Acknowledgements

I would like to take this opportunity to express the deepest appreciation to my English teacher who continually and convincingly conveyed a spirit of adventure in regard to research and an excitement in regard to teaching. She has been instrumental in the successful completion of this project. Without her guidance and persistent help, this project would not have been possible. Her motivation and encouragement was what kept me going. This project would not have materialized without her support. The guidance and support received from my family also meant a lot to me.

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The Merchant Of Venice

W. Shakespeare

The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its Be not afraid of dramatic scenes, and is best known for Shylock greatness: some are and the famous 'Hath not a Jew eyes' speech. born great, some Also notable is Portia's speech about the 'quality of mercy'. achieve greatness, The title character is the merchant Antonio, not the Jewish moneylender Shylock, who is the play's most prominent and most famous character. This is made explicit by the title page of the first quarto: The most excellent History of the Merchant of Venice. With the extreme cruelty of Shylock the Jew towards the Merchant....

and some have greatness thrust upon them.

- W. Shakespeare

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 (baptized) 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

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Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613 at age 49, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive, and there has been considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, sexuality, religious beliefs, and whether the works attributed to him were written by others. His Work : Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the 16th century. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet , King Lear, Othello, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights. Many of his plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. In 1623, two of his former theatrical colleagues published the First Folio, a collected edition of his dramatic works that included all but two of the plays now recognized as Shakespeare's. Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise to its present heights until the 19th century. The Romantics, in particular, acclaimed Shakespeare's genius, and the Victorians worshipped Shakespeare with a reverence that George Bernard Shaw called "bardolatry". In the 20th century, his work was repeatedly adopted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance. His plays remain highly popular today and are constantly studied, performed, and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world.

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SETTING
Venice is an exciting, cosmopolitan setting for the play because it's a hotspot for trade. While Jews had been legally banned from England since 1290, Venice had laws in place to protect non-Venetian traders who supported the city's economic well-being. When the Jewish moneylender Shylock seeks his bond, for example, Antonio admits: The Duke cannot deny the course of law. For the commodity that strangers have With us in Venice, if it be denied, Will much impeach the justice of his state; Since that the trade and profit of the city Consisteth of all nations In other words, the Duke can't make an exception for Antonio by denying Shylock his rights; it would have a negative affect on the city's livelihood. Although people from all kinds of nationalities and religious backgrounds did business in Venice, Shakespeare's setting is chock-full of religious strife, especially between Christians and Jews. This culminates in a big legal showdown over whether or not Shylock should be able to collect his pound of flesh from Antonio. Although 16th century Venice was more tolerant of foreigners than Elizabethan England, Jews in Venice were confined to ghettos at the time Shakespeare wrote The Merchant of Venice.

