How Far Is Shylock A Character For Whom We Can Feel Sympathy? How Would A Contemporary Audience'S Response To Him Differ From That Of An Audience In Shakespeare'S Time?

Throughout William Shakespeare's play, The Merchant of Venice, there is a strong theme of prejudice. Portia has to deal with prejudice against her sex, the Prince of Morocco has to deal with prejudice against his race but the character that is most discriminated against is Shylock. He is hated for being a Jew and a money-lender, but Shakespeare has not made Shylock a character easy to sympathise with. He appears to be mean and cruel and it seems as though he loves money above all things. However during the play there are moments when Shakespeare gives Shylock speeches which show his humanity. In these moments, although at the time it was written there was little tolerance of Jews, the audience is made to feel sorry for him. Shakespeare has created a character that the audience's feelings will change for by the minute.

When the play was written the audience would have immediately disliked Shylock on the basis of his religion and occupation, however nowadays when religious prejudice is not nearly as strong we still find him an unpleasant character. One of the main things which makes him seem unpleasant is his greed and love of money. His first words are actually "Three thousand ducats; well", perhaps a method of Shakespeare's to show the audience immediately what is most important to Shylock. Later on in the first scene, when Antonio enters to talk to him about lending Bassanio money Shylock says to himself;

"I hate him for he is a Christian;

But more for that in low simplicity

He lends out money gratis, and brings down

The rate of usance here with us in Venice"

This shows that Shylock puts his money before his religion. He says he hates Antonio because he is a Christian (and so an immediate enemy of the devout Jew) but more than that he hates him because he lends out money for no fee and so takes business away from Shylock. He also puts his money before his daughter, Jessica. When she runs away with Lorenzo she takes some of her father's money and we hear from Solanio and Salerio that Shylock runs out into the street shouting; "My daughter! O my ducats!" He repeats the two phrases until they become confused, and it is clear that the money is more important to him than Jessica. Shakespeare emphasises the confusion in Shylock's mind between his 'daughter' and his 'ducats' by using alliteration. The only time when money seems less important to Shylock is in the court scene when he repeatedly refuses money so that he can carry out his bond, which is to cut a pound of flesh from Antonio's body for not repaying the three thousand ducats he was lent.

This is the other characteristic that Shakespeare gives Shylock which makes him so unlikeable; his need for revenge. When his daughter runs away he is more interested in making her pay for her disobedience than getting her home safely, he says to Tubal;

"I would my daughter were dead at my foot ... would she were hearsed at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin!"

It is made clear early on why Jessica feels the need to run away. When she talks to Launcelot she says "Our house is hell" and then later;

"To be asham'd to be my father's child!

But though I am daughter to his blood,

I am not to his manners."

She is obviously ashamed to be associated with Shylock and tries to show Launcelot that she is not like him, and when she says

"Farewell; and if my fortune be not cross'd

I have a father, you a daughter, lost."

Her language shows how much she longs to leave the house and escape from her father. Although there are times in the play when it is obvious that Shylock loves her, it is easy for the audience to understand why living with him would be unbearable.

His hatred for Antonio is also obvious and it is so strong that he refuses all offers of money so that he can cut off a pound of his flesh. In Act 3 Scene 1 Shylock makes his famous "Hath not a Jew eyes?" speech, and it is probably at this point that the audience feel most sympathetic towards him, however he ends the dialogue with;

"If a Christian wrong a Jew what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge! The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall be hard but I will better the instruction."

The beginning of this speech shows how Shylock longs for common humanity; Shakespeare wants the audience to see that Shylock is no different from anyone else. However the end shows that Shylock does not only want to be equal to the Christians but he wants to be better than them. He says he will "better the instruction" meaning he wants to be superior to the Christians in inflicting pain. His obsession with revenge is clear in this speech and the language he uses in the court scene makes him sound bitter and intent on making Antonio suffer.

Throughout most of the court scene (Act 4 Scene 1) the audience will probably lose all sympathy for Shylock. He is menacing and gruesomely triumphant when Portia tells him he has the right to the pound of flesh. He gloats and repeats the words of the bond to Antonio with obvious relish, he says;

"Ay 'his breast':

So says the bond - doth it not, noble judge?

'Nearest his heart' - those are the very words."

Bassanio also says "Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly" showing that Shakespeare intended the actor playing Shylock to be sharpening his knife while the scene was taking place. This would make Shylock seem more threatening and eager to kill Antonio. He also rarely mentions Antonio's name but often refers to the pound of flesh. His language makes him seem very possessive and just in the way that he feels people see him and think only 'Jew', he looks at Antonio and sees only a pound of Christian flesh. Portia asks him whether there can be a doctor present to stop Antonio from bleeding to death and Shylock asks if it says that in the bond, and she replies

"It is not so express'd: but what of that?

'Twere good you do so much for charity"

She is asking him to show some mercy towards Antonio but Shylock only