The Nature of Shylock’s Character as a Victim and a Villain

In Elizabethan England, many people were anti-Semitic, driven by their hatred of usury and the ancient tradition of antipathy between the two religions, Christianity and Judaism. In the early Middle Ages, Jews were accused of exploiting Christians, and they were banned from England. They were not allowed back into the country until several decades after The Merchant of Venice was written. Nevertheless, a small group of the Jews did exist in the country and they were tolerated but they were never really a part of Elizabethan life. This historical fact emphasizes Shylock’s position as an outsider. The absence of Jews in England allowed a popular negative image of the Jew to become a cultural stereotype and a part of the public imagination. Without Jews around to reveal the absurdity of the demonic murderous Jew stereotype, it be

He hath disgraced me, and hind’red me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies-….

Shylock delivers a very reasonable and clear argument why he should be treated as any other man in Venice.

came an exaggerated and powerful part of Elizabethan folklore. In the play, Shylock the Jew, is pictured with great complexity. The genius of the author is evident in the portrait of the main character, a ridiculed and taunted Jew for his cruelty, savageness and ruthlessness, whose evil side is just the mirror image of the world surrounding him.

And all for use of that which is mine own.

Some topics in this essay:
Jew” IV, Christians Portia, Jessica Shylock, Christian Example, Shylock Antonio’s, Shylock Christian, Shylock Jew, Venetian Shylock, People Venice, Merchant Venice, people venice, play shylock, throughout play shylock, murderous jew, main character, throughout play, hath jew, merchant venice, shylock referred, character appears, trial scene,