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Both. Shylock was treated badly by many Venetians because he was Jewish. We see Antonio, Salerno, and Gratiano treat him abominably. But although they treat him badly, they do not try to kill him or steal all his money (although they happily condone the theft of his money by his daughter and her lover Lorenzo, and think it's funny that he is upset about being robbed). Shylock, however, sets things up so that he can (or thinks he can) kill Antonio without it being against the law. This is way out of proportion to any offence Antonio has done to him, but Shylock is making him the scapegoat for all of the wrongs that have been done to him, especially being robbed by Jessica and Lorenzo. This is unfair to Antonio.
So, Shylock is the victim of anti-Semitism but his overreaction makes him a villain. The sentence of the court upon him, however, is so harsh that by the end of the play he looks like a victim again. It is fair to note that one part of the judgment which nowadays seems very harsh, the judgment that Shylock must change religion or die, would not have seemed harsh at all in Shakespeare's day, when people were forced to change their religion all the time, usually from one brand of Christianity to another.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoShylock is both a villain and a victim. It is clear that he has been the victim of abuse by Antonio and others in the Christian community. He is also a victim of the vengeance of the court after his unsuccessful attempt to have Antonio judicially murdered, since he is deprived of his religion and his money, which is his means of subsistence, and therefore of his identity. In the film with Al Pacino he is shown at the end as being shunned by both the Christian and Jewish communities, having a lonely and meaningless existence.
But Shylock is also a villain. He fully intends to have Antonio put to death in a perfectly legal way, in order to gain revenge for being spat on and called names. This is an excessive retribution. Of course Antonio is being made a scapegoat for all of the other wrongs Shylock resents, like the elopement of his daughter with a useless ne'er do well. It may be understandable but it is clearly wrong.
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoShylock is depicted as both villain and victim he is a villain who is victimised in some scenes
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What credible sources are there to prove that shylock from The Merchant of Venice is the victim not the villain?
He was kicked, spat at and called nasty names because he was a Jew. Also he charged interest which the Christians did not, which made them very angry. The Jews suffered very badly.
Is Macbeth a villain or victim?
whatever it wants to be
IS SHYLOCK IS A VILLAIN OR A TRAGIC FIGURE IN THE PLAY?
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.
Why does Shylock hate Jews?
Shylock did not hate Jews. Shylock was a Jew.
Why is shylock seen as a villain in The Merchant of Venice?
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.
Who is the villain in The Merchant of Venice?
Shylock, the jew.
How Antonio is a good man?
Which Antonio do you refer to? There are five of them in Shakespeare's plays, not even counting Mark Antony, after whom all the others are named. Antonio in The Two Gentlemen of Verona is Proteus's father. He is neither a villain nor a victim. Antonio in The Tempest is Prospero's brother and is a villain. Antonio in The Merchant of Venice is the victim selected by Shylock to be the scapegoat for all the wrongs Christians have done to him. But he is also villainous; it is he that insists on Shylock's apostasy so as to destroy his soul as well as take away the use of his property, and it is also he that insists that Bassiano break his vow to his wife over the wedding ring. Antonio is Twelfth Night is Sebastian's friend and a victim in that he suffers arrest for Sebastian's sake. It would appear that Orsino's hatred of him is unjustified. Antonio in Much Ado About Nothing is Leonato's brother, a kindly old buffer who is neither victim or villain. And to round things out, Antony is a villain in Julius Caesar but a victim in Antony and Cleopatra. So, out of six Antonios, one is a victim, one is a villain, two are both and two are neither.
Was Marie Antoinette a villain or a victim?
She was the victim of the Reign of Terror.
What credible sources are there to prove that shylock from The Merchant of Venice is the victim not the villain?
He was kicked, spat at and called nasty names because he was a Jew. Also he charged interest which the Christians did not, which made them very angry. The Jews suffered very badly.
What is an alliterative antonym for victim?
villain
Is Macbeth a villain or victim?
whatever it wants to be
Roosevelt separates the participants of the conflict into three main categories: hero, villain, and victim. According to the Four Freedoms speech, who is the victim?
Great Britain is the VICTIM, America is the HERO, and Russia (I believe) is the VILLAIN :) -Apex-
What is the answer for MUM 2009?
Villain: HC Victim: BBB Crimesite CR
IS SHYLOCK IS A VILLAIN OR A TRAGIC FIGURE IN THE PLAY?
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.
Why does Shylock hate Jews?
Shylock did not hate Jews. Shylock was a Jew.
Which Roosevelt separates the participants of the conflict into three main categories hero villain and victim. According to the Four Freedoms speech who is the victim?
Great britian
Is typhoid Mary a victim or a villain?
She was a villain. She knew she was passing on an illness that made other people sick, and in a few cases killed humans, and she went on avoiding the authorities, spreading the disease.
