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How does Shylock react to the abusive treatment he receives at the hands of Christian Venetians?
Wiki User
∙ 6y ago
Badly. Shylock, like many Jews, was forced into moneylending as a way of making money, because it was illegal for Jews to enter into kinds of commerce that involved ownership of substantial assets. At the same time as the Christians used his services, they held him and all the other Jews in contempt. He specifically mentions that Antonio had spit on him and called him a dog, and we see this to be true, as he calls him "devil" as in "the devil can quote Scripture to his own purpose."
At the end of the play he is treated abominably. On the pretext that he is a "foreigner" in the city where he has lived his whole life, his money is taken from him and given to his goyische and feckless son-in-law, and he is forced to renounce his religion and practise Christianity. No wonder he leaves on the line "I am not well."
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoThe Merchant of Venice cannot be taken as an accurate portrayal of the historical treatment of Jews in Venice. Shakespeare never was in Venice, and any ideas about what life was like for Venetian Jews must have come from books which had been translated, and were sometimes translations of translations, and may have been out of date. Shakespeare could not have used his own experience as there was no Jewish community in England at that time.
Nevertheless, Shakespeare did capture quite accurately the feelings and attitudes both of the perpetrators and the victims of prejudice in the play.
Wiki User
∙ 6y agoShylock is spat upon and insulted because he is a Jew. We see some of this behaviour in the play. Shylock's reaction is one of anger and a desire for vengeance. He focuses his anger on Antonio, who must bear the brunt of Shylock's resentment of the treatment he has received from all the Venetians, including himself, although he is not the worst of them. He is just the most convenient for Shylock's revenge.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago1. Shylock's entire property was seized
2. He was forced to change his religion to christianity
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What reason does Shylock give out loud for his hatred of Antonio?
Antonio was Christian and helped people with money without charging interest and deprived Shylock of his income as Shylock was shrew money lender.
Why does Shylock hate Jews?
Shylock did not hate Jews. Shylock was a Jew.
What was Shylock's religion?
Shylock, a character in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, was a Jew.
Where would Shakespeare have gotten ideas about how to characterize Shylock?
Well, he did have a source for the idea of a moneylender lending money on the security of someone's life, and there were a lot of nasty stereotypes about Jews, some of which appeared in Marlowe's play The Jew of Malta, but that is not the end of the story. Shakespeare wondered why a moneylender would enter into such an agreement, which made him think about what motivated Shylock generally. He was not satisfied to say "it's because he's Jewish". He then came up with the idea that Shylock wants revenge for the mistreatment he has suffered at the hands of the anti-Semitic Venetians like Antonio. Exactly how this process went we can never be sure, but it is clear that Shylock is anything but an anti-Semitic stereotype and this is because of the way Shakespeare saw his play making sense, not because of his sources.
What are some prejudice in the Merchant of Venice?
People judge Shylock because he is a Jew. He cannot escape the harassment that he receives for being Jewish.Jessica is too nice to be a Jew, and therefore must convert to ChristianityThere is only a happy ending for the Christian characters
What reason does Shylock give out loud for his hatred of Antonio?
Antonio was Christian and helped people with money without charging interest and deprived Shylock of his income as Shylock was shrew money lender.
Is the duke in Merchant of Venice a Christian?
He absolutely is. The only non-Christians in the play are Shylock, his friend Tubal, and Jessica, before she becomes an apostate.
Why does Shylock hate Jews?
Shylock did not hate Jews. Shylock was a Jew.
Why does antonio hate shylock in merchant of Venice?
Shylock is a Jew and as such has always been forced to live on the fringes of society. In effect he has an understandable chip on his shoulder. He is not looking for revenge he is just trying to outsmart him.
When was Operation Shylock created?
Operation Shylock was created in 1993.
What actors and actresses appeared in Shylock - 1913?
The cast of Shylock - 1913 includes: Harry Baur as Shylock Jules Berry
What is the change Shylock brings against Antonio?
Not "change", "charge": the failure to repay his loan (officially) (unofficially, his treatment of Jews, in general, and of himself, in particular).
What was Shylock's religion?
Shylock, a character in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, was a Jew.
How to Compare and contrast antino and shylock in merchant of Venice?
Shylock and Antonio are both businessmen, but Shylock is a moneylender (banker) and Antonio is a merchant (trader).
Where would Shakespeare have gotten ideas about how to characterize Shylock?
Well, he did have a source for the idea of a moneylender lending money on the security of someone's life, and there were a lot of nasty stereotypes about Jews, some of which appeared in Marlowe's play The Jew of Malta, but that is not the end of the story. Shakespeare wondered why a moneylender would enter into such an agreement, which made him think about what motivated Shylock generally. He was not satisfied to say "it's because he's Jewish". He then came up with the idea that Shylock wants revenge for the mistreatment he has suffered at the hands of the anti-Semitic Venetians like Antonio. Exactly how this process went we can never be sure, but it is clear that Shylock is anything but an anti-Semitic stereotype and this is because of the way Shakespeare saw his play making sense, not because of his sources.
What are some prejudice in the Merchant of Venice?
People judge Shylock because he is a Jew. He cannot escape the harassment that he receives for being Jewish.Jessica is too nice to be a Jew, and therefore must convert to ChristianityThere is only a happy ending for the Christian characters
Why did Shylock want Antonio's flesh?
Because the process of getting it will have the effect of killing Antonio, which Shylock wants to gain revenge for the mistreatment he has suffered from Antonio and all the other anti-Semitic Venetians. The flesh itself is of no use to Shylock--when he is asked what good it would be, Shylock replies tersely "To bait fish withal."
