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Firstly, Shylock isn't actually the merchant, Antonio is. Antonio has a fleet of trade boats out at sea, trading around the world for the better part of the play. Does this answer your question? Hope this helps.
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∙ 14y ago
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∙ 10y agoHis campaign to kill Antonio is unfair. Although Antonio has been rude and insulting toward Shylock, that hardly warrants cutting his heart out. Shylock wants to make Antonio the scapegoat for all the nasty things the anti-Semitic Venetians have done to him, but treating him as a scapegoat is wrong, period. Understandable, maybe, but wrong anyway.
Many people in Shakespeare's day and since even to today like to laugh at people who are different from the mainstream. Shakespeare created more than one character along these lines, Malvolio the Puritan with sexual designs on his employer being one of them. Shylock was created for this purpose--he was Jewish and nobody in Shakespeare's audience knew anything about Jewish people. As an outsider, they felt they could laugh at him, exactly as people did with the movie Borat.
Later people started to consider Jewish people as a threat rather than an amusing curiosity, and so Shylock began to be played as a villain (like the villain Barabas in Marlowe's Jew of Malta).
Since the second world war, however, people tend to view Jewish people as victims, so Shylock has increasingly been played that way.
But in fact, and this is a testimony to the greatness of Shakespeare's writing, all of these aspects of Shylock's character: the comic figure, the villain and the victim, are built into the text, so that any one of them can be credibly brought to the fore.
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoShakespeare was showing that Mercy was/is a Christian virtue and that sets up Shylock's conversion to Christianity at the end of the act, because the Duke shows Mercy to Shylock by allowing him to convert to Christianity rather than confiscate his wealth and leaving him penniless and homeless. For this reason shylock should have shown mercy to antonio as well.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoShylock lent Antonio money on the off chance that for some reason Antonio would fail to repay on the agreed-upon date. He did not lend it because he hoped to make money out of it, because it was an interest-free loan. He certainly did not lend it out of friendship since he hated Antonio. He only lent it because he might possibly get a chance to kill Antonio legally (by taking the pound of flesh as a penalty).
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoBecause the punishment was disproportionate to the offence. Shylock was claiming that Antonio should be put to death for missing a debt payment. Antonio was able to make the payment at the time of the trial (thanks to Portia's money) but Shylock refused to accept it, even with exorbitant interest. Shylock did not want Antonio's money; he wanted to kill him for all the anti-Semitic remarks anyone had ever made to Shylock.
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∙ 12y agoBassanio needs the money to cover his expenses while going to Belmont to try to get Portia to marry him. He asks Antonio to help, but Antonio is strapped for cash, so he goes to Shylock in order to borrow some.
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoThe whole point of the exercise was to kill Antonio. It was an off-chance, and Shylock gave up the chance to collect interest in order to have it, but asking him to spare Antonio is like asking someone to throw away a winning lottery ticket. This is something not understood by the Duke or Portia.
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∙ 10y agoAntonio despises Shylock because he is a Jew and during the time of this play, Venetians did not have the greatest attitude towards the Jewish.
Anonymous
Shylock states that he has an oath to be fulfilled in heaven and that is why he did not show any mercy for Antonio
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Why is portia seen as a perfect heroine in merchant of Venice?
Portia is clearly the heroine of The Merchant of Venice, since she takes action which foils Shylock's plan and saves Antonio's life, while being at the same time the object of Bassanio's adoration. But she is far from perfect: her comments about her suitors are mean and petty and occasionally racist. She does not content herself with foiling Shylock's plan; she has to destroy Shylock's life into the bargain. Her cruelty towards him goes far beyond what justice would require (he loses the money he loaned to Antonio because he insisted upon the unenforceable bond), far from showing him the mercy which she hypocritically praises then fails to practise. She intentionally pressures Bassanio into giving up his wedding ring and then criticises him for doing so, another example of her hypocrisy.
List of characters in The Merchant of Venice?
