Merchant Of Venice - Character - Shylock Flashcards
Shylock is sectarian
“I hate him for he is a christian” Shylock tells us of his bigotry himself and has no qualms about it
Viscous/malicious
Shylock suggests bodily disfigurement as penance for tardiness in loan repayments “ “An equal pound of your fair flesh to be cut off and taken in what part of your body pleaseth me” This is sadistic and barbaric, and shylock derives great pleasure from it
Shylock uses fascist language
“Christian fools” Shylock is generally very insulting to those who invited him to the masque, but he brings religion into it. He complains frequently about anti-semetism, but he dishes it right back
Shylock wishes harm on Antonio
“Feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him”
Shylock is also a victim and his creulties are acts of revenge
“If it will feed my revenge” While Shylocks behaviour is atrocious, and this does not excuse it, he is not the only one in the wrong, he is also an injured party, just as much as Bassanio
Shylock suffers constant abuse
“You called me dog” “You called me misbeliever, cut-throat dog and spit on my Jewish gaberdine” “You spat on me Wednesday last, you spurned me such a day” Shylock is castigated, defamed and persecuted from sunrise to sunset, they even go far enough to spit on his religious attire
Shylock is stolen from and betrayed
“I will take her from her fathers house, what gold and jewels she is furnished with” “2,000 ducats in that and other precious precious jewels” Shylock values his fortune immensely and it is stripped from him. On top of this, the perpetrator was none other than his daughter which must have been salt in the wound
Shylock has no family
“My daughter is my flesh and blood” “I had I of Leah when I was a bachelor” Shylock is alone, his daughter left him and she took his deceased wife’s ring with him. In addition to already mourning his wife, he must now grieve his daughter’s love and the tiny shred he had left of his wife
Shylock is viewed as lesser than because of his religion
“If you prick us do we not bleed” “if you poison us do we not die” Shylock struggles to convince the Christians that his faith does not erase his humanity. The Christians consider him the devil as evidenced by Antonio declaring “the Devil can cite scripture for his purpose” inferring that Shylock is the devil.
Christians refuse to be civil with him
“The Hebrew will turn Christian, he grows kind” The Christians seems practically incapable of speaking of Shylock without letting a jab at him slip out. Antonio makes an effort to compliment Shylock, but immediately backpedals, implying that his religion prevents him from being kind
Shylock is both victim and villain
“If you wrong us shall we not revenge” He hurts others to punish then for how they hurt him. He does not allow himself to be a powerless victim, so he makes himself an even bigger villain. As put by Shylock himself “The villainy you teach me, I shall execute”
