character sketch of shylock
about 200 words
Answers
Shylock is one of the main characters in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, a Jewish merchant living in a predominantly Christian environment. As the merchant, he exemplifies many negative character traits that we abhor in others and in ourselves: greed, jealousy and vengeance. Shylock's life revolves around money. In fact, he has a reputation for charging too much interest on loans.
We can find clues to Shylock's tragic character through his monologues, which reveal his innermost thoughts. A monologue is a speech an actor or comedian gives to an audience. For example, Shylock shows his true colors in this monologue in Act I of The Merchant of Venice, as he describes his enemy Antonio, a rival merchant:
'How like a fawning publican he looks!
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.
If I can catch him once upon the hip,
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
He hates our sacred nation, and he rails,
Even there where merchants most do congregate,
On me, my bargains and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe,
If I forgive him!'
In this monologue, Shylock reveals his resentment toward Antonio. First, he states that he hates Antonio for his religious beliefs, or simply because he is not Jewish. Shylock also hates Antonio because he is honest: Antonio doesn't lend money at interest. As a result, fewer people borrow from Shylock, who does charge interest. Shylock hopes to entrap Antonio when Bassanio, Antonio's best friend, asks Shylock for a loan that Antonio guarantees.
Shylock accuses Antonio of hating Jews, and there is some evidence that Antonio does discriminate. Antonio has made it clear that he dislikes the way Shylock does business. Shylock swears he will not forgive Antonio for his actions.
The Loan
Antonio's best friend, Bassanio, needs money to win the hand of the beautiful Portia, a wealthy heiress. Antonio's money is tied up in his merchant ships abroad, so he cannot give his friend any money. Shylock agrees to loan Bassanio 3,000 ducats, or gold coins, for three months, but requires Antonio to sign a notarized agreement. If the loan is not paid on time, Shylock will cut off a pound of Antonio's flesh. Antonio must not feel too worried, because he signs the agreement. Most of us are familiar with the practices of loan sharks, but Shylock takes it even further! He seriously intends to cut off a pound of Antonio's flesh should he default on the loan.
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.