Shylock - A Jewish moneylender in Venice. Angered by his mistreatment at the hands of Venice's Christians, particularly Antonio, Shylock schemes to eke out his revenge by ruthlessly demanding as payment a pound of Antonio's flesh. Although seen by the rest of the play's characters as an inhuman monster, Shylock at times diverges from stereotype and reveals himself to be quite human. These contradictions, and his eloquent expressions of hatred, have earned Shylock a place as one of Shakespeare's most memorable characters.Antonio - A Venetian Merchant, subject to depression. May have been gay.Bassanio - A fellow who has wasted all of his money and used up his credit and is trying to marry a wealthy heiress called Portia.Portia - A wealthy heiress who is bound to marry whatever man chooses correctly from three chests. She prefers Bassanio for some reason. She is capable of doing a plausible impression of a male lawyer.Nerissa - Portia's maid, who also engages in some cross-dressing.Graziano - Friend of Bassanio, with designs on Nerissa.Jessica - Daughter of Shylock, who is prepared to do anything to get out of the same house with him, even turn Christian and marry a twit.Lorenzo - The twit Jessica marries.Launcelot Gobbo - A foolish servant employed by ShylockOld Gobbo - Launcelot's blind fatherThe Duke - A judge torn between his respect for the law and his essential Anti-SemitismSalerio, Solanio, etc. - Similarly named and indistinguishable anti-Semitic Venetian layabouts.
Lesson learned in this story merchant of Venice?
It is a dangerous business trying to find "moral lessons" in Shakespeare's plays, because what the characters say and do is what they say and do. Whether it is good or bad is something the audience, the director and the actors bring to the table. In an earlier age, the Merchant of Venice was used by anti-semitic people to say anti-semitism is good. Nowadays, it is much more likely to be used to say that anti-semitism is bad. In fact it says neither; it only says that racism exists, and where it exists it begets more hatred. In an earlier age, Portia and the Duke were looked on as models of mercy and kindness in their treatment of Shylock. Nowadays they are more likely to be seen as smug, self-satisfied hypocrites who are happy to dress their cruel treatment of Shylock up as kindness. Either way, it is clear that Shylock made a tactical error in trusting to the Christian establishment (in the form of the law) to carry out his revenge on the Christians, personified by him in the person of the unfortunate Antonio. In an odd way, the subplot of Merchant of Venice is a revenge story like Hamlet or Titus Andronicus, and has the same kind of result: revenge results in misery and disaster. Unlike the others, Shylock's revenge only brings misery and disaster on himself. But unlike the others, Shylock is seeking revenge not against one person who has wronged him, but against all those who are in power and who have persecuted him and the other Jews. In any case, he would have been better off to have taken the offer of settlement made to him.
Why did Shakespeare set his plays in Italy?
History suggests that the Merchant of Venice was set in Venice probably because Venice was a very popular city at the time the play was made. It could also do with the fact that the words Merchant and Venice sound good together. When looking at Shakespeare's motives for setting the play in Venice, it may help to look at why 'Othello' was also set in Venice... You may notice in Merchant of Venice how Shakespeare shows Venice as a state divided against itself - for example Christians resent the practice of usury, despite the fact that it is essential to their booming economy. Antonio spits on Shylock one minute, yet is asking for his help the next - Christian society at the time is shown to be ignorant of it's foundations, to the point of resenting them, and is therefore shown to be unstable. Going back to the question - one reason the play could be set in Venice is so that Shakespeare could present his critical view of the Christian/Monarch situation in England at the time, without attracting censorship of his work by the English government. Venice may also have been used as it has an element of mystery about it - bear in mind that few had been to exotic places such as Venice at the time, so it would've added an additional layer of mystery to the play.
What is the conflect of the play Merchant of Venice?
The conflict is between Antonio and Shylock but Shylock is hated by everyone in Venice because he was a Jew, so that's Bassanio, Portia and all the other people in the play
Is lancelot gobbo a static character?
In Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice," Lancelot Gobbo can be seen as a dynamic character as he undergoes some growth and change throughout the play. Initially serving Shylock, he later leaves him to work for Bassanio, showing a shift in his loyalty and personal development.
Why is portia seen as a perfect heroine in merchant of Venice?
Portia is clearly the heroine of The Merchant of Venice, since she takes action which foils Shylock's plan and saves Antonio's life, while being at the same time the object of Bassanio's adoration. But she is far from perfect: her comments about her suitors are mean and petty and occasionally racist. She does not content herself with foiling Shylock's plan; she has to destroy Shylock's life into the bargain. Her cruelty towards him goes far beyond what justice would require (he loses the money he loaned to Antonio because he insisted upon the unenforceable bond), far from showing him the mercy which she hypocritically praises then fails to practise. She intentionally pressures Bassanio into giving up his wedding ring and then criticises him for doing so, another example of her hypocrisy.
