Apr 30, · In the Merchant of Venice, which is written by William Shakespeare, Shylock is presented in a variety of ways. For instance, some people regard Shylock as a villain, as he demands a pound of flesh. However, other people regard Shylock as a victim, as he loses everything (such as his ring, his daughter who ran away, and being made to convert to Oct 27, · Type of essay: Essay In the Merchant of Venice Shylock is portrayed as both a victim and a villain. Shakespeare shows that he is firstly a villain as he is spoken about in a conversation between Salarnio and Salerio. They describe him as “dog Jew,” automatically we see him as the bad man of the play.5/5(1) Shylock, with Antonio is the major character in the play, at times referred to as a villain and sometimes a victim. The dictionary defines a villain as “a cruelly malicious person” and a victim as “a person who is deceived or cheated”. However the question still remains: Shylock victim or villain? Get Help With Your Essay
Merchant of Venice - Shylock: Villain or Victim Essay Essay on Victim, Villain
We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. He is a Jewish moneylender who earns his living by charging interest on money he loans like modern banks. He often speaks prose in the play, which marks him out as an outsider. He is clearly an intelligent businessman: Don't use plagiarized sources. We see him being impatient with her and ordering her around. O my ducats! O my daughter! He cleverly argues in Act III, scene 1 that he is as much a man as a Christian is and so will follow the example the Christians set by seeking revenge.
Is it true, is it true? He knows that the Venetian justice system will have to support him and so relishes beating Antonio at his own game. He resolutely refuses to listen to all the pleas for mercy during the trial scene from the Duke, Bassanio and Balthazarinsisting all the time on justice and his pound of flesh.
Do you think this is this a sign of strength or foolishness? He could have pardoned Antonio and shown himself to be morally superior — but would this have done him any good in the long run? Caught out by Portia, by the end of the trial he has lost all his money and has to suffer the humiliation of being forced to become a Christian. How should he react? We never find out what happens to him. Weighing up all you know about Shylock, do you consider him to be more avillain or a victim?
Is Shylock a Villain or Victim? While no consensus has been reached on whether Shylock is a tyrannical villain or a tragic victim, evidence indicates he is a bloodthirsty villain.
No consensus has been reached on whether Shylock is a tyrannical villain or a tragic victim. Shylock, in my opinion, is a bloodthirsty villain. In the following paragraphs, it will be shown that Shylock is a villain in every sense of the word. Namely, he is vengeful, very materialistic and shrewd.
Firstly, Shylock is extremely vengeful. He calculates what Antonio has done to him and tries to revenge the wrongs done to him by murdering Antonio.
Next, Shylock is very materialistic. I would my daughter dead at my foot, with the jewels in her ear! Thirdly, Shylock is shrewd. Finally, I would like to reiterate that Shylock is a tyrannical and bloodthirsty villain instead of a tragic figure, whom many might sympathize with.
In the above essay, I have clearly shown that Shylock is a villain. He is vengeful, materialistic and shrewd. These are the characteristics of a stereotypical villain. I personally think Shylock, from The Merchant of Venice, was the victim. What do you think? Victim or villain? Through a more careful examination it can be determined that Shylock was an upstanding member of his community, who endured abuse, forgave easily, and upheld the customs and law, shylock victim or villain essay.
This can be seen by the sheer volume of disgraces he has bore. Shylock was willing to shylock victim or villain essay money to one who totally ruined him in public, on terms that were nicer than his normal business terms.
This is kind I offer. A diamond gone cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfurt! The curse never fell upon our nation till now, I never felt it till now. Two thousand ducats in that and other precious, jewels! But, within the Jewish culture and the time period, his response was appropriate. After his daughter ran away, she was, for all intents and purposes, disowned.
Thus, the theft of his jewels reduced her to the level of a thief, and so she deserved to be punished. Shylock is also an honest, law abiding citizen of Shylock victim or villain essay, before the very end. As opposed to his typical role as the wicked blood thirsty villain. Shylock: Victim or villain? At this time, Jews were treated very badly and were frequently excluded by their community, shylock victim or villain essay.
The themes of the play are revenge, mercy, and justice. Shylock, with Antonio is the major character in the play, at shylock victim or villain essay referred to as a villain and sometimes a victim. However the question still remains: Shylock victim or villain? Shylock does not appear at the start of the play for one key reason I believe, which is Shakespeare wanted the audience to see Shylock enter by himself for dramatic effect.
