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Shylock is written in a sufficiently ambiguous way that he can be played not only as villain and as a victim, but also as a buffoon. It is believed that Shylock was first played as a comic character in the same way as Malvolio in Twelfth Night--an extreme character who is forced to take his lumps. In the 18th century, the great Shakespearean actor Charles Macklin started to play Shylock as a villain, so that the audience would be satisfied with his punishment, and the justice of the court and of Portia. Toward the end of the 19th century, another great Shakespearean actor, Henry Irving, chose to play Shylock as a sympathetic figure, highlighting the moving "hath not a Jew eyes" speech as a plea for his being treated as a human being, rather than simply as a cynical justification for revenge. Irving's reading, which has been standard (except in Nazi Germany) ever since, calls into question the justice of the court and of Portia, as well as the overtly anti-Semitic behaviour of Graziano and other members of the Christian community. Portia's speech on the quality of mercy seems somewhat hollow in the face of the merciless treatment of Shylock and other Jews. All of this is proof that The Merchant of Venice is a great play and Shylock is a great character, because he is an ambiguous character, and because the play raises issues which are not easily resolved.
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Which Shakespeare play features Shylock?
You will find Portia and Shylock in the play of Hamlet.
Is Shylock a Jew?
Shylock is a character in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice. A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal antagonist. His defeat and conversion to Christianity forms the climax of the story.
Why is the book The Merchant of Venice a tragic comedy?
The Merchant of Venice is a play, not a book. It is meant to be watched, not read. Although the story of Bassanio and Portia is comic in structure, the subplot about Antonio and Shylock ends tragically for Shylock. In this respect the play is similar to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, which ends badly for Malvolio, although the ending is happy for the main characters. One of the peculiarities of The Merchant of Venice is that Shylock, because of the complexity of his character and the opportunity he presents for drama, has become the character in the play actors most want to play. In the nineteenth century, where all Shakespearean plays were treated as a vehicle for a star actor supported by a lot of nobodies, it is Shylock who Henry Irving played, not Bassanio. As a result, it has become Shylock's play, which makes it a tragedy. Incidentally, the historical fact that the role of Shylock has attracted many great actors is proof positive that the role is not a caricature or some kind of antisemitic stereotype.
What is the name of money lender in the merchant of Venice?
Shylock.
Does the word shylock come from the bible?
No. The name Shylock was created by WIlliam Shakespeare for the money-lender character in his play The Merchant of Venice.
Is the story of Shylock true?
Shylock is a fictional character from William Shakespeare's play "The Merchant of Venice." The character is not based on a real historical figure or event.
Is merchant of Venice just a comedy?
Not really, because the subplot about Shylock is rather sad. Shylock does not die, but he is horribly mistreated and forced to change his religion on pain of death. Over the years, the tragic subplot of Shylock has come to overshadow the comic plot of Bassanio and Portia. If an actor wants to star in The Merchant of Venice, the part he wants to play is Shylock, not Bassanio.
Which Shakespeare play features Shylock?
You will find Portia and Shylock in the play of Hamlet.
Who is the hero of The Merchant of Venice?
Originally, Bassanio was conceived of as the hero, because he was the romantic lead. However, the character of Shylock is much more interesting and the heavy-duty actors started within a couple of centuries to want to play Shylock rather than Bassanio. Over time this has resulted in productions of the play focussing more on the Shylock subplot than the romantic main plot between Bassanio and Portia. Nowadays most people would consider Shylock to be a tragic hero and the most significant character in the play as a result.
What is the origin of the name Jessica?
The name Jessica is believed to have been created by William Shakespeare for his play The Merchant of Venice. In the play Jessica was a Jewish girl who fell in love with a Christian boy and elopes with him. Her father was Shylock, the villain of the story.
Is Shylock a Jew?
Shylock is a character in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice. A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal antagonist. His defeat and conversion to Christianity forms the climax of the story.
Why is the book The Merchant of Venice a tragic comedy?
The Merchant of Venice is a play, not a book. It is meant to be watched, not read. Although the story of Bassanio and Portia is comic in structure, the subplot about Antonio and Shylock ends tragically for Shylock. In this respect the play is similar to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, which ends badly for Malvolio, although the ending is happy for the main characters. One of the peculiarities of The Merchant of Venice is that Shylock, because of the complexity of his character and the opportunity he presents for drama, has become the character in the play actors most want to play. In the nineteenth century, where all Shakespearean plays were treated as a vehicle for a star actor supported by a lot of nobodies, it is Shylock who Henry Irving played, not Bassanio. As a result, it has become Shylock's play, which makes it a tragedy. Incidentally, the historical fact that the role of Shylock has attracted many great actors is proof positive that the role is not a caricature or some kind of antisemitic stereotype.
What is the name of money lender in the merchant of Venice?
Shylock.
Why did Heminge and Condell place The MERCHANT OF VENICE in the category of Comedies?
The Merchant of Venice has all the hallmarks of a comedy. It is about love interests and at the end of the play, the main characters are all married and happy. The main characters are, of course, Bassanio and Gratiano, Portia and Nerissa. But hey! you say, isn't Shylock the main character? No, that is not how the play was originally conceived. Shylock was originally conceived of as someone like Malvolio in Twelfth Night, a character in the subplot who, because he has an unpleasant character trait (in Malvolio's case, pride, and in Shylock's, vengefulness), we can laugh at when he gets his comeuppance. This is how he was first played, as a comic butt. But after a couple of centuries, people started to look at what Shylock was trying to accomplish, (viz. kill Antonio), and thought that it was too serious for a comic character and so made Shylock a nasty villain. After another hundred years, actors (especially H. Irving) started to probe Shylock's character, and came to the conclusion that he was treated more cruelly than he deserved, and that he was a sympathetic character, a kind of tragic hero. He's been played that way for over a hundred years now. But all this focus on Shylock has turned our attention away from the essentially comic structure of the play, which is why it was called a comedy in the first place.
Does the word shylock come from the bible?
No. The name Shylock was created by WIlliam Shakespeare for the money-lender character in his play The Merchant of Venice.
Who is Jessica's father in the Shakespeare play The Merchant of Venice?
Shylock
Which were the most successful performances of The Merchant of Venice?
Early productions of the play focused on the relationship between Bassanio and Portia, and the character of Shylock was a kind of comic relief. Later, however, the character of Shylock proved to be the most interesting in the play and attracted the star actors. In 1741 Charles Macklin played Shylock as an out-and-out villain. Edmund Kean in 1814 had a more sympathetic but still villainous reading. Sir Henry Irving began a tradition of playing Shylock as a sympathetic character in a famous production in 1879 with Ellen Terry as Portia. Sir Laurence Olivier played Shylock as a Victorian businessman in 1970 in a National Theatre production directed by Jonathan Miller, and which was later televised. David Suchet and Dustin Hoffman have both famously played Shylock, and Patrick Stewart played him as a smarmy, ingratiating character. More recently a feature film was released in 2004 directed by Michael Radford and starring Al Pacino as Shylock.
