Shylock: Villain or Victim?

There has been much debate about whether Shylock i trying to be portrayed as a victim or as a
villain. In the play, he is described as ruthless and bloodthirsty, but also as a victim of prejudice
behavior and suppression.
As a villain, he is depicted as a money-hungry fool who does not care for his own daughter, but
instead the money that she stole. Shylock's cruelty towards Antonio in blatantly shown in that he
constantly wants the pound of Antonio's flesh, nothing else. Despite the judge's(Portia) offers to
pardon Antonio, Shylock constantly persisted, and ended up losing everything. He was asked three
times to give up wanting Antonio's flesh, but three times he refused. This showed his intent to kill
Antonio to the most severe extent, and described Shylock as a cold, greedy and revengeful person.
However, Shylock was also a victim in the play. Throughout the course of the entire play,
Shylock was constantly mocked and called a "cut-throat dog" and "misbeliever", and
was looked down upon by the Christians like Antonio. Antonio strongly opposed Shylock's
means of earning a living by lending money with interest, and despised him for it too. However,
Antonio did not see that Shylock's only way of earning himself a living was through money-lending
because Venice at the time was strongly prejudice against the Jews. Almost everyone in the play,
from Antonio to the Duke, mocked him and spit on his religion, despising his beliefs over
Christianity. To make matters worse, his own daughter eloped with one of those that hated him.
How much more suffering could Shylock take? During the trial, Shylock was overcome by revenge
for what the entire Christian community had done to him, and in the end lost everything he had.
The judge(Portia) made it even so that all his possessions were to go to those he had been trying to
persecute, the people who he had hated to the core. His religion was converted to that of the people
he had hated his whole life, causing Shylock to become one of them.
In conclusion, Shylock despite being villainous in some ways, was portrayed as a victim of
prejudism.

The Merchant of Venice": Shylock: Victim

or Villian?
Extracts from this document...
Introduction
Shylock: Victim or Villain? Since the thirteenth century, Jews who practised their own religion
were banned from England and only readmitted by Oliver Cromwell in the seventeenth century.
During Shakespeare's time, which was the sixteenth century, Elizabethans had barely any
knowledge about Jews. This fear of the unknown eventually led to the disappointing prejudice
and antisemitism in England. Traditionally, Jews have been blamed for Jesus' crucifixion which
as become the justification for the hatred of the Jews, The Killing of the son of God. With this
much knowledge about the Jewish race Elizabethans were prepared to believe anything,
already having created myths and tales for themselves. "The Merchant of Venice" opens with
Antonio, a successful Christian merchant, a loyal and generous friend agreeing to lend his
money to the irresponsible Bassanio. Antonio is mainly portrayed as a loyal friend to highlight
his goodness and willingness to go through drastic measures to help out a friend, Antonio says
to Bassanio, "My purse, my person, my extremest means lie all unlocked to you occasion."
These two characters are shown to have a history which is very important to the storyline as it
give Bassanio's plan some support to which the play revolves around. In addition, Bassanio's

plan is further supported by the grand and poetic language used to describe Portia. ...read
more.

Middle
A modern audience would have enjoyed a mystery, doubting Shylock's vice would have
intrigued them. At points like this, it is understandable to see Shylock as a victim rather than a
villain. To have lost valuables like his jewels and daughter and left whimpering in the street
might make us think of how Shylock is just a victim of prejudice. This would remind us of how
the good character, Antonio mistreated him (spat on him and called him dog) which would
make us question where each character stands. Though we might find this to be a powerful
message about racial discrimination, Shakespeare's audience would simply find this scene
entertaining. For further effect, this scene is followed by Shylock's famous speech about racial
equality. Again, in this scene, we would doubt weather Shylock's actions are results of his pain
or anger. To an Elizabethan audience, this scene would be shocking. Shakespeare might have
used this scene to awaken the audience and prepare them of what is coming. On the other
hand, as a modern audience, we might be convinced of Shylock's message and again view him
as a mere victim as he gives us more reason to understand his scheming which might make us
feel close to him despite his greediness and other immoralities. ...read more.

