Question

character analysis of shylock in merchant of veniece

Answer 1

Shylock in “The Merchant of Venice” should note his tendency for selfish behavior and thinking. Shylock is a man who is unreasonable and self-thinking, demanding, as one of the important quotes in “The Merchant of Venice” goes, “a weight of carrion flesh” (IV.i.41) from a man he suspects will not be able to repay him simply because it is his “humour” to do so (IV.i.43). Because he is the villain of this play, justice can only be served if Shakespeare’s Shylock is punished in a manner that is congruent with his violations of social norms and laws. At the same time, though, his punishment is problematic for it seems to mimic the very crime of which Shylock is really being accused, and that crime is absolutism. By insisting that Shylock must be punished in the way that he is in ‘The Merchant of Venice”, Shakespeare raises doubts about the purity of Christian love and mercy, which certainly creates implications for the very notions of both punishment and villainy.

Answer 2

Shylock is  the  most  prominent  character  in the  play  The Merchant  of  Venice written by  William Shakespeare. He appears  in  ACT IV much  of the  interest in the  drama  subsides. He  is a Jew  who lends  money of  high interest rate. Though he  is  victim of the  play  yet  he  has  something  in him which  wins  our  sympathy. Some  traits  of  his  character are  as  follows-

As a Miser:- Shylock is  a miser  by  nature. The main aim of his  life  to collect  money. He loves  his  money more  than his  daughter. When his  daughter  runs  away with his  gold  and  jewels , he  laments  more  for his  money that  for his  daughter.

Merciless Man:- Shylock has  no  mercy in his  heart. He  shows no mercy to those  who borrow  money from him. He take  back his  money with great cruelty. He  shows no mercy to Antonio  who fails  to pay his money on due date. Though all the respected man of  Venice requested him yet he  does  not  move  to show any  sympathy or leave  his  claim.

Typical Jew:- Shylock is a  typical Jew. He is the  representative of his community. He  always addresses him as  Jew  than  Shylock. He wears  Jewis cloths  and  takes  Jewis  oaths. He  does not  like Christians and loves  his  community at  core  of his  heart.

As a Miser:- Shylock is a great  usurer in the  play. He  lends money on charging high interest of rate. He  is  always seen waiting  for the victim to be  in his  grip.  Because of  his  this  nature, he  hates  Antonio who  brings  down the rate  of  interest  in  the market.

A Wise  and Intelligent Man:- Shylock is  very wise  and  intelligent man. He  always  shows his  wisdom and  fore sightedness in his  decision. He is  a so wise  that  he puts his  case  in the trial scene in  a logical way  like  a  lawyer. Thus  the whole  scene  represents with an  intelligent.

Conclusion:- In brief  these  are some qualities of Shylock's character which makes  him the different  figure in the  drama. Overall he  his  representative of  this  community and  able  to win  our sympathy in  the  last.