Question

character sketch of shylock in points

Answer 1

Shylock is the most vivid and memorable character in The Merchant of Venice, and he is one of Shakespeare's greatest dramatic creations. On stage, it is Shylock who makes the play, and almost all of the great actors of the English and Continental stage have attempted the role. But the character of Shylock has also been the subject of much critical debate: How are we meant to evaluate the attitude of the Venetians in the play toward him? Or his attitude toward them? Is he a bloodthirsty villain? Or is he a man "more sinned against than sinning"? One of the reasons that such questions arise is that there are really two stage Shylocks in the play: first, there is the stage "villain" who is required for the plot; second, there is the human being who suffers the loss of his daughter, his property, and, very importantly for him, his religion.

Shylock's function in this play is to be the obstacle, the man who stands in the way of the love stories; such a man is a traditional figure in romantic comedies. Something or someone must impede young, romantic love; here, it is Shylock and the many and various ways that he is linked to the three sets of lovers. The fact that he is a Jew is, in a sense, accidental. Shakespeare wanted to contrast liberality against selfishness — in terms of money and in terms of love. There was such a figure available from the literature of the time, one man who could fulfill both functions: this man would be a usurer, or moneylender, with a beautiful daughter that he held onto as tightly as he did his ducats. Usury was forbidden to Christians by the church of the Middle Ages, and as a consequence, money lending was controlled by the Jews; as a rule, it was usually the only occupation which the law allowed to them. As a result, a great deal of medieval literature produced the conventional figure of the Jewish moneylender, usually as a minor character, but also too, as a major character

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.