List of characters in The Merchant of Venice?
Shylock - A Jewish moneylender in Venice. Angered by his mistreatment at the hands of Venice's Christians, particularly Antonio, Shylock schemes to eke out his revenge by ruthlessly demanding as payment a pound of Antonio's flesh. Although seen by the rest of the play's characters as an inhuman monster, Shylock at times diverges from stereotype and reveals himself to be quite human. These contradictions, and his eloquent expressions of hatred, have earned Shylock a place as one of Shakespeare's most memorable characters.Antonio - A Venetian Merchant, subject to depression. May have been gay.Bassanio - A fellow who has wasted all of his money and used up his credit and is trying to marry a wealthy heiress called Portia.Portia - A wealthy heiress who is bound to marry whatever man chooses correctly from three chests. She prefers Bassanio for some reason. She is capable of doing a plausible impression of a male lawyer.Nerissa - Portia's maid, who also engages in some cross-dressing.Graziano - Friend of Bassanio, with designs on Nerissa.Jessica - Daughter of Shylock, who is prepared to do anything to get out of the same house with him, even turn Christian and marry a twit.Lorenzo - The twit Jessica marries.Launcelot Gobbo - A foolish servant employed by ShylockOld Gobbo - Launcelot's blind fatherThe Duke - A judge torn between his respect for the law and his essential Anti-SemitismSalerio, Solanio, etc. - Similarly named and indistinguishable anti-Semitic Venetian layabouts.
Lesson learned in this story merchant of Venice?
It is a dangerous business trying to find "moral lessons" in Shakespeare's plays, because what the characters say and do is what they say and do. Whether it is good or bad is something the audience, the director and the actors bring to the table. In an earlier age, the Merchant of Venice was used by anti-semitic people to say anti-semitism is good. Nowadays, it is much more likely to be used to say that anti-semitism is bad. In fact it says neither; it only says that racism exists, and where it exists it begets more hatred. In an earlier age, Portia and the Duke were looked on as models of mercy and kindness in their treatment of Shylock. Nowadays they are more likely to be seen as smug, self-satisfied hypocrites who are happy to dress their cruel treatment of Shylock up as kindness. Either way, it is clear that Shylock made a tactical error in trusting to the Christian establishment (in the form of the law) to carry out his revenge on the Christians, personified by him in the person of the unfortunate Antonio. In an odd way, the subplot of Merchant of Venice is a revenge story like Hamlet or Titus Andronicus, and has the same kind of result: revenge results in misery and disaster. Unlike the others, Shylock's revenge only brings misery and disaster on himself. But unlike the others, Shylock is seeking revenge not against one person who has wronged him, but against all those who are in power and who have persecuted him and the other Jews. In any case, he would have been better off to have taken the offer of settlement made to him.
Richard arkwright hero or villain?
richard arkwright is seen as both villain and hero :
Why was Queen Elizabeth Tudor of England considered a villain?
She's Generally not seen as a villain, she's generally seen as the greatest monarch of English History and a British hero.
How were the Jews treated up to 1596?
Not particularly well, we know this because we do and life was just utterly terrible. Jews were spat upon and people didn't really life them for their so called 'Jewish' ways. My guess is that you're studying the merchant of venice, as it was written in 1596, so yeah shylock is a jew and isn't liked. He is mocked predominantly because he is fat..
The similarities with belmont and Venice in the play merchant of Venice?
