Shylock: The Infinite Contradiction

First we will examine the portions of the text that portray Shylock as a malicious, murderous, and demonic villain. Shylock first appears in Act I scene iii, where we learn of his usury. This is also the scene in which Bassanio seeks Shylock out and asks to borrow money from him, in the name of Antonio. This is where we first get a glimpse at Shylock’s feelings towards Antonio a

It is during the trial scene and the scenes immediately preceding it that Shylock’s irrational and obsessive hatred for Antonio becomes apparent. He appears to be openly aggressive, warning those who have treated him like “a dog” to “beware my fangs.” This is emphasized greatly by the contrast between his and Antonio’s behavior. Antonio realizes that Shylock will not reason with him and finally gives up: “Let him alone: / I’ll follow him no more with bootless prayer” (Act III, scene iii). Legally and technically, Shylock is right. It is not stated in the law that he should be merciful if the debt is not repaid, but perhaps morally he should be obliged to practice it, as Portia explains to him at length. His ruthless pursuit of revenge on Antonio exposes him as an extremely callous and evil man. Nevertheless, upon losing his case, he expects to be shown mercy by asking that a portion of his wealth be returned to him: “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” (Act IV, scene v). This shows Shylock to be arrogant and irrational in demanding mercy when he would not do the same for them.

So, we are still left to ponder the daunting question: is Shylock a villain or victim? We may never be able to place him into one category, but we can speculate about how Shakespeare himself wanted him to be portrayed. I truly believe there are very strong arguments for both sides. However, in my opinion, Shylock leans more towards being a villainous character. He allows his lust for revenge to engulf all other aspects of his life and his total lack of mercy towards Antonio does not sit well with the modern day audience. Considering the opinions of most Elizabethan Christians, it is entirely possible that Shakespeare himself was a voracious anti-Semitic. Nevertheless, it is important to note that if Shylock is indeed a villain, he is not the only one, by far. Shylock is one of many characters in plays by William Shakespeare to be ambiguous; he is open to many interpretations, sometimes quite contradictory. This reflects the complexity of life itself. In all of Shakespeare’s plays, incompatible things can be simultaneously true.

Shylock endures many anti-Semitic comments and the majority of Ven

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