Why was Shylock in the career of the money lender?

Answer 1

Shylock is one of the most important characters in 'merchant of venice' he is the rich moneylender, to whom antonio asks for help (since antonio's ships were at sea and thus he could not help his friend bassanio with money) since shylock was a jew, and antonio a christian, they held many grudges against each other. in order to avenge, shylock agrees to help antonio on the condition that he should return his money within the time span stated in the legal bond, or else he shall have the right to cut off a pound of flesh from antonio's body (and this shall kill antonio) antonio was unable to pay back the money borrowed. thus, shylock demands for the pound of flesh, but his wishes remain unfulfilled for antonio is saved at the last moment by portia, (bassanio's wife who disguised herself as a lawyer) shylock is also the father of jessica, who hates him as much as others do.

Answer 2

Because he was a Jew and a money lender Shakespeare was having a shot at the establishment by turning them into the nefarious and dishonorable people that the Jews were regularly accused of being. ( I think he saw the funny side in the reasoning behind prejudices)

In the Merchant of Venice there are two main plots, the ring plot- with Bassanio and Portia etc and the Pound of Flesh plot. Shylock is the centre of the pound of flesh plot and most of the book revolves around him. Shylock is a steoreotyped Jew and 'bad guy'. He is also important because it is his actions (showing no mercy and begging for justice) that enabled Portia to give her Mercy speech.

Answer 3

It is a masterful play, but it also challanges (sort of) for the very first time the anti-Semitic beliefs of his time. He doesn't seem too revolutionary now, but at that time Jews had been expelled from England.

Answer 4

Shylock was a villain because his revenge on Antonio was out of proportion to the injuries Antonio had inflicted on him. Also he sought to get revenge for what Jessica and Lorenzo did by punishing Antonio.

Shylock did not break the law. He wanted to use the law to permit him to take revenge on Antonio. Antonio certainly agreed to the contract.

Answer 5

Shylck is a Villain because he asks a pound of flesh from Antonio and at the court trial he was very keen to get that pound of flesh anywhere from Antonio's body. And also on the trial da e brought knives and scales top cut and weigh the flesh from Antonio's body which is really sad and exciting.

Answer 6

The plot device in The Merchant of Venice is a loan contract in which the penalty, should the borrower default, is basically that the borrower dies. There are a number of reasons why the lender should be Jewish. First of all, many Jewish people were moneylenders at the time, since it was one of the few lines of business which they were entitled to pursue, so it is plausible that Shylock should be a Jew. Also, Shylock needed to have a motive why he would pursue this incredibly vindictive penalty--the answer lies in his treatment, as a Jew, by the gentile population in general and Antonio in particular. He is reacting to the anti-Semitic behaviour of others, and seeking revenge. Likewise, part of the legal trick by which the tables are turned on Shylock is his characterization as a "foreigner" even though he is born and raised in Venice. Therefore Shylock's Jewishness is ideal to satisfy the demands of the plot.

In some readings of the play, "Old Testament justice" is thought to contrast with "New Testament mercy" and in this interpretation it makes sense for Shylock to be a Jew.

Shylock is in many ways a figure like Malvolio in Twelfth Night, an outsider to whom bad things are done. Malvolio was a Puritan; Shylock was a Jew. Malvolio was punished for his vanity and killjoy personality; Shylock is punished for his vengeful and inflexible nature.

Answer 7

he is a victim because he is Jewish