PLOT
Antonio, a Venetian merchant, complains to his friends of a melancholy that he cannot explain. His friend Bassanio is desperately in need of money to court Portia, a wealthy heiress who lives in the city of Belmont. Bassanio
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asks Antonio for a loan in order to travel in style to Portias estate. Antonio agrees, but is unable to make the loan himself because his own money is all invested in a number of trade ships that are still at sea. Antonio suggests that Bassanio secure the loan from one of the citys moneylenders and name Antonio as the loans guarantor. In Belmont, Portia expresses sadness over the terms of her fathers will, which stipulates that she must marry the man who correctly chooses one of three caskets. None of Portias current suitors are to her liking, and she and her lady-in-waiting, Nerissa, fondly remember a visit paid some time before by Bassanio. In Venice, Antonio and Bassanio approach Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, for a loan. Shylock nurses a long-standing grudge against Antonio, who has made a habit of berating Shylock and other Jews for their usury, the practice of loaning money at exorbitant rates of interest, and who undermines their business by offering interest-free loans. Although Antonio refuses to apologize for his behavior, Shylock acts agreeably and offers to lend Bassanio three thousand ducats with no interest. Shylock adds, however, that should the loan go unpaid, Shylock will be entitled to a pound of Antonios own flesh. Despite Bassanios warnings, Antonio agrees. In Shylocks own household, his servant Launcelot decides to leave Shylocks service to work for Bassanio, and Shylocks daughter Jessica schemes to elope with Antonios friend Lorenzo. That night, the streets of Venice fill up with revelers, and Jessica escapes with Lorenzo by dressing as his page. After a night of celebration, Bassanio and his friend Gratiano leave for Belmont, where Bassanio intends to win Portias hand. In Belmont, Portia welcomes the prince of Morocco, who has come in an attempt to choose the right casket to marry her. The prince studies the inscriptions on the three caskets and chooses the gold one, which proves to be an incorrect choice. In Venice, Shylock is furious to find that his daughter has run away, but rejoices in the fact that Antonios ships are rumored to have been wrecked and that he will soon be able to claim his debt. In Belmont, the prince of Arragon also visits Portia. He, too, studies the caskets carefully, but he picks the silver one, which is also incorrect. Bassanio arrives at Portias estate, and they declare their love for one another. Despite Portias request that he wait before choosing, Bassanio immediately picks the correct casket, which is made of lead. He and Portia rejoice, and Gratiano confesses that he has fallen in love with Nerissa. The couples decide on a double wedding. Portia gives Bassanio a ring as a token of love, and makes him swear that under no circumstances will he part with it. They are joined, unexpectedly, by Lorenzo and Jessica. The celebration, however, is cut short by the news that Antonio has indeed lost his ships, and that he has forfeited his bond to Shylock. Bassanio and Gratiano
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immediately travel to Venice to try and save Antonios life. After they leave, Portia tells Nerissa that they will go to Venice disguised as men. Shylock ignores the many pleas to spare Antonios life, and a trial is called to decide the matter. The duke of Venice, who presides over the trial, announces that he has sent for a legal expert, who turns out to be Portia disguised as a young man of law. Portia asks Shylock to show mercy, but he remains inflexible and insists the pound of flesh is rightfully his. Bassanio offers Shylock twice the money due him, but Shylock insists on collecting the bond as it is written. Portia examines the contract and, finding it legally binding, declares that Shylock is entitled to the merchants flesh. Shylock ecstatically praises her wisdom, but as he is on the verge of collecting his due, Portia reminds him that he must do so without causing Antonio to bleed, as the contract does not entitle him to any blood. Trapped by this logic, Shylock hastily agrees to take Bassanios money instead, but Portia insists that Shylock take his bond as written or nothing at all. Portia informs Shylock that he is guilty of conspiring against the life of a Venetian citizen, which means he must turn over half of his property to the state and the other half to Antonio. The duke spares Shylocks life and takes a fine instead of Shylocks property. Antonio also forgoes his half of Shylocks wealth on two conditions: first, Shylock must convert to Christianity, and second, he must will the entirety of his estate to Lorenzo and Jessica upon his death. Shylock agrees and takes his leave. Bassanio, who does not see through Portias disguise, showers the young law clerk with thanks, and is eventually pressured into giving Portia the ring with which he promised never to part. Gratiano gives Nerissa, who is disguised as Portias clerk, his ring. The two women return to Belmont, where they find Lorenzo and Jessica declaring their love to each other under the moonlight. When Bassanio and Gratiano arrive the next day, their wives accuse them of faithlessly giving their rings to other women. Before the deception goes too far, however, Portia reveals that she was, in fact, the law clerk, and both she and Nerissa reconcile with their husbands. Lorenzo and Jessica are pleased to learn of their inheritance from Shylock, and the joyful news arrives that Antonios ships have in fact made it back safely. The group celebrates its good fortune

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THEMES
Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. The Merchant Of Venice focuses on various themes that are crucial to the building of the story of the play. The most important themes are:

