The character I have chosen is from the play The Merchant of Venice. His name is Shylock. I find this character interesting in the story as we see Shylock as a victim and a villain. Signor Antonio many a time and oft in the Rialto you have rated me about my moneys and my usances. Here we see Antonio being cruel and criticizes Shylock. The Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows kind. Antonio here mocks Shylocks religion by saying that Jews are not kind. We see Shylock being deceitful rest fair good singor your worship was the last man in our mouths we no that Shylock dislikes Antonio from his soliloquy therefore he is being deceitful. This is indicates the villain in Shylock. my own flesh and blood to rebel! this is telling us that Shylock is angry and we see him being a villain again. to bait fish withal if it feed nothing else it will feed my revenge he is indicating that even if the pound of flesh doesnt worth anything it will still feed his revenge. the villany you teach me I will execute and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction. Here he is threatening Salerio and Solanio and the other Christians that he will do the same to them that they did to him but he will better it. Ill plague him Ill torture him. Here he is promising to torture Antonio. I will have the heart of him if he forfeit. He is determined to kill Antonio if he forfeit. He is also a very lonely man it was my turquoise I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor I would not have sold it for a wilderness of monkeys. Here we see that Shylock is a victim and the audience shows a little sympathy towards Shylock. Ill have my bond speak not against my bond. Thou calledst me dog before thou hadst a cause but since I am a dog beware of my fangs. Shylock is very angry and vicious here an we get a sort of animal imagery towards Shylock. Ill have my bond I will here not thee speak. He is showing us that he is very stubborn, merciless and obdurate. In the court scene Shylock is automatically not favored in his case against Antonio. a stony adversary an inhuman wretch uncapable of pity void and empty from any dram of mercy. The duke is automatically biast towards Shylock because he is a Jew. more than a lodged hate and a certain loathing I bear Antonio. He is telling the duke the reason he wants to kill him is because he hates Antonio. a Daniel come to judgment! Yea a Daniel! O wise young judge how do I honour thee! Here he is getting excited to kill Antonio revealing a very vicious and villainous Shylock. I swere there is no power in the tongue of man to alter my friend. He is determined to kill Antonio no matter what and he will show no mercy. nay take my life and all pardon not that you take my house when you do take the prop that doth sustain my house you take my life when you do take the means whereby I live. Shylock is being left nothing in the end and all his money is gone which is really what he cares about most in life he also has to become a Christian which is one of the worst things for him as he hates the culture.
Shylocks relationship with Antonio is one that is by no means strong. Shylock hates all Christians I will walk with you, talk with you, buy with you sell with you and so following but I will not eat with you drink with you nor pray with you. In shylocks soliloquy he gives his reasons for hating Antonio how like a fawning publican he looks I hate him for he is Christian but more for that low simplicity he lends out money gratis. Shylock hates him because he is Christian and because he lends out money without charging interest this is bad for Shylocks business because he is a money lender. Shylock has suffered abuse and has been bullied by Antonio many a time and oft upon the Rialto you have rated me about my moneys and my usances still I have borne it with a patient shrug. Shylock hasnt retaliated to Antonios remarks.
you call me misbeliever cut throat dog and spit upon my Jewish gabardine. These are just some of the things that Antonio has done to Shylock and the audience needs to ask themselves does Shylock have a right to hate Antonio after everything he has done to him. Antonio also dislikes Shylock I am as like to call thee so again to spit on thee again Antonio is threatening to do this all again. The reason that Antonio hates Shylock is because he is a Jew and Jews were stereotypically seen as untrustworthy in Victorian times. Shylocks hatred of Antonio grows throughout the play he hath disgraced me and hindered me half a million laughed at my losses mocked my gains scorned my nation thwarted my bargains cooled my friends heated mine enemies and whats his reason? I am a Jew. He doesnt think its fair for Antonio to hate him because he is a Jew. Ill plague him Ill torture him he is determined to get his revenge. Shylock knows the laws of Venice which are in favour of the bond. if you deny it let the danger light upon your charter and your citys freedom. He is able to use this to get what he wants and in his favour of killing Antonio. Antonio is a martyr. let me have my judgment and the Jew his will. He is resigned to dying for Bassanio but he knows that Shylock will not be persuaded as he is very stubborn and obdurate. When the Christians ask if there can be a doctor in the room when he is taking his pound of flesh he replies I cannot find it tis not in the bond. Which shows him to be cruel. In the end the Christians and Antonio completely break Shylock down the other half unto the gentleman that lately stole his daughter. Half of Shylocks money will go to Lorenzo and Shylocks daughter Jessica witch devastates him as Lorenzo is Christian and she ran off with him. he presently become a Christian. This is probably his worst punishment that he has to become a Christian and this is Shylocks most hated thing and he hates everything to do with them. here the court of all he dies possessed unto his son and his daughter. His third and final punishment is to give everything he owns when he dies to Jessica and Lorenzo and his answer to all this is I am content. This indicates that he is left with no hope. They have broken him down.
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