"The Product owner of Venice" is set in 16th century Venice. Venice became a trade centre as it is located on the coast, surrounded by a huge mass of water; for that reason structure, distribution of goods was easy as it was very accessible to adjoining countries. It's the perfect setting for discrimination on the Jews that occurs as they had to are in a ghetto, segregated from Christian kind. Being a Jew, Shylock got very few career choices with the only real option being truly a money lender. Shylock shows both characteristics of sufferer and villainy, this is shown many ways through the play when Shylock has been mistreated and is out to get revenge. A good example of this might be when shylock is angered by his mistreatment from the Christian Antonio, and then later techniques to get revenge by the formulation of the connection, demanding for a pound of Antonio's flesh as a forfeit of the loan.
Shylock is often a victimised man in "The Merchant of Venice. " The Oxford dictionary defines the word "victim" as someone or something which has been injured, damaged or wiped out or has experienced, either because of the activities of someone or another thing, or because of health issues or chance This is really the situation with Shylock when the Christians, especially the vendor Antonio treats Shylock cruelly and mercilessly on a daily basis, "You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, And you spit after my Jewish gabardine, " The words "spit" and "dog" show that he is completely disrespected and obtains plenty of abuse which a modern audience would find distasteful and Personally i think very sympathetic in what Shylock would have been through.
Not only did Shylock get mistreated by Christians, he was also a victim of theft by his own little girl, "here capture this casket". Furthermore, when she stole the jewels, Jessica empty her own dad when she eloped with Lorenzo and then altered her religion to Christianity, exhibiting that Shylock is actually a victim of scenario. Shylock, a broken man feels like a part of him is absent and turns to Tubal who's a very good friend of his. To include salt to the wound, Shylock discovers that Jessica traded his most valued ownership, a "turquoise diamond ring" which was a present-day from his later partner, for a monkey. "I had fashioned it of Leah while i was a bachelor: I'd not have trained with for a wilderness of monkeys. " The word "wilderness" implies that he would not have traded the diamond ring for many thousand monkeys, let alone one monkey. The band was the only piece of Leah he had left. Although I feel very sympathetic towards Shylock at this point in the storyplot, an Elizabethan audience would find the frame of mind towards a Jewish man funny and would laugh at Shylock's despair.
I see Shylock as a man with a plea for equality, as he gets treated like an dog, locked up in ghetto where he has to sleep, segregated from the Christians and continuously being called brands on a daily basis. In the bible, Jesus instructs us to take care of each other quite with respect and love; "You shall love your neighbour as yourself" nevertheless the Christians in "The Vendor of Venice" not in favor of everything their own religions have trained them, making Shylock a victim, a shattered man with hardly anything or anyone to use. "I am a Jew. Hath not really a Jew sight? Hath not really a Jew hands, organs measurements, senses affections, passions fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons?" In this particular conversation Shylock is distraught, I see him as a guy who just wants justice and desires all faiths to be similar. In this speech, Shylock asks rhetorical questions consistently for emphasis in what he is saying. We see shylock learning to be a busted man at the trial world this becomes noticeable when they addresses him as "Jew" instead of his name. "Go on, and call the Jew into the court" Shylock is being called by his religious beliefs as an indicator of disrespect. Then once again to be victimised to be a Jew, Shylock is suffering from hubris in the court arena when Portia brings his hopes up for succeeding with the relationship, she then crashes them back down, resulting in Shylock needing to change his faith to Christianity. We see him as a really busted man, a social outcast in the eye of the Jews.
Although constantly victimised, Shylock also shows significant amounts of villainy. The Oxford dictionary identifies the word "villain" as a person who is guilty or with the capacity of a crime or wickedness; a wrongdoer; a identity in a book or play whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot. Shylock is predominately a villain. This is most clear with the formulation of the bond, "Allow forfeit be nominated for an equal pound of your fair flesh, to be cut off and used what part of the body pleaseth me" This quotation shows the purchase price which Antonio has to pay if he does not return the amount of money, I see this as an opportunity for Shylock to be a revenge seeking villain, with the intent to get rid of Antonio. The term "pleaseth" implies that Shylock gets to decide which area of the body the flesh comes from, this becomes "nearest the center" which shows the appetite he truly has for Antonio's flesh.
Furthermore, Shylocks mistreatment of Jessica implies that he's an irresponsible and uncaring father. He imprisons her from the earth he chose to reside in. "Lock up my doors; so when you listen to the drum. . . . . But stop my house's ears-I mean casements. Let not the audio of shallow fopp'ry enter My sober house. " Shylock is portrayed as a villain as he purchases Jessica about, almost like a slave. The term "Lock up my gates" shows that Shylock has no esteem for his own princess and just commands her to do as he says. Furthermore, Shylock seems to value his ducats more than the loss of his child, "O my princess! Fled with a Christian! Only Christian ducats!"
Shylock demonstrates he's a heartless villain when he realizes from Tubal that Antonio's boats are lost at see. Shylock and Tubal were speaking about the merchant's shipwreck from Tripoli and Shylock openly said "I thank thee, good Tubal. Very good news, good news! Ha, ha! Listened to in Genoa?" Later in their talk Tubal instructs Shylock of Antonio's individual bankruptcy and again Shylock is happy as he understands as he can draw out the pound of flesh "I am very delighted from it: I'll plague him I'll torture him: I am pleased than it. " The words "plague" and "torture" show that Shylock is thirsty for Antonio's flesh and it is showing villainy and greed.
Shylocks appetite for Antonio's flesh becomes more visible in the trial arena, "Why dost thou whet thy blade so earnestly?" Shylock sharpens his knife to prepare to cut the pound of flesh out of Antonio's body. The word "earnestly" shows he has serious objective on getting rid of Antonio. Shylock has no intention on leaving the court minus the pound of flesh, "I'll have my connection; speak not against my connection: I've sworn an oath that I am going to have my relationshipI'll have my bond. I'll have my connection" Shylock repeats the word "I'll have my relationship" for emphasis that he is completely positive in getting a pound of Antonio's flesh, which is closest to the heart and soul. Not only performed Shylock insist upon getting his "bond" he also refused "thrice" the sum of money of the original loan. "And lawfully by this the Jew may lay claim A pound of flesh, to be by him take off Nearest the merchant's heart. Be merciful: Take thrice thy money; bet me rip the bond. " Shylock refused mercy, which shows greed, villainy and that he is a truly evil man, with the intent to destroy. Shylock also said that he would not allow "12 times o'er" the amount of money, mainly because he wants the bond instead of the money which ultimately shows that evil thought is dominating in his mind.
In finish Shylock is a villain, evil is dominant in his thought, largely scheduled to his mistreatment by the Christians. Even though he has been mistreated by Christians, it generally does not justify taking someone's life. Shylock gets his retribution by the end of the play when he is required to convert his religious beliefs to Christianity, leading to him becoming a sociable outcast, in the sight of his family, the Jews and the Christians. Shakespeare's takes on speak to today's audience, outlining right from wrong. I feel that anti-Semitism and prejudice are big themes in this play, as they speak to the reader regarding these issues just as much today as they performed before.
