How does Shakespeare present Shylock in 'The Merchant of Venice' in Act III scene I and
elsewhere in the play
Intro: identify 3 ways Shakespeare presents Shylock, both in the extract and in other areas
of the play. For example, in this extract Shylock is presented as vengeful, but arguably
sympathetic. Elsewhere in the play Shakespeare presents Shylock as immoral and cruel. In
this extract Shakespeare presents Shylock as vengeful. This can be seen when Shylock
says that Antonio's flesh will, 'feed my revenge,' and the verb 'feed' personifies his
vengeance and makes it seem animalistic and intense, as well as suggesting that Shylock is
hungry for revenge. Moreover, his statement that he will use the flesh to 'bait fish withall,'
suggests an element of carelessness towards the flesh, as his main use for it is to bring
harm to Antonio, therefore highlighting his vengeful nature. The character of Shylock also
states that 'the villainy you teach me I will execute,' and the verb execute has violent
connotations, and the harsh consonants in the verb highlight Shylock's anger and desire for
vengeance, especially when spoken verbally by an actor on a stage, thus conveying to the
audience Shylock's fury. Moreover, later in this scene, Shylock's reaction to his daughter
being missing is that he wishes her 'dead at my feet,' thus implying that his vengeful nature
extends to his family, as he seems unable to forgive even his daughter, and wishes
punishment to be exacted on her too. Shakespeare arguably also presents Shylock as
sympathetic in this scene, as Shylock states that Antonio has 'laughed at my losses, mocked
my gains, scorned my nation,' all of which allows the audience to see Antonio as Shylock
experiences him. The verb 'scorned,' has connotations of disdain and disgust, and
contextually Jewish people in this period were treated with disdain and disgust by Christians.
Moreover, Shylock asks 'hath not a Jew eyes?' and this rhetorical question forces both
modern and contemporary audiences to consider how both Jews and Christian's were
essentially human, thus making the Christian abuses of Jews in this period seem cruel.
Nonetheless, it is important to consider that whilst Shylock is arguably seen as sympathetic
in this period to a modern audience, Shakespeare also presents him as cruel and abusive
elsewhere in the play, which may have built on Elizabethan audiences anti-Semitic beliefs.
Elsewhere in the play Shakespeare presents Shylock as cruel and abusive. He states that
he 'would rather choose to have a weight of carrion flesh,' than money paid to him, and his
referral to a well-respected Christian man's flesh as 'carrion' suggesting it was rotten, would
have been resented by Shakespeare's original Christian audience, and would have created
feelings of hatred towards Shylock. Moreover, his preference to harm Antonio than take the
money makes him seem violent and cruel and therefore makes him less sympathetic. In
conclusion Shakespeare presents Shylock in this extract as vengeful, and to some extent
sympathetic, although it is important to consider different audiences reactions to Shylock.
Elsewhere in the play Shakespeare presents Shylock as cruel and inhumane, potentially
playing on contemporary prejudices.