The Divine Quality of Mercy The conflict between Shylock and Antonio comes to a head over the issue of mercy. The other characters acknowledge that the law is on Shylocks side, but they all expect him to show mercy, which he refuses to do. When, during the trial, Shylock asks Portia what could possibly compel him to be merciful, Portias long reply, beginning with the words, The quality of mercy is not strained, clarifies what is at stake in the argument. Portias understanding of mercy is based on the way Christians in Shakespeares time understood the difference between the Old and New Testaments. Thus, when Portia warns Shylock against pursuing the law without regard for mercy, she is promoting what Elizabethan Christians would have seen as a pro-Christian, anti-Jewish agenda. Mercy, as delivered in The Merchant of Venice, never manages to be as sweet, selfless, or full of grace as Portia presents it. Love versus Self-Interest It appears that the main difference between Antonio and Shylock, is that Antonio values human relationships over business ones, whereas Shylock is money-minded. Antonio lends money free of interest and puts himself at risk for those he loves, whereas Shylock agonizes over the loss of his money and is reported to have run through the streets crying, O, my ducats! O, my daughter! .With these words, he apparently values his money at least as much as his daughter, suggesting that his greed outweighes his love. However, upon closer inspection, this supposed difference breaks down. Shylock in Act III, scene i, seems more hurt by the fact that his daughter sold a ring that was given to him by his dead wife before they were married
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than he is by the loss of the rings monetary value. Some human relationships do indeed matter to Shylock more than money. Moreover, his insistence that he have a pound of flesh rather than any amount of money shows that his resentment is much stronger than his greed. Just as Shylocks character seems hard to pin down, the Christian characters also present an inconsistent picture. Though Portia and Bassanio come to love one another, Bassanio seeks her hand in the first place because he is monstrously in debt and needs her money. Bassanio even asks Antonio to look at the money he lends Bassanio as an investment, though Antonio insists that he lends him the money solely out of love. In other words, Bassanio is anxious to view his relationship with Antonio as a matter of business rather than of love. Finally, Shylock eloquently argues that Jews are human beings just as Christians are, but Christians such as Antonio hate Jews simply because they are Jews. Thus, while the Christian characters may talk more about mercy, love, and charity, they are not always consistent in how they display these qualities.

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Hatred Throughout the play, Shylock claims that he is simply applying the lessons taught to him by his Christian neighbors; this claim becomes an integral part of both his character and his argument in court. In Shylocks very first appearance, as he conspires to harm Antonio, his entire plan seems to be born of the insults and injuries Antonio has inflicted upon him in the past. As the play continues, and Shylock unveils more of his reasoninghe is simply applying what years of abuse have taught him. Responding to Salarinos query of what good the pound of flesh will do him, Shylock responds, The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction. Not all of Shylocks actions can be blamed on poor teachings, and one could argue that Antonio understands his own culpability in his near execution. With the trials conclusion, Antonio demands that Shylock convert to Christianity, but inflicts no other punishment, despite the threats of fellow Christians. Antonio does not, as he has in the past, kick or spit on Shylock.

CHARACTERS
ANTONIO Antonio is the merchant of Venice, the titular protagonist of the play. He is about 40 years and has lived his life to the fullest. He is a successful businessman, owning a fleet of trade ships. Surprisingly, Antonio appears in relatively few scenes of the play, but he is the driving force behind much of the action. Antonio is the model Christian, as defined by Elizabethan society. He represents, among other things, the ideal of nobility in friendship. He is also kind and generous, both to his friends and to the poor of Venice. Antonio's principles are against the borrowing or lending of money for profit. He reflects the medieval attitude that money should be lent for Christian charity. His noble generosity for his friend, however, leads him to cast aside these principles and to take a loan from the merchant, Shylock.

