Merchant Of Venice (Coursework)
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In whatever way we feel sympathetic towards Shylock throughout the play, we are overwhelmed with Shylocks vengeful, punitive and unforgiving attitude to life. The worst aspect of this, in my view, is Shylocks miserly ways and that he would rather his “daughter were dead at my foot and the jewels in her ear; would she were hearsed at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin.” This showing isolation as he only cares of his money rather than his daughter.
The history of anti-Semitism has been long-lived throughout England and this persecution has only just come to a close, climaxing with the holocaust. This genocidal massacre sent a wave of shock and terror throughout the world.
The on-going persecution of people belonging to the Jewish faith is portrayed through the “Lopez incident”, in which Lopez: the Queens doctor is accused of trying to poison her, even though he was converted and was a Christian. The Queen herself protested the innocence of Lopez but prevailing support of anti-Semitic, Christian public saw Lopez hanged.
Even in Venice, which was famous for the quality of its justice, confined Jews to ghettos, but as other countries did, Venice didnt accept that Jews should be harassed and so were given certain legal rights – so as long as they paid for them.
Throughout Shakespeares life there was much intense and passionate criticism of usury. The Christian Church reproached it and many viewed that to make money without doing anything for it was unethical.
Usury is a feature of “The Jew of Malta”, another play which also discriminates Jews. In this play it also inspires tales into Christians of the cruelty of Jews. In this it explains that Jews “kill sick people groaning under the walls” and “go about and poison wells”. Incriminating rumours of Jews were composed from stories like these and so Jews were blamed for illnesses such as plague.
Overall, I think that Shakespeare wants to be sympathetic towards the Jews but the society he lives in wont let him. So in this he tries to make the crowd feel how the Jews feel (hated and heavily persecuted) , but at the same time displays how Christians in that era thought Jews behaved and that is how they thought (i.e. miserly: rather have money than love). But even so that is how they may have thought, being persecuted to that extent by the Christians.
Shakespeares dramatization of Shylock is delicate and fragile. At several points throughout the play we are drawn to pity Shylock and not just view him as a comic villain or miser. The most obvious example of this is demonstrated in how Shakespeare encourages us to understand and appreciate Shylocks humanity in the “Hath not a Jew” speech.
In this speech sympathy is felt the most as Shylock tells the audience of the discrimination he has been put through by Antonio and the Christians, explaining that
“He hath disgraced me, and
Hindered me half a million -laughed at my losses,
Mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted
My bargains cooled my friends.”
This particular quotation involves the telling of what has happened to Shylock: spat on, taunted and mocked. He tells of what has happened to him, his friends and his money.
Shylock is treated worthlessly throughout the play, but, in my view, the time when it is at its worst is throughout the trial scene: when the Christians taunt Shylock. I feel that Gratiano overdoes this, repeating “a Daniel still I say, a second Daniel!” He also exclaims that that he “thanks thee Jew for teaching him that word.” This showing that Gratiano (and other Christians) take pleasure in seeing Jews in a hole, and like to throw petrol on Jewish fires as Shylock leaves a broken man.
Sympathy is also felt when Shylock finds out that his daughter has ran away with a Christian and the other Christians throw salt in Shylocks wounds by twisting his words. This happens when Shylock talks of his “own flesh and blood to rebel” but the Christians change this round and alter this making it mean something rude and off subject, playing on the word “rebel”.
Also in the Goodman version, Shylock and Jessica sing a special song together, as if there is a special connection between them, and so more sympathy is felt. The most Sympathy is felt when Shylock and us are told of Shylocks dead wifes ring that was sold for a monkey, to which Shylock says that he “would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys”. This quotation shows that the ring was very precious to him but more-so it was his wifes ring who he obviously still mourns.
Furthermore, sympathy is felt as Shylock is constantly related to animals throughout the play: as in the trial scene as his pleas are “wolvishly starved and ravenous”. Even Jessica relates to her father as the “devil”