Do you sympathise with shylock?

The merchant of Venice was written by William Shakespeare

in 1589-1595.it was set in Venice .some main characters
were:-
• Bassanio
• Portia
• Nerissa
• Antonio
• Gratciano and shylock
The two plots are “the bond” and “the caskets”.

Antonio is asked by best friend Bassanio to borrow money to

woo Portia. Antonio’s ships are at sea so he needs to ask
someone so he asks shylock to lend him money and he
agrees.
“Three thousand ducats for three months and Antonio
bound” (Shylock 1.3 l8)
this shows the agreement between shylock and Antonio, but
the problem was he agreed on a condition which is:
“An equal pound/of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken/ in
what part of your body pleaseth me” (shylock 1.3 L 142-143)
this shows the problem of the agreement for Antonio. This
means shylock behaviour towards Antonio is poor because
he dislikes him.

During the years shylock and many other Jews have been
treated disrespectfully by Christians just because there Jews
like:
“The villain Jew” (salarino, 2.8 L4)
“The dog Jew” (solanio, 2.8 L14)
this shows how mean they were towards him they didn’t
even call him shylock. This is what shylock had to say about
it:
“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 same weapons, subject/ to the
same diseases, healed by the same means./ warmed and
cooled by the same winter and summer as a
Christian?”(shylock 3.1 L56-60).
This shows how Christians have insulted shylock and his
religion.

The trial is about shylock brining the money situation to

court because he hasn’t been paid his money between three
months. Antonio could not pay back the money because his
ships were still at sea but he thought they were lost so his
hopes were down. Antonio’s lawyer is Portia but in disguised
as a man. Shylock is given twice the money he lent but he
wants his flesh
He keeps on repeatedly says the bond:
“So says the bond? […] is it so nominated in the bond? […] I
cannot find it, tis not in the bond” (shylock 4.1 L248-258)
Shylock is prevented from this by Portia trapping him with
his own logic:
“The bond doth give thee here no jot of blood” (Portia 4.1
L302)
“The law hath another hold on you” (Portia 4.1 L343)
This shows the trial and how shylock is prevented from
getting his own way.

After this I don’t think shylock should get sympathy from the
audience. Some of shylocks sayings are understandable like
saying how poor him and his religion were treated but given
twice his payment he should just take it. I don’t think he
should get punishment for this because he was only doing
what the bond says after all.

The play is still relevant today because people still into blood
thirsty and plays and movies. I think the movie is good
shylock was given 6000 ducats not 3000 ducats I think its
silly he did not take it so there fore I do not sympathise with
him.
Tasmin begum 8.7