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SHYLOCK Shylock is a focal point of the play. A traditional stereotype of the Jew in Elizabethan times, he is comically caricatured as a greedy miser. He wears a traditional "Jewish gabardine." He is a middle- aged man between fifty and fifty-five, who has a keenness of observation and a memory for details. He is well versed in the Bible and is able to draw analogies from various Biblical sources and stories, which are relevant to the situations in which he finds himself. His manner of speaking reveals an authoritative tone with frequent references to the great and ancient names from Scriptures, which he uses to justify his own practices. His speech reveals a cold and calculating mind, reflective of his narrow thinking. He is also literal-minded and pragmatic and has quick and agile thought processes, which help him in his business dealings. Shylock suffers from religious persecution, which plays an important part in the play. Antonio has reviled and despised this Jew, even humiliating him publicly because of his money lending and usury. Shylock believes that his profiteering is not a sin. This is contrary to the Christian belief, held by Antonio, that money should be lent for charity and not for profit. By his profession and his religion, Shylock is marked as the alien in a happy and fun- loving Venetian society. His alienation causes his bitterness and his humiliation makes him seek revenge. Antonio becomes the target of that revenge, and Shylock uses the letter of the law to try and exact a pound of flesh from his enemy. His strict interpretation of the law backfires on him, and he winds up losing his wealth and barely saving his life. Although he appears in only five scenes, Shylock is a very powerful personality, whose love of money has destroyed any natural human feelings. PORTIA Like Antonio, Portia is an example of nobility. She is a fair-haired beauty with an immense power to attract. Her goodness and virtue enhance her beauty. Unlike Antonio, she is not passive, but displays energy and determination. In many ways, hers is the more forceful figure in the play. Her authority and control with which she deals and manipulates the circumstances of the play are exemplary. In Belmont, the terms of her father's will leave her without any choice in her future husband, and she is saddened that she does not have an appropriate mate. As a dutiful daughter, however, she is compelled to accept her father's wishes. Despite her dissatisfaction with her circumstances, she has a cheerful and optimistic nature. She uses her wonderful ability with words and her keen sense of humour to enliven the scenes in which she appears. Her treatment
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of her money reflects Bassanio's belief that money is to be used only in the sense of helping loved ones. She proves she is unselfish and generous. Her ideal of mercy is unselfish generosity and she shows an understanding of Christian values. As a Christian gentlewoman, she considers it her duty to show Shylock the foolishness of his exact interpretation of the law that has no mercy. Portia has cleverly tricked Shylock at his own game. Portia is the most multi-dimensional character in the play, alternating between a beautiful woman in the remote setting of Belmont and the authoritative lawyer in Venice, who orchestrates the victory of good over evil. BASSANIO Bassanio is a young man who has just left behind the carefree days of his youth with a resolve to enter into the respectable life of being a good husband. In the past, he has squandered his wealth on pleasures and extravagant expenditures. His lack of funds, however, does not stop him from generosity nor does it prevent him from enjoying a good life. As a result, he is deeply in debt, mostly to Antonio. To solve his financial problems, he seeks to marry into money, and Portia is the object of his desire. As her suitor, he is graceful with words and is presented as the model of a romantic hero. Because of his kindness and generosity, especially in his relationship to Antonio, Portia is very attracted to him and delighted that he chooses the correct casket to win her hand in marriage. His and Portia's love, though born in the magic world of Belmont, is tested in Venice, which symbolizes the real world, and is proven to be true and strong. LORENZO Lorenzo is a representative of the elegant Venetian society. He plays the dashing young lover, who rescues his love from the austerity and soberness of a restricted life. He too, believes that happiness arises from successful relationships. He has a great love for lyricism and poetry, as is shown in his vivid descriptions. Lorenzo's love for Jessica is sincere and constant. It looks beneath the differences in religion, as he associates his lover with virtue and gentility. His love for her is eternal because he finds her to be wise and virtuous. He also realizes that perfect harmony is not possible on earth, since human