Shakespeare allows the audience to construct their own moral responses to both plays, "The Merchant of Venice," and "Macbeth" by using a range of dramatic methods such as aides, dialogs, soliloquy, and tone of voice, juxtaposition of lines, metaphor, similes and imagery. It is a Shakespeare's skills as a dramatist the he encourages thought and creates a moral debate amongst the audience as The Merchant of Venice has many different interpretations of Shylock's choice, unlike Macbeth, as the audience generally has a similar moral response. Shakespeare manipulates the audience so that he leaves them in a state of confusion, as moral interpretations of Shylock's choice vary throughout the audience. Indeed at the end of the play, the audience might question whether or not the characters have learnt a moral lesson from the events, and the outcome has not changed the character's behaviour, although the audience learns a moral lesson.In act 1: scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice, we witness Antonio's social power, being a wealthy Christian over a Jewish usurer. Shakespeare centres the attention to the cruel treatment Shylock receives by Antonio and invites the audience to sympathise with Shylock, "You call me misbeliever, cut throat dog/you spit on me Jewish gaberdine/and all for use of that which is mine own." The audience can sympathise with Shylock and justify his hatred and thirst for revenge over Antonio, although in Macbeth, the audience is wholly critical of Macbeth as in act 1: scene 2 Shakespeare highlights the King and Soldier's positive opinion of Macbeth, "brave Macbeth," "noble Macbeth." This leads the audience to criticise Macbeth when he makes the decision to kill the kind as Macbeth has no justification for his ambitious actions whereas, Shylock can be justified. Shakespeare is also keen to demonstrate Banquo in Macbeth as a character who discourages Macbeth's ideas to seize the crown, "tis strange:/And often sometimes, to win us our harm,/The instruments of darkness tell us truths,/Win us with honest trifles, to betrays,/In deepest consequence." Banquo cautions Macbeth and warns Macbeth not to pursue this ruthless ambition. In The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare has no friend to discourage him and has no character to kill his ambition.Shakespeare uses a dramatic aside in The Merchant of Venice, Act 1: Scene 3 which allows the audience to for the first time, witness Shylock's true intentions and thought processes, "I hate him for he is Christian;/If i catch him once upon the hip i will feed fat the ancient grudge i bear him." Shakespeare crafts the memorable line to establish Shylock's hatred for Antonio, and also to present Shylock to have no moral awareness and instead to show excitement and desperation for revenge which the audience criticises, but may also understand his hatred and thirst for revenge to an extent. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses an aside to give the audience further access to Macbeth's thoughts and an insight to his true intentions, "two truths are told,/As happy prologues to the swelling act/Of the imperial theme."Shakespeare uses the metaphor, "happy prologues" to provide clear evidence that Macbeth welcomes these titles to be king. Shakespeare continues to communicate Macbeth's thoughts through an aside showing that he is unsure of his choices, "Cannot be ill, cannot be good," "Why do i yield to that suggestion/Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair/And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,/Against the use of nature?" Shakespeare has presented Macbeth to have moral awareness between right and wrong, and has left him undecided yet easy to manipulate. Macbeth is seen to have human scrumples and believes the thought of killing the king to be horrifying. Macbeth has been shown by Shakespeare to understand differences between thought and action and Macbeth without the influence of another character does not have the strength to kill the king and might not act upon his thoughts.In Act 3: Scene 1, Shakespeare presents Shylock as a sympathetic character once again, so that the audience can justify his actions, "He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scored my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies." Shakespeare gives the audience alot of reason to sympathise with Shylock and criticise Antonio, also, justify Shylock's thirst for revenge. But Shakespeare in the same dialogue, allows the sympathy to be stripped from Shylock and leads the audience to criticise him once again, and the audience can sense Shylock's awareness of the control he has over Antonio in the lines, "To bait fish withal; if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge." This establishes Shylock's motivation and his definite intention to extract the pound of flesh from Antonio, this creates debate throughout the audience from multiple opinions to Shylock's choice.
Why did Shakespeare set his plays in Italy?
History suggests that the Merchant of Venice was set in Venice probably because Venice was a very popular city at the time the play was made. It could also do with the fact that the words Merchant and Venice sound good together. When looking at Shakespeare's motives for setting the play in Venice, it may help to look at why 'Othello' was also set in Venice... You may notice in Merchant of Venice how Shakespeare shows Venice as a state divided against itself - for example Christians resent the practice of usury, despite the fact that it is essential to their booming economy. Antonio spits on Shylock one minute, yet is asking for his help the next - Christian society at the time is shown to be ignorant of it's foundations, to the point of resenting them, and is therefore shown to be unstable. Going back to the question - one reason the play could be set in Venice is so that Shakespeare could present his critical view of the Christian/Monarch situation in England at the time, without attracting censorship of his work by the English government. Venice may also have been used as it has an element of mystery about it - bear in mind that few had been to exotic places such as Venice at the time, so it would've added an additional layer of mystery to the play.
What is the name of the red flowers seen on balconies in Venice Italy?
Probably geraniums.
Where did Avril Lavigne have her honeymoon?
Avril was seen in photos on her honeymoon in Venice, Italy.
Who was the most seen villain in the television show The Wild Wild West?
Miguelito Loveless
