1
A Character Sketch of Shylock Shylock is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice. Because of the character's notable request of a "pound of flesh" for security interest, individuals considered to charge excessive interest on loans are sometimes called "Shylock." he creation of Shylock is one of the triumphs of Shakespeare!s art of characteriation. characteriation. #e is highly complex nature, nature, and hence most varied varied and contradictory contradictor y estimates of his character have been given. Shakespeare has sho$n the %e$ as cruel, savage, relentless, vindictive and greedy, $ith $ith all the atrocity traditionally associated $ith the %e$ish character& and yet he has succeeded in enlisting our sympathies for him.
His Passion For Money assion for revenge revenge and passion for money are the t$o leading traits of his character.. #e is a miser $ho hoards, and for him even to spend a single penny is a character torture. #e lives for money& money is his life and soul. (oney is the standard by $hich he )udges others. #is greed has destroyed in him even his affection for his daughter,, since his solicitude at his daughter!s loss is as nothing compared $ith his daughter rage at the loss of his money* My daughter!—O my ducats!—O my daughter! Fled with a Christian!—O my Christian ducats.
His Vindictiveness erhaps even stronger than his love of money is his hatred of +ntonio as one of the hristians $ho had persecuted his tribe so cruelly. +nd +nd one cannot help feeling a natural sympathy $ith the %e$, a sympathy $hich Shakespeare Shakespeare evidently felt himself and presumably intended his audience to share. #o$ pathetic these lines of Shylock are* ‘Hath not a Jew eyes Hath not a Jew hands organs dimensions dimensions sense a""ections #assions $$$$. $$$$. %" you #ric& us do we not 'leed %" you tic&le us do we not laugh %" you #oison us do we not die (nd i" you wrong us shall we not revenge %" we are li&e you in the rest we will resem'le you in that also.)
#ere Shylock is not speaking in his o$n person, but as the representative of an oppressed people. #e feels for the suffering of his race. #e is both a type and an individual.
Passion For *evenge
2
Shylock insists that his debt be paid& he $ants revenge on +ntonio, as the latter loans money $ithout charging interest -thus making Shylock lose business. #e had spat on Shylock, verbally and physically abused him, turned his friends against him, and inflamed his enemies to$ard him. %" % can catch him once u#on the hi# % will "eed "at the ancient grudge % 'ear him He hates our sacred nation$$$$$
His +ssential Humanity (nd Patriotism Shylock has often been represented on the stage as a perfectly unnatura unnaturall monster, $ith no passions save those of hate and avarice, and, indeed, there is some cause for such a vie$. /espite all these unattractive characteristics characteristics $e cannot say that there are no elements of grandeur about this %e$. #e al$ays speaks $ith a true patriotic fervor about his 0sacred nation!. #e has the true %e$ish exclusiveness. here is one passage $here even he seems to exhibit a trace of affection and essentially human feelings. When the u ubal bal has been giving him an account of %essica!s extravagance extrava gance in 1enoa, that among other things she has exchanged his ring for a monkey, he cries* Out u#on her, thou torturest me, -u'al, it as my tur/uoise0 % had it o" 1eah when % was 'achelor0 % would not have given it "or ( wilderness o" mon&eys.
2evertheless, it must be confessed that, as far as the play goes, $e do not hear much of the human side of his nature.
