Sean Young

3/18/14

Third Essay: The Merchant of Venice REVISION

     During Shakespeare’s lifetime, Christianity was the most prominent religion in Venice. In fact, if you were a believer in any other religion, you were looked down upon. Thus, the Jewish people who lived in Venice during this time were allowed to be there legally but were segregated against, tortured and spit upon, and even sometimes killed. The Christians didn’t think much of the Jews and although the Jews were allowed to live in the Venice Christian society, they were not treated with much respect. This can be seen in Shakespeare’s work, “The Merchant of Venice.” Shylock the Jew, is treated and acts much differently than the rest of the Christian cast. Shylock is a stranger in Venice, because he is a Jew among Christians. The Merchant of Venice shows that during this time, the Jewish were imagined as having characteristics that closely resembled Satan, while the Christians were saint-like. This can easily be seen throughout the play and by the character’s actions and words.

     In order to see this comparison between Jew and Christian clearly from Shakespeare’s point of view, one must take note of the real world religious differences during the 16th century. During this time, Jews were seen as greedy, deceptive and evil animalistic creatures. And to go along with their image of greed, a very popular occupation for a Jew was being money lenders. They were forced to take up this job because many other jobs were restricted to Christians, while Christians were actually restricted from committing usury, thus allowing Jews to find money lending jobs easily (Adelman). And being a predominantly Christian society, Christians saw themselves as perfection in a sense, embodying the perfect human nature of love and self-sacrifice. These real world images of Jews being greedy, sinful and selfish, while Christians being self-sacrificing and caring runs parallel with Shakespeare’s interpretations of these different religious groups in The Merchant of Venice.

     Looking at Shylock’s character, we can see this image of greed and evil put upon the Jewish society. A great example is when Tubal tells Shylock that his daughter, who has ran away, spent fourscore ducats in one night. Shylock responds by saying, “Thou stick’st a dagger in me. I shall never/ see my gold again. Fourscore ducats at a sitting,/ fourscore ducats!” (3.1. 109-111). Or even earlier in the play, when Shylock first finds out his daughter ran away from home with his wealth, he runs rampant through the city, yelling “O, my ducats! O, my daughter!” (2.4. 15). Shylock is obviously upset at the fact that his daughter is spending his precious money. In these scenes, Shylock seems to hardly care about his daughter’s wellbeing. He screams about his ducats before yelling about his daughter. This shows that the ducats are the first thing that comes to his mind, not his family. He is clearly focused on the fact that he is losing his ducats. The text can also be read as Shylock treating Jessica as part of his wealth. Shylock sees Jessica as his possession, with a value attached to her. Shylock isn’t worried that his daughter is gone; he is worried that all the money he spent raising Jessica will be for nothing if she has ran away. Not only that, but he compares losing his money to being stabbed with a dagger. In his eyes, Shylock believes that losing that much money is a fate as cruel as death itself. Shylock’s character, written with the 16th century Jewish stereotype in mind, shows that he cares for his money more than his daughter or his own life. His desire for wealth is stronger than his own blood and flesh, showing just how twistedly greedy and evil Shylock can be.

     Shylock also shows in the trial scene that he will do anything to get what he desires. When the court, Bassanio, and the others plead Shylock to spare Antonio’s life and take the money instead, Shylock cleverly uses the Venetian law about slavery to help his case in taking Antonio’s flesh as punishment. Shylock states, “You have among you many a purchased slave/ which, like your asses and your dogs and mules,/ you use in abject and in slavish parts/ because you bought them. Shall I say to you/ ’Let them be free, marry them to your heirs…/ You will answer/ ’The slaves are ours.’ So do I answer you./ The pound of flesh which I demand of him/ is dearly bought. ‘Tis mine, and I will have it.” (4.1. 89-99). He extends the law in order to work for his favor, going against everyone’s plead to show love and forgiveness to Antonio. Shylock will have none of that, and only acts to fuel his unholy desire of fulfilling the agreement to take Antonio’s flesh. Shylock’s desire for Antonio’s flesh is selfish but more importantly, evil. Shylock wants nothing more than to see Antonio die. Portia even explains that Shylock should show mercy as any other person would. She says “The quality of mercy is not strained . . . /It is an attribute to God himself…/ Therefore, Jew, though justice be thy plea, consider this:/ That in the course of justice none of us Should see salvation./ We do pray for mercy, and that same prayer doth/ teach us all to render the deeds of mercy.” (4.1. 179–197). Yet Shylock demands that he take Antonio’s flesh, above all else, showing no love or mercy whatsoever. This is the ideal stereotype of the evil devilish Jew that was common in the 17th century, and completely opposite of Christians and their beliefs. Shylock shows a heartless desire to kill a Christian. This was seen as demonic and animalistic; a completely inhumane act that a Christian would never commit (Boehrer).

     The Christians in the play however show the exact opposite type of behavior from the Jew, Shylock. An example is when Antonio allows Bassanio to borrow a large sum of money in order to see his love, Portia. Bassanio’s problem is personal, and has nothing to do with Antonio at all; in fact, Antonio really has nothing to gain from loaning Bassanio his money. However, Antonio allows Bassanio access to his money the second he hears of his plight. Antonio says “I pray you, good Bassanio, let me know it;/ And if it stand, as you yourself still do,/ within the eye of honor, be assured,/ my purse, my person, my extremist means,/ lie all unlocked to your occasions.” (1.1. 142-146). Antonio is saying that he will let Bassanio have all that is his. Antonio is ready to give up his money and himself for his friend’s request. Antonio even goes so far to agree to Shylock’s demand that “if let forfeit,/ be nominated for an equal pound/ of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken/ in what part of your body pleaseth me.” (1.3. 160-164). Ultimately, Antonio cares more about his friend, rather than his own life or his own finances. This attitude is very relatable to the ideal idea of a Christian at the time. “Christian love demands a readiness to give and risk everything, possessions and person, for the sake of love.” (Lewalski 329). Antonio embodies this idea completely, with Shylock embodying the exact opposite set of characteristics.

     Another prime example of the differences between the Jewish character and the Christian characters is the fact that the Christians show mercy. At the end of the play, Shylock is tricked by Portia due to being blinded by his own greed. Shylock’s attempt at murder deserves death and half of his estate as punishment. However, the Christian Duke decides to show mercy to the evil Shylock. He pardons his life, and allows Shylock to pay a fine, rather than giving up his whole estate. Even Antonio shows Shylock mercy, forgiving the Jew who wanted to murder him just moments earlier. Antonio tells the Duke “To quit the fine for one half of his goods,/ I am content, so he will let me have/ the other half in use, to render it/ upon his death unto the gentleman/ that lately stole his daughter./ Two things provided more: that for this favor/ he presently become a Christian;/ the other, that he do record a gift,/ here in court, of all he dies possessed/ unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter ” (4.1. 397-406). Antonio allows Shylock to live and keep some of his wealth but in return, Shylock must turn Christian and accept and gift his new son Lorenzo and his daughter. Antonio shows some mercy, when truly he should’ve shown none at all to the man who wanted him dead. Antonio showed love even to his enemy; an idea that Christians believe in greatly. However, Shylock once again shows his greed for wealth over life itself, showing just how opposite he is as a Jew. Shylock says “Nay take my life and all. Pardon not that.” (4.1. 390), after finding out that he would have to give up his whole estate. He wished to die rather than lose his wealth. Luckily for him, Antonio was merciful.

     It is clear that Shylock is a stