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only in four scenes, but whose mark is indelible. Because of the complexity of the
themes and characters, issues involving stereotypes and racism, as well as
heavy sexual innuendo, The Merchant of Venice are recommended for mature
readers. An important element of Shylock's character is his literal-mindedness. In
his mind, a contract is a contract, and if it is broken the letter of the law must be
carried out. Mercy cannot be permitted to soften justice. In his insistence on a
pound of flesh, Shylock believes he is holding Antonio to the truth. However,
Shylocks literalness also forces him to concede to Portias argument that he has
no claim to Antonios blood.
For the character of Shylock, Shakespeare drew from a long tradition of folktales
that relate the story of a creditor who tries and fails to extract a pound of human
flesh as payment of a debt. Like the hero-villain Barabas in English dramatist
Christopher Marlowe's Jew of Malta (1589?), Shylock is a Jew. He is portrayed
in striking contrast with the other characters, who are Christians. Shylock is frugal
and preoccupied with making and keeping money; he hoards it and treasures it
above his personal relationships. He views the Christians attitude toward money
as frivolous and irresponsible. In contrast to Shylock, Bassanio uses money for
love and beauty instead of for the accumulation of wealth. The chest he chooses
in answer to Portias riddle is neither the one made of silver nor the one of gold,
but the one made of lead. His rejection of the gold and silver containers in favor
of a lead one, within whose dull exterior lie the riches of Portia's portrait,
symbolizes the fact that, for him, 'all that glisters (glistens) is not gold.'
Shakespeares portrayal of Shylock has long been fodder for debate among
scholars. By Shakespeares time, Jews had been officially banned from England
for centuries. Because of this, they had come to represent to many citizens of the
time a sinister unknown. Shylocks inability to grant mercy to Antonio and his
tendency to value the letter of the law over benevolence are generally abhorrent
to modern audiences. However, Shakespeare was too intelligent and too much of
an artist to make his Shylock purely one dimensional; the character is complex
and justifiably cautious in a world that does not welcome him. Much of the
interest and tension of the play lies in the fact that he is simultaneously villainous
and sympathetic.