking. What is quite ironic is that the two main characters of Antonio and Shylock do not have a partner at the end of the play! His great respect for law and order are shown in the following quotes from Act 4 Scene. Shylock quotes that he would “have his daughter dead at his feet” if he could. At this juncture the audience would have commiseration for Shylock because the contrast of how he is treated compared with Antonio, here Shylock is seen as a victim. By Shakespeare . everybody is treating him unfairly and he feels that to make it fair then he should be aloud to do it too, I feel that this is reasonable . He made the deal with Antonio because he believed Antonio’s ships would come back. Shylock also does not like how there is a big difference between Jews and Christians: ‘If you prick us do we not bleed’ Shylock has a lot of anger in him and has expressed himself very emotionally here. Shylock, with Antonio is the major character in the play, at times referred to as a villain and sometimes a victim. Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? Revenge. Throughout the play: The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare juggles with the idea of Shylock being either a villain or a victim. Definitely coming back with another assignment! Next, Shylock is very materialistic. The word “devil” adds to the running motif in the play as Shylock is always referred to as devil-like. No plagiarism, guaranteed! ” -Shylock Often, this quote from Act 3 Scene 1 line 83, “Why, there, there, there, there! Furthermore, whenever Shylock talks to either Bassanio or Antonio, he rarely uses gracious language. This speech is the turning point and the audience may judge Shylock as a victim or villain on the basis of this speech. After his speech Shylock becomes intrigued when he hears news that Antonio’s ships are sinking, “I’ll torture him”. Here is evidence of how bitter Shylock has become and the tone in which he would say it would be sarcastic. How should he react? “forfeit”, “sworn”, “cat” and “rat”. Shylock is a victim of business due to the fact that Antonio lends out money gratis. Shylock is malevolent to his servant Lancelot and extremely commanding: The way that Shylock said this was in a mean manner and is harsh towards Lancelot. To integrate quotations properly, you need to introduce them and use the correct punctuation. Why, revenge. Shakespeare sets up numerous cases of Shylock being victimized than those previously stated. Shakespeare has cleverly carried out this contrast for effect because he wanted to make it clear to the audience who the villain really is. Shylock admittedly says he hates Christians, which is very racist: “I hate him for he is Christian” Clearly this language shows that Shylock is prejudiced and this quotation would shock the contemporary audience, as they would be predominantly Christian. Shakespeare makes Shylock ruthless and cold in this act, which makes us think he truly is the villain of this play. Shylock takes the image of a dog and turns it around to the Christians. The imagery is revolting. At this stage, we feel extremely sympathetic for Shylock, as he does not know that he is going to lose his daughter. Further, on in the court scene Antonio admits that he is doomed: “the weakest kind of fruit” This metaphor is compelling and would make the audience sad to see him scared. But on the other hand he refused to take any sum of money, even six times the original amount. We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.co.uk. The audience would not enjoy Shylock attaining power especially over Bassanio , who is a Christian. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what’s his reason? In the courtroom when Shylock replies he uses quite vengeful and powerful language and he uses a lot of language associated with animals. This would have an inducing effect on the audience because this phrase would leave them to answer this question in their own mind. He describes his ill-treatement at the hands of Antonio in Act 3, Scene 1, when he says: He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what’s his reason? We see him being impatient with her and ordering her around. At this juncture the audience would have commiseration for Shylock because the contrast of how he is treated compared with Antonio, here Shylock is seen as a victim. This is a very contentious phrase in the play. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy, The input space is limited by 250 symbols. If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! In the Elizabethan times, quotes like “ I hate him for he is a Christian”, would have provoked the audience. Shylock’s first appearance is in Act 1 Scene 3, which is set in Venice. This is why Shakespeare uses unrhymed iambic pentameter to stress the significance of this. He also makes a religious joke at Shylock’s expense. The animal imagery is crude and based on vermin which makes Shylock seem uncanny in the eyes of the audience. They flatter me. Namely, he is vengeful, very materialistic and shrewd. We have Shylock Villain Or Victim Thes trained agents standing by so you can have live help from real people online or by phone. However the question still remains: Shylock victim or villain? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? Essay, Use multiple resourses when assembling your essay, Get help form professional writers when not sure you can do it yourself, Use Plagiarism Checker to double check your essay, Do not copy and paste free to download essays. Disclaimer: This is an example of a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional writers. The atmosphere is drastically tense, Shakespeare uses hyperbolic language to express emotional sadness. Do you think this is this a sign of strength or foolishness? Shakespeare’s purpose here is to show the audience what Shylock’s own blood and flesh thinks of him, evidently deep loathing. Shylock victim or villain essay introduction In the play, The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, Shylock is a villain because in the play Shylock uses deception and his knowledge of Antonio to exact his revenge, Shylock also shows that anger, revenge and hate has clouded his mind and so he chooses to show no forgiveness or mercy towards Antonio.. In addition, Jessica is taking all Shylock’s wealth and money is a big theme of the play, which Shakespeare exploits here. As we see throughout the play Shylock demands for things to be done by the law, “is that the law?”