Merchant Of Venice
...role of the most prominent figure in the play; he is the centre of the troubles that make the play a tragic comedy. I feel that Shylock's function in the play is to be the obstacle, the man who stands in the way of the love stories; such a man is a traditional figure in romantic comedies. Something or someone must impede young, romantic love, in this play it is Shylock and the many and various ways that he is linked to the three sets of lovers; his daughter Jessica and the Christian Lorenzo, Portia and Bassanio, Narissa and Gratiano. Though Shylock is a tormented character, he is also a tormentor, so whether he is to be viewed with disdain or sympathy is left up to the audience. Shylock first appears in Act 1 Scene 3 when Antonio asks to lend money off him for his friend Bassanio. This is where Shakespeare first presents Shylocks bitter and twisted attributes to the audience; "Three thousand ducats well
for three months well
" Shylock holds power over Antonio at this point and uses monosyllables to emphasise the abruptness of his character. I feel this is due to the poor treatment he receives from Antonio prior to the scene. Antonio's role in the play is of a much higher standard in a Shakespearean audience's point of view; he is a pure Christian who taunts Shylock throughout the play for being of Jewish religion. I believe that Shakespeare's creation of Shylock being Jewish was because the religion at the time was denigrated and strongly disapproved of in society, thus making it easier for the audience to dislike the character.
It can be argued that Shylock is a tragic figure whose sense of decency has been fractured by the persecution he endures during the play, although he does not lose his life, he loses everything of meaning to him. The idea of Shylock being a tragic figure is emphasised in his "hath not a Jew eyes" speech which indeed redeems him,...
View Full Essay
