Shylock: a Villain or a Victim?

Does the play The Merchant of Venice ask us to sympathize with Shylock as an oppressed outsider or hate him because he is a Jew?

The play is loaded with anti-Semitism. Shylock is constantly humiliated by Antonio and mocked by the other characters. And it is the depiction of Shylock that reinforces the stereotypes of Jews as money-hungry and wicked beings. This also reflects the historical context of the Shakespeare’s times, in which the Jewish population were not allowed in England. And according to the Anti-defamation League (2006) it is probable that people from those times shared a dislike for Jewish people.

According to the Anti-defamation League (2006), the very notion of a Jew seeking Christian flesh has a long anti-Semitic history. Jews are said to have used Christian blood for religious rituals. And they killed Christ. For these reasons, the Jews were thought to be an invention of evil. Whereas in the play, Shylock is the only obstacle for the happiness of all the other characters. His villainy is specifically Jewish because he wants Antonio’s life (a Christian life). In this sense, Shylock's malice is not a quirk of his own individual character. It is specifically Jewish.

On the other hand, there are those who intend to humanize Shylock:

I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is ? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? (Shakespeare, 1987)

These lines, according to Fuller (2014), represent a request for dignity, in which “the aggrieved speaker is laying claim to the status of full and equal membership in the human family”. As a consequence, Shylock’s lack of dignity paves the way to his marginalization of society.

 Recognition is to the identity what food is to the body–indispensable. By confirming our identity and          affirming our dignity, recognition provides assurance that our membership in the group is secure. Absent  this, our survival is at risk. Without recognition, individuals may sink dignity and recognition into self-       doubt and subgroups are marginalized and primed for exploitation (Fuller, 2014).

What Shylock is trying to convey in these lines is very important because he does not only tackles serious issues that undermine Christian values, but he also justifies his disproportionate revenge: a pound of Antonio’s flesh.

  If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. 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 go hard but I will better the instruction (Shakespeare, 1987).

Shylock twists interpretations of the Bible and makes use of his wit to his own benefit. Thus, he appeals to justice to take revenge. However, he is the only one who loses his fortune, daughter, and religion. Is he a victim or a villain?

               

References

            Anti-Defamation League. Anti-Semitism and The Merchant of Venice: A Discussion Guide for Educators. New York: Anti- Defamation League, 2006. Retrieved September 8, 2014, from http://www.adl.org/assets/pdf/education-outreach/Merchant_Venice_Discussion_Guide.pdf

            Fuller, R. (2014, January 3). Dignity and Recognition Part 1. PsychologyToday. Retrieved September 8, 2014.

            Shakespeare, W., & Mahood, M. (1987). The merchant of Venice. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire]: Cambridge University Press.