. This is extreme dramatic irony. But yet I’ll go in hate to feed upon The prodigal Christian. Shylock is definitely the most villainous character in the play, and only a few elements can show him as a victim overall, even then, his victimisation only seems to be a consequence of his own actions. He often speaks prose in the play, which marks him out as an outsider. In many ways he certainly seems to be the antagonist of the story: one of his primary functions is as the obstacle standing between Portia and Bassanio’s wedded bliss. Shylock, with Antonio is the major character in the play, at times referred to as a villain and sometimes a victim. These words are significant because they show his passion for revenge. I also think though,that Shylock is a villain as he explains in the play that he will not take any form of money,he just wants to kill Antonio which is a very evil thing to say. “forfeit”, “sworn”, “cat” and “rat”. He is a victim of his religion, and a victim of his greed and overwhelming need for revenge. This is kind I offer. Get Your Custom Essay on, By clicking “Write my paper”, you agree to our, By clicking Send Me The Sample you agree on the. I would my daughter were dead at my foot and the jewels in her ear;” portraying Shylocks’ treatment of his daughter, after she ran away, is manipulated to make Shylock seem beastly. As opposed to his typical role as the wicked blood thirsty villain. Because Shylock ends up being a greedy man, audiences remember Shylock as more of a villainous character than a victim, especially because he tried to kill Antonio. Act 3 Scene 1 was set in Venice, which was the place of business. Such as “penalty and forfeit”. Antonio’s wishes are extreme, we see the extremeness when Antonio says, ” He presently become a Christian,The other, that do record a gift here in the court, of all he dies possessed unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter. I think Shylock is a villain because even though people are not nice to him that doesn’t give him the right to kill one of them one piece of evidence that shows he is a villain is he doesn’t give a reason for wanting to take a pound of Antonio’s flesh we know this because he says “some men there are love not a gaping pig; some that are mad if they behold a cat” this tells us he has no reason for taking his flesh. Shylock admittedly says he hates Christians, which is very racist: Clearly this language shows that Shylock is prejudiced and this quotation would shock the contemporary audience, as they would be predominantly Christian. His daughter hates him and calls him a “devil”. Shakespeare intends this as he gives Shylock emotive speeches about inequality, which contradicts Shylock as being a villain. If it is a short quotation, keep it on the same line. Therefore when he calls Shylock a devil the audience knows that Lancelot does not have any respect for him. This stresses the Christian part of the sentence so it will remain in the audience’s minds who they will be not pleased at Shylock. At this time, Jews were treated very badly and were frequently excluded by their community. Shylock’s diction is short, which is showing his intent to get the trial over an done with, the contemporary audience would see this as vengeful. Two thousand ducats in that and other precious,, jewels! He shows his excitment by sharpening the knife on his boots in court, ” not on thy sole, but on thy sole, harsh jew, thou mak’st thy knife keen. The dictionary defines a villain as “a cruelly malicious person” and a victim as “a person who is deceived or cheated”. The main reason for this is because of the enormous amount of Jews killed in this period, for committing no offence whatsoever. When she runs away, he seems as upset about the loss of his money as her: “My daughter! “If I am dog beware my fangs”. The word “bond” is powerful language of the law and portrays Shylock as a dignified human being. I personally think Shylock, from The Merchant of Venice, was the victim. Shylock is rather teasing as he makes Bassanio sweat for a simple one-word answer: “Three thousand ducats for three months, and Antonio bound”, “Three thousand ducats: I think I may take this bond”. The play is set mainly in Venice, which at the time was the city of trade, and which Shakespeare’s audience would have found exotic. The Merchant of Venice. Shakespeare uses alliteration to make the point “fair flesh” stand out. During the court scene, it is astonishing how Bassanio manages to insult Shylock, “cruel devil” This is a recurrent motif throughout the play but what is important about the timing of this insult is that it is in a court room which is supposed to be fair to all parties. Registered office: Venture House, Cross Street, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 7PJ. He cleverly argues in Act III, scene 1 that he is as much a man as a Christian is and so will follow the example the Christians set by seeking revenge. Paper Outline. This throws Shylock into a state of rage. At this time people believed in the chain of being which was a hierarchy of beings. This quote tells us that Shylock’s villainous actions if acted out would benefit him greatly in his business. “God”, “mercy” and “sceptred”. These words are significant because they show his passion for revenge. “I thank God, I thank God. Shylock’s bond has an extreme condition to it: “for an equal pound of your fair flesh” This shows that Shylock wants revenge if his money is not repaid. Antonio becomes emotional, when he knows the end is near: This is a piece of rhetoric stressing the future of his cause. i think Shylock is a victim as he only acted the way he did because he had been mistreated by Antonio and others all because of his religion, “and what’s his reason? A “cut throat dog” suggests death and execution which would make the audience shiver. In case you can’t find a sample example, our professional writers are ready to help you with writing “Shylock the world thinks”, this shows how they are trying to isolate Shylock. Firstly, Shylock is extremely vengeful. This adds to Shylock’s vulnerability as he is alone with no friends and friendship is a