The audience would not enjoy Shylock attaining power especially over Bassaniowho is a Christian. The way this phrase is constructed is very interesting and typical of Shakespeare. Shakespeare has cleverly written this sentence so that every word, shylock victim or villain essay, bar, Christian has one syllable whereas the word Christian has two. Furthermore, whenever Shylock talks to either Bassanio or Antonio, he rarely uses gracious language.
The language is simple, but effective. This phrase would cause high dramatic tension. At this time people believed in the chain of being which was a hierarchy of beings. Dogs as animals were at the bottom of this chain so this insult is even worse.
Unfortunately, at the time of the play it was common for Jewish people to be insulted in this way. The imagery is revolting. Therefore when he calls Shylock a devil the audience knows that Lancelot does not have any respect for him.
In context Lancelot should respect his master not deceive him. Loyalty is a major theme of the play and there is none between these two characters. The audience would feel sympathetic towards Jessica as she is alone with Shylock who in the eyes of the audience is portrayed as a monster. What makes this more convincing is the fact that Jessica is saying this because shylock victim or villain essay has known Shylock her whole life and she still hates him.
Shakespeare has cleverly carried out this contrast for effect because he wanted to make it clear to the audience who the villain really is. In both cases the language is monosyllabic and commanding which shows the audience that Shylock believes he has power over everyone.
At this stage, we feel extremely sympathetic for Shylock, as he does not know that he is going to lose his daughter. This is extreme dramatic irony.
In Act 2 Scene 6 we see a different side of Jessica. So this could infer how he likes his money more than his daughter. The contemporary audience would sympathise with Shylock as he is being mocked behind his back. Act 3 Scene 1 was set in Venice, which was the place of business, shylock victim or villain essay. Shylock is in the street by himself, whereas Solanio and Solario are together, shylock victim or villain essay. This would build up tension between the two characters and shows Shylock as dark and Jessica as fair.
He is arguing for common humanity as he feels alienated and vulnerable. Here at the end of the speech I believe the audience would have been silenced as Shylock touches on some sensitive topics. The imagery created is extremely efficacious because Shylock has an extremely valid point and has divulged this with a rhetorical question. This would have an inducing effect on the audience because this phrase would leave them to answer this question in their own mind, shylock victim or villain essay.
The utilisation of a rhetorical question has enabled Shylock to communicate indirectly to the audience, which could influence their opinion of him. Torture is a powerful word and very horrific, which shows deep desire to get revenge on Antonio. In Act 3 Scene 3, Antonio has been arrested. Shylock takes the image of a dog and turns it around to the Christians. Here is evidence of how bitter Shylock has become and the shylock victim or villain essay in which he would say it would be sarcastic, shylock victim or villain essay.
Act 4 Scene 1 is the central and most dramatic part of the play where both Shylock and Antonio settle their differences in a courtroom. When Shylock first enters the room he is being questioned.
At this juncture the audience would have commiseration for Shylock because the contrast of how he is treated compared with Antonio, here Shylock is seen as a victim. In the courtroom when Shylock replies he uses quite vengeful and powerful language and he uses a lot of language associated with animals.
These words are significant because they show his passion for revenge. The animal imagery is crude and based on vermin which makes Shylock seem uncanny in the eyes of the audience. The way Shakespeare brings the knife into this is he cleverly uses light relief from a minor character to bring this about. This is significant because he knows that the end is approaching, so the audience would feel for Antonio because they know that Shylock is eager to kill him.
So they are trying to play mind games with Shylockthese tactics would be viewed as unfair by the contemporary audience. Evidently, this shows that Shylock does not want justice but revenge and the audience would see that clearly. The atmosphere is drastically tense, shylock victim or villain essay, Shakespeare uses hyperbolic language to express emotional sadness.
The fact that Antonio is nearing death makes the audience feel for him as his life is on the line.
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Sep 07, · Shakespeare intends this kind of as he gives Shylock emotive speeches about inequality, which will contradicts Shylock as being a villain. Shylock as being a character symbolizes the Old Legs, Judaism, which can be the belief Estimated Reading Time: 9 mins Oct 27, · Type of essay: Essay In the Merchant of Venice Shylock is portrayed as both a victim and a villain. Shakespeare shows that he is firstly a villain as he is spoken about in a conversation between Salarnio and Salerio. They describe him as “dog Jew,” automatically we see him as the bad man of the play.5/5(1) Shylock, with Antonio is the major character in the play, at times referred to as a villain and sometimes a victim. The dictionary defines a villain as “a cruelly malicious person” and a victim as “a person who is deceived or cheated”. However the question still remains: Shylock victim or villain? Get Help With Your Essay
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