The Character of Shylock as a Victim or Villain in The...

The Character of Shylock as a Victim or Villain in The Merchant of Venice Do you consider the character of shylock to be a victim or villain in the play The Merchant of Venice? Shylock is one of the most interesting, memorable and debated characters in the play â€Å"The Merchant of Venice†. In many ways this is because he is both a victim and a villain. Shylock was made a laughing stock of and is ridiculed by the Christians because he was Jewish. The Jewish community in Venice was treated very poorly at the time that the play was written. The Jews in Venice were not classified as citizens. They were ridiculed in public, not allowed to do any Christian jobs and had to live in the ghetto (a†¦show more content†¦It is clear he is a victim because of the appalling way he had been treated and the ridicule he had been put through because of his Jewish faith. He had also been depicted as a Villain in the way he expressed hate and loathing towards Antonio, repeatedly showing him no mercy and indirectly and directly wanting to kill him. Shakespeare’s audience knew that King Edward I had expelled the Jews from England in 1290. In addition, they knew that, one of Queen Elizabeth’s doctors, (a Portuguese Jew, called Lopez), was accused of having tried to kill the Queen by poisoning her in 1594. He was tried, condemned and hung, drawn and quartered. This caused a lot of ill feeling towards the Jewish people and gave them a reason to become anti-Semitic. There are many occasions in â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† where there is physical and verbal abuse towards Shylock. Firstly we learn that Antonio had spat in Shylock’s face in the Rialto. Shylock remembered this, saying to Antonio you â€Å"spit upon my Jewish gabardine†. Shylock also recalls that Antonio mocked him because he was Jewish, saying â€Å"you call me a misbeliever, cut-throat dog.† Shylock is often called a devil because he is Jewish: â€Å"Let me say ‘amen’ betimes, last the devil cross my prayer, for here heShow MoreRelatedEssay The Merchant of Venice Shylock Villain or Victim777 Words   |  4 PagesShylock, Villain or victim? The Merchant of Venice June 8th, 2011 In the play The Merchant of Venice Shylock is supposed to be the protagonist, the definition of protagonist is; the leading character or a major character in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. But the way Shylock is portrayed is more along the lines of being both victim and villain. Shylock is out for one pound of Antonio’s flesh which will in the end kill Antonio and the flesh will do him no good anyway. But heRead MoreThe Merchant of Venice: Is Shylock a Villain or a Victim? 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