vital theme of the play. Victim or villain? Shakespeare’s language here is purposeful as he has used rhyming couplets for dramatic effect and also to stress the importance of these words. Shylock is in the street by himself, whereas Solanio and Solario are together. "You must agree to out terms of services and privacy policy", Don't use plagiarized sources. It brings down the rate of interest in Venice and this means that Shylock is not able to make money because all the people who borrow it, end up going to Antonio instead. Through disassembling each scene in the play he does not show any morsel of mercy ,whereas other characters have tried and I have taken this into consideration. Dogs as animals were at the bottom of this chain so this insult is even worse. Our paper writers are able to help you with all kinds of essays, including application essays, persuasive essays, and Shylock Villain Or Victim Thes so on. Even though Shylock refuses 6 times the original amount; ” if every ducat in six thousand ducats, were in six parts and every part a ducat, i would not draw them “, I still feel he is a victim as he has put up with a lifetime of abuse. If you need a custom written essay, term paper, research paper on a general topic, or a typical high school, college or university level assignment, you can place an order right away without prior inquiry. As a Jew, in the play Shylock is the victim of racism, at this time, it is the 1500s so Jews were persecuted most of the time. … Shylock takes the image of a dog and turns it around to the Christians. I think this shows that Shylock is very evil and is driven by revenge. Copyright © 2003 - 2021 - UKEssays is a trading name of All Answers Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. While no consensus has been reached on whether Shylock is a tyrannical villain or a tragic victim, evidence indicates he is a bloodthirsty villain. Meaning someone who dies or suffers as a … However, I feel the modern day audience would perceive Shylock as a victim as today we live in an equal society where no one or faith is alienated from a community. Yet in an often forgotten moment when Shylock finds out his daughter traded his wife’s ring for a monkey he cares only for its sentimental value. This shows that he has a strong hatred towards Shylock. The contemporary audience would sympathise with Shylock as he is being mocked behind his back. He could have pardoned Antonio and shown himself to be morally superior – but would this have done him any good in the long run? This would make the audience laugh as Shylock previously was in a happy mood and said a similar phrase. Shylock can be seen as a villain in the Merchant of Venice because he can respond so quickly to the insults thrown at him throughout the play. The Merchant of Venice June 8th, 2011 In the play The Merchant of Venice Shylock is supposed to be the protagonist, the definition of protagonist is; the leading character or a major character in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. In early productions of The Merchant of Venice, actors played Shylock as either a monster or an evil clown, enforcing the idea that he is the villain of the play. The utilisation of a rhetorical question has enabled Shylock to communicate indirectly to the audience, which could influence their opinion of him. The way Shakespeare brings the knife into this is he cleverly uses light relief from a minor character to bring this about. Thus, the theft of his jewels reduced her to the level of a thief, and so she deserved to be punished. Shylock’s bond has an extreme condition to it: This shows that Shylock wants revenge if his money is not repaid. Firstly it contains law jargon which is a recurring habit of Shylock. This is extreme dramatic irony. In the film, the court scene is incredibly well directed because as in the play, there is a hostile reception for Shylock and he is constantly being jeered at. ” On the other hand i think he is a villian as it is not right if you want to take a pound of someones flesh especially if you are not willing to break the bond for six times the amount. ” . Shakespeare has cleverly written this sentence so that every word, bar, Christian has one syllable whereas the word Christian has two. Shakespeare doesn’t give Shylock any lines to tell us how he feels. Here at the end of the speech I believe the audience would have been silenced as Shylock touches on some sensitive topics. But the way Shylock is portrayed is … He is verbally abused and bullied by most characters in the play and is called cruel names including “villain with a smiling cheek, cut-throat dog, bloody creditor, damned inexecrable dog”. Here at the end of the speech I believe the audience would have been silenced as Shylock touches on some sensitive topics. ” This clearly shows that Shylock would prefer to have his money and jewels than his daughter’s return. He is approached by them when they are in search of money. Antonio describes Shylock as a “villain” who lies for his own purposes. He knows that the Venetian justice system will have to support him and so relishes beating Antonio at his own game. The imagery created is extremely efficacious because Shylock has an extremely valid point and has divulged this with a rhetorical question. “. On one hand, he is a very villainous character as shown when he declares that he wishes his daughter was ‘…dead at my food, and the jewels in her ear. Act 3 Scene 1 was set in Venice, which was the place of business. When Shylock first enters the room he is being questioned. The Duke shows deep emotion for Antonio at the start, he refers to Antonio as “thee”. He is arguing for common humanity as he feels alienated and vulnerable. In both cases the language is monosyllabic and commanding which shows the audience that Shylock believes he has power over everyone. No consensus has been reached on whether Shylock is a tyrannical villain or a tragic victim. Evidently, Shylock is repetitive and he is controlling the dialogue. ” He goes to far because he believes that the pound of flesh belongs to him, even when the duke said that this was going to far. We’re committed to protecting your privacy. The other characters think he is evil. To attempt to take a man’s life is a lot more serious than simply calling him names or spitting on him.