Conclusion
He is seen to be dumbfounded, knowing that now he has truly lost everything; is daughter,
fortune, respect and rights to believe, "Nay, take my life and all, pardon not that." To some
literates Shylock is portrayed as a victim of a prejudice society, being stripped of his rights and
belongings and basically reduced to nothing, however to many, Shylock, after many warnings,
received what he deserved, like all happy endings, the villain is punished and put under the
mercy of his own victim, in this case Antonio. Despite Antonio's mistreatment towards Shylock
at the start of the play, he is seen to be the victim because of the agony Shylock puts him
through. An Elizabethan audience might relate this play to the story of the crucifixion where,
Jesus, the victim allows himself to be crucified by the Jews as a sacrifice to humanity, after all, "
In the course of justice, none of us should see salvation." But because of God's grace and
mercy, Shylock has been awarded salvation by renouncing his faith and embracing Christianity.
Having justice and mercy being represented by Shylock and Portia (respectively) shows that
you cannot be just without being merciful, nor merciful without being just as "Mercy seasons
justice", and to try to do so otherwise, to ignore God's example, there would be a price to
pay. ?? ?? ?? ?? Fatima Salman The British School of Bahrain 90306 Shakespeare
Coursework ...read more.
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Shylock, if he is a victim or villain of his

religious prejudice. The Merchant of
Venice
Extracts from this document...
Introduction

Victim? Or Villain? Intro... In this essay I aim to show the truth about Shylock, if he is a victim or
villain of his religious prejudice. 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. In the play "The merchant of
Venice" Antonio the Christian won the court battle against Shylock, whereas if Shylock would
have won, the crowd watching the play in the 1500s would consider the play to be biased and
would throw food as an act of disgrace and anger to the actors. Christians persecuted Jews in
the 16-century and even now because they are different in lifestyles and beliefs. To Christians
Jews are Aliens. Shylock was probably the only well known Jew in Venice so he got a lot of AntiSemitism from not only Antonio but others as well, he was very unhappy, yet proud of his faith,
so becoming a Christian would be a big defeat, not only for himself but for his faith that he has
any control over. Shylock is a victim of his persecution, yet a villain for his revenge, he gets too
carried away with reprisal. A Christian stereotype of a Jew is of greed, revenge and of
selfishness. And at times he becomes too engulfed in greed and vengefulness and doesn't stop
till he gets what he wants. In this play he becomes too engulfed in vengeance and hatred for
Antonio, so he doesn't bother to notice that his daughter has run away with lots of his money
and her mothers jewellery. ...read more.

Middle
Shylock suffers mental torment because he is always confused by what he is going to do, and
the aftermath is usually in Antonio's advantage, by Shylock becoming too self centred and
vengeful towards Antonio and other Christians. The three witches in Macbeth told him he would
be the king, Shylock had a vague idea of that, he pounced on Antonio when he least expected
it, it was very effective, behind Antonio's back he planned it. Luckily Portia and Bassanio saved
Antonio. Shylock has had the desire to do evil since the beginning of the play and has focused
his attention on Christians in particular. The desire to do wicked things probably started
because he had been persecuted for so long, he thought it was 'payback'. When Shylock "If it
will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge!" This quote proves how greedy and manipulative
he is. "If you prickle us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do
we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?" This quote that Shylock says is saying
that Jews or any other race/religion are not any different to anyone else, a quote like this would
have made anyone question themselves to what they are going to say next in reply to it.
Shylock asides and soliloquies because he wants the audience to feel his emotions of anger or
dismay. Also trying to get the audience to see through the bad in him, showing he can be a
good, gentle person. ...read more.

Conclusion
It was not fair that he was fighting the whole of Venice on his own to stay alive. So, to be fair he
did deserve to have revenge, but the idea he had in mind, was going to cost him, a lot! Antonio
should have not got away with everything; Shylock should have at least been left with some
pride (his religion). Shylock the way he did in self-defence, therefore he was right to do so, it
was for his own protection and of his faith. But, he became too egotistical and tried to push his
luck by trying to kill Antonio, by doing it he jeopardised his life and it cost him. Many people
would conclude that Shylock got what he deserved but it was not his fault. We are all human;
we are at some time greedy and vengeful. Shylock only wanted to have a life and to have a life.
But Antonio was sick of him and took advantage of this. Certain things lead to another, if

Shylock had not lent Antonio the money, Portia would not have married Bassanio, and beet
Shylock in the court case, however Shylock would not have been able to rid himself of Antonio,
though shylock would still be a Jew otherwise. So really if it had been the other way round
Shylock would have been better off. And Bassanio would not have been able to go to Belmont
and marry Portia, so to Shylock it would have been an advantage, and he would have left
Bassanio in dismay, if I were Shylock (a Jew) I would be happy with that. ...read more.
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