Examine and evaluate some different interpretations of the role of Shylock in "the Merchant of Venice". "The Merchant of Venice", one of Shakespeare's comedies, is based around a group of Venetian Christians. The real power of the play however lies in the characterization and history of Shylock, a Jewish usurer, who charges high rates of interest on his lendings. Shylock is dedicated to his faith and has a good knowledge of the Torah, which he uses in his general conversation, showing he is a well-educated ... figure. As John Palmer explains, "The man ... ...

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• Grade Level: High School

Anti Semitism was a strong theme in the Merchant of Venice. This play was considered a comedy in its day which suggests that the English thought it was funny to see Shylock persecuted for believing in the Jewish faith. The friends of Shakespeare who decided that Merchant of Venice was a comedy, justified this by saying the play was about love and marriage. These people left out the part when Shylock lends money to Antonio, ... and but a deal was made that Antonio would pay Shylock or have a pound of flesh removed. Antonio did not repay Shylock, ... yet another hold on you. It is enacted in t...

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• Grade Level: High School

... 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...

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• Grade Level: High School

... 're scared and cautious of their religion, not being tolerated in this country. Throughout the last two thousand years, into the twentieth century, Jews have been the victims of random pogroms. For instance, the crusaders, who sought to rid the holy land of infidels in the middle ages, murdered Jews and pillaged Jewish property whilst travelling to the Middle East. Racism still exists today and in The Merchant of Venice' through the sufferance and rogue ... character of Shylock. Shylock is portrayed as both ... ...

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• Grade Level: High School

... to believe that if a Jew converted to Christianity, as Shylock is forced to do in The Merchant of Venice, then all will be forgiven as the repentant Jew is now pure of heart. "...some Christians believed that the coming of the Kingdom of God was aided by converting the Jews to Christianity" (Hughes 5). As the play unfolds, Shylock appears to be the villain, but Shakespeare ultimately shows that he is as much a victim ... ultimate message: all humans are flawed. Trivial aspects like race, color, and religious preference, do not affect the natural greed that humans experience. The Merchan...

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• Grade Level: High School

... or financial bracket. However, the root cause of their villainy may be a reaction to the abuse that they have undergone at the hands of others. This malevolence may be nurtured in a person, rather than being there from the start. It is on such occasions, where villains have themselves been exposed to wickedness, that the distinction between villain and victim becomes blurred. In "The Merchant of Venice- it can be stated that ... Shylock's character is in a constant state of limbo, between good and evil. However, this essay will include both sides of the argument and takes account of wha...

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• Grade Level: High School

... exists, are really only pushing the tragic potential of this scene a small step farther that Shakespeare allows." Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice is an example of how the playwright uses his mentor's influence and makes it his own. Shakespeare differentiates his Merchant of Venice from Marlow's Jew of Malta by repositioning the trial scene, which is also the climax of the play, to the end. Marlow has his "trial" at the beginning. The trials also have two different ... time to make Shylock a fully developed, even sympathetic character. A more immediate model for the character o...

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• Has Bibliography

... to find sympathy with Shylock? It is without doubt possible to find sympathy with Shylock. In Shakespeare's play Merchant of Venice it is clearly portrayed that the Elizabethans treated all Jews with equal spite. Therefore we as the modern audience are clearly expected to do the same. We are expected to think like the Elizabethans and treat all Jews with moral disgust and hatred. Yet as ... is open to interpretation; in parts of the play the audience feels almost sympathetic and pity towards Shylock and in other parts of the play, his actions are merciless, he turns back into this cunnin...

• Word Count: 1517
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School