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beings are trapped in a mortal body. His love, optimism, and understanding make him deserving of the riches and love that he is rewarded with. JESSICA As the daughter of Shylock, she is compelled to abandon him. The difference in their temperaments has made her circumstances intolerable. She is, although a Jew, as different from her father "as jet to ivory." She is more at home with Christian ways than with the austerity of her father's Jewish house. She likes Launcelot because of his capacity to introduce merriment to an otherwise gloomy household. She shows ingenuity in disguising as a pageboy to effect her elopement. Although guilty of theft and filial ingratitude in betraying her father, she shows an understanding of the moral sins that she has committed. Her drawbacks are mitigated by her loving and exuberant nature, which is similar to Portia's vivacity and wit. GRATIANO Gratiano is the second fool in the play, next to Launcelot. He is given to unnecessary speech and garrulousness. He also drinks too much and behaves rudely and insensitively. He condemns silence as being a facade for those who wish to be thought of as thinkers and philosophers. The change in Gratiano is effected as he starts associating more with Bassanio. Almost all his actions are of an imitative nature. This is in keeping with the ideas of the times that people are ennobled by following their betters. Like Bassanio, Gratiano falls in love in Belmont and marries Nerissa, Portia's maid. NERISSA Nerissa is Portia's maid. She acts as a backdrop to the wit displayed by Portia. Her long association with her mistress has elevated her mannerisms and behavior to the point that she now acts as a witty and intelligent person. She, too, follows the examples set by Portia in many ways: she marries a gentleman from Venice, she follows Portia to Venice, she assumes the role of a lawyer's clerk and she takes her ring from her lover. She is to Portia what Gratiano is to Bassanio. Portias virtual imprisonment by the game of caskets seems, at first, like a questionable rule at best, but her likening of the game to a lottery system is belied by the fact that, in the end, it works perfectly. The game keeps a host of suitors at bay, and of the three who try to choose the correct casket to win Portias hand, only the man of Portias desires succeeds. By the time
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Bassanio picks the correct chest, the choice seems like a more efficient indicator of human nature than any person could ever provide. A similar phenomenon occurs with Venetian law. Until Portias arrival, Shylock is the laws strictest adherent, and it seems as if the citys adherence to contracts will result in tragedy. However, when Portia arrives and manipulates the law most skillfully of all, the outcome is the happiest ending of all, at least to an Elizabethan audience: Antonio is rescued and Shylock forced to abandon his religion. The fact that the trial is such a close call does, however, raise the fearful specter of how the law can be misused. Without the proper guidance, the law can be wielded to do horrible things.

SYMBOLS
Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. The Three Caskets The contest for Portias hand, in which suitors from various countries choose among a gold, a silver, and a lead casket, resembles the cultural and legal system of Venice in some respects. Like the Venice of the play, the casket contest presents the same opportunities and the same rules to men of various nations, ethnicities, and religions. Also like Venice, the hidden bias of the casket test is fundamentally Christian. To win Portia, Bassanio must ignore the gold casket, which bears the inscription, Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire (II.vii.5), and the silver casket, which says, Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves (II.vii.7). The correct casket is lead and warns that the person who chooses it must give and risk everything he has. The contest combines a number of Christian teachings, such as the idea that desire is an unreliable guide and should be resisted, and the idea that human beings do not deserve Gods grace but receive it in spite of themselves. Christianity teaches that appearances are often deceiving, and that people should not trust the evidence provided by the senseshence the humble appearance of the lead casket. Faith and charity are the central values of Christianity, and these values are evoked by the lead caskets injunction to give all and risk all, as one does in making a leap
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of faith. Portias father has presented marriage as one in which the proper suitor risks and gives everything for the spouse, in the hope of a divine recompense he can never truly deserve. The contest certainly suits Bassanio, who knows he does not deserve his good fortune but is willing to risk everything on a gamble.

The Pound of Flesh The pound of flesh that Shylock seeks lends itself to multiple interpretations: it emerges most as a metaphor for two of the plays closest relationships, but also calls attention to Shylocks inflexible adherence to the law. The fact that Bassanios debt is to be paid with Antonios flesh is significant, showing how their friendship is so binding it has made them almost one. Shylocks determination is strengthened by Jessicas departure, as if he were seeking recompense for the loss of his own flesh and blood by collecting it from his enemy. Lastly, the pound of flesh is a constant reminder of the rigidity of Shylocks world, where numerical calculations are used to evaluate even the most serious of situations. Shylock never explicitly demands that Antonio die, but asks instead, in his numerical mind, for a pound in exchange for his three thousand ducats. Where the other characters measure their emotions with long metaphors and words, Shylock measures everything in far more prosaic and numerical quantities. Leahs Ring The ring given to Shylock in his bachelor days by a woman named Leah, who is most likely Shylocks wife and Jessicas mother, gets only a brief mention in the play, but is still an object of great importance. When told that Jessica has stolen it and traded it for a monkey, Shylock very poignantly laments its loss: I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys (III.i.101102). The lost ring allows us to see Shylock in an uncharacteristically vulnerable position and to view him as a human being capable of feeling something more than anger. Although Shylock and Tubal
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discuss the ring for no more than five lines, the ring stands as an important symbol of Shylocks humanity, his ability to love, and his ability to grieve.

NOTABLE 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? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction. -SHYLOCK

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The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven, Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed. It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. It is mightiest in the mightiest, It becomes the throned monarch better than his crown. His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, An attribute to awe and majesty. Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings. But mercy is above this sceptred sway, It is enthroned in the hearts of kings, It is an attribute to God himself. And earthly power dost the become likest God's, Where mercy seasons justice. Therefore Jew, Though justice be thy plea, consider this, That in the course of justice we all must see salvation, We all do pray for mercy And that same prayer doth teach us all to render the deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much to mitigate the justice of thy plea, Which if thou dost follow, This strict court of Venice Must needs give sentence Against the merchant there. -PORTIA

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DEBATES
Is Shylock a Victim or a Villain?
Throughout the play: The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare juggles with the idea of Shylock being either a villain or a victim. At the time the Merchant of Venice was written, Jews were neglected and abused by Christians. This is reflected in the Merchant of Venice, although the audience of the play is made to feel sorry for Shylock at times, such as when Jessica, Shylocks daughter, elopes with a Christian. With this said, Shylock is driven to into such a state of rage that he seeks to take Antonios life. This is why in the end he seems to be portrayed as a villain. But is he really a victim or a villain? In these sets of examples, Shakespeare uses language and scenarios to suggest Shylock is a victimized character. In the following situations Shylock is victimized by others around him because he is Jewish. In the Merchant of Venice, Shylock speaks of how he is offended by Christians and the names he is called by them. This is around during the time when then the bond is first made. Shylocks daughter, Jessica elopes with Lorenzo and takes his money, jewels and family honor. This throws Shylock into a state of rage. This is where Shylock starts to act out on his villainous side. A quote made by Antonio states the devil can cite scripture for his purpose. This clearly makes the link between Shylock as someone akin to the devil. Shakespeare sets up numerous cases of Shylock being victimized than those previously stated. Shylock is a victim of business due to the fact that Antonio lends out money gratis. It brings down the rate of interest in Venice and this means that Shylock is not able to make money because all the people who borrow it, end up going to Antonio instead. In court after Shylock loses his case, part of his punishment as well as monetary Owings is to become Christian. At this point, Shylock is basically defined as a villain, but because he is constantly ridiculed and humiliated by Antonio his revenge could be understood somewhat. Shylocks victimization is also contrary to the fact that Shylock can also be seen as a villain. He clearly seeks to kill Antonio by taking a pound of his flesh. Antonio and Bassanio interprets Shylock bond at first as a bit of a
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joke. But when Shylock is thrown into a state of rage when his daughter steals his goods, he decides to act out on his bond. A quote by Shylock says, He lends out money gratis and lowers the rate of usance here in Venice. This quote tells us that Shylocks villainous actions if acted out would benefit him greatly in his business. In the Elizabethan times, quotes like I hate him for he is a Christian, would have provoked the audience. This is why Shylock would have been regarded as a villain as well during this era. Shylock speaks carelessly about the loss of Antonios fortunes and sailors as sea, which demonstrates the spitefulness of Shylock. The real turning point of Shylocks evil doings is when his daughter Jessica runs away and takes all his wealth with her. Shylock quotes that he would have his daughter dead at his feet if he could. This provokes him into craving his bond and truly becoming villainous. In conclusion Shylock is interpreted as an unfortunate victim but also as a vindictive villain. Had Jessica not left he may have stayed within reason of right and wrong. Because Shylock ends up being a greedy man, audiences remember Shylock as more of a villainous character than a victim, especially because he tried to kill Antonio. To attempt to take a mans life is a lot more serious than simply calling him names or spitting on him. This is why Shylock is regarded as a villain.

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