Shraddha's Writings

When we say that art is a reflection of reality, it must also be true that art is a means of producing reality's harsher aspects such as bigotry, intolerance, and prejudice. The characterization of Shylock in “The Merchant of Venice” reminds us of all the darker truths of the Elizabethan era, which was acclaimed for its contributions to the arts but was built on the foundations of ongoing social tensions and hierarchical supremacies. The fact that Shakespeare created a villain from a very specific religious and racial group demonstrates the existing social divides in Elizabethan England.

The fact that he did so after knowing few, if any, Jewish individuals reveals a darker and more stunning truth about the foundation of prejudice that has stayed in the play throughout history.

In 1290, Edward I expelled the Jews from England in what was the “most complete” Jewish expulsion in Europe at the time – only after most of the Jews had become too impoverished to benefit the treasury and the King had prohibited the practice of usury, which the characters in “The Merchant of Venice” criticize Shylock for.

Jews were nearly non-existent in England until a tiny handful re-settled in the late 1500s (before leaving again) and again in the 17th century, valued only by what their monetary gains could afford the state – similar to how Shylock was almost forced to pay all of his money to the state.

Shakespeare's true interactions with Jews would have been minor at best, and they would have been in a completely different power dynamic than the play depicts.

Shylock's physical appearance is detailed seldom, and he is instead referred to by the others as the devil or a beast. These constant references to evil and subhuman entities contribute to the image of “The Merchant of Venice's” great villain – an image that a forward-thinking society would call a caricature of racist stereotypes, constructed by a famous playwright whose interaction with Judaism went as far as what he read about in a country historically known for ostracizing Jews at the time.

Characterizing Shylock

Generosity appears to be the primary distinction between the play's Christian and Jewish moneylenders. While, Antonio believes it is his Christian duty to make interest-free loans to friends:

“For when did friendship take / a breed for barren metal of his friend?” (Act I, scene 3)

In other words, how can a person profit from the wants of a friend? Shylock, on the other hand, is audacious enough to demand a pound of flesh as payment–and he does not back down when actual money is not forthcoming.

But Shylock is not such a straightforward character. On the surface, he appears to be nasty, obstinate, and greedy–and he has a twisted obsession with redeeming Antonio's flesh connection. On the other hand, carries emotional weight, expressing his anguish in one of Shakespeare's most beautiful speeches:

I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is? If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge? (Act III, scene 1)

While the other characters in the play vilify Shylock for his persistent devotion to literal definitions and weird religious precepts, it's vital to remember that Merchant of Venice is regarded as a Shakespearean comedy, not a tragedy.

Perhaps Shylock's portrayal is more akin to Twelfth Night's puritanical Malvolio than Othello's callously malicious Iago. He manipulates people around him and revels in their agony; Malvolio has no sense of humor and his religious rigidity is used for laughs.

Shylock is far closer to the former–he may not be understood by the play's Christian society, but for Shakespeare, Shylock is just another human being whose opinions and quirks provides drama to the world (and the play). Shylock, unlike Iago, is not a personification of evil.

Shylock's final decision is also a troubling conclusion of the play. Portia's insistence on forcing Shylock's conversion to Christianity appears particularly harsh. Even though his life is safeguarded, he loses his faith. A prescription for such long-term suffering contradicts the play's stand against the concept of vengeance. Throughout the play, vengeance is shown as un-Christian and selfish. However, Portia's final sentence for Shylock is anything but charitable, and probably a lot closer to vengeance.

The anti-Semitic views of the play; then & now

The portrayal of Shylock as a moneylender is seen as anti-Semitic. However, money-lending was a prevalent occupation for Jews in the 16th century, therefore the fact that Shylock is a moneylender is unlikely to be anti-Semitic. Shylock's greedy and vindictive persona, on the other hand, maybe founded on and propagate anti-Semitic prejudices.

Hitler enjoyed The Merchant of Venice because he agreed with its anti-Jewish undertones. Because Shylock embodies so many clichés, he was frequently exploited in Nazi propaganda, and multiple productions of the play took place in Germany during World War II.

The Merchant of Venice was transformed into a major movie picture in 2004, starring Al Pacino as the anguished Jew. Many critics thought his portrayal of the character was somewhat sanitized. Several scenes of Jewish misery in the Venetian ghetto are included in the film, as does a depiction of Antonio spitting on Shylock. The implication appears to be that Shylock's acts were somewhat justified because he and his people were oppressed.

Conclusion

On one hand, Shakespeare is humanizing Shylock which is clear from the speech Shylock gives when Salerio asks him why he wants a pound of flesh- “The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.”(Act III, scene 1) Shylock justifies his need of revenge. The same way a Christian will when he is wronged by a Jew.

Simultaneously, Shakespeare propagates a bad picture of Jews by constantly having Shylock use twisted Bib

le stories so that his character and religion are inseparable, be rejected by his daughter who presumably saw the light of Christianity against the darkness of Judaism, and is characterized as a beast or a devil by other characters. In terms of plot development, he is quite the villain – greedy, unmerciful, vindictive, and icy – which makes it understandable that pictures of Shylock would be dark and carrying a homicidal look, as most villains are.

However, every image implies indirectly that there is a link between his wicked tendencies and his ethnicity and faith, which sadly gets lost in the great Elizabethan works of art.