character sketch of Shylock
Answers
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.
Answer:
Shylock is a Jewish moneylender in Venice, who detests and despises Christians.
He makes his money by charging interest on his loans, and dislikes Antonio for not doing so and therefore ruining his business – particularly as Antonio sometimes pays the debts of those who cannot repay their loans in time, and therefore spoils Shylock’s enrichment by taking control of their forfeitures. When he calls Antonio out on the latter’s insults, he merely provokes more insults from the merchant.
He decides to ask for a pound of flesh as his bond from Antonio, apparently as a jest. He is a miser and something of a puritan, having no taste for music or other reveling, starving his servant and letting him wear out his clothes rather than replacing them. Considering Launcelot a spendthrift, he is happy to let him leave to go serve Bassanio, as this will make the latter go through his money more swiftly. Even his daughter considers him cruel.
He flies into a wild passion when she flees his house, taking with her massive amounts of his money, and has her chased after as much if not more for the money than for her own sake. Knowing that Antonio was aware of this abduction, and hearing that the latter is ruined, he is delighted at the possibility of cutting out the merchant’s heart.
He is able to justify revenge on the basis of the bad behavior of Christians. His insistence on the letter of the law will be his undoing, leaving him not only unable to kill Antonio, but losing all the extra money offered him, the return of his principal, and soon forfeiting all of his wealth and his life. He accepts to turn Christian to save his life, but is left ill by the sudden reversal in his fortune. He is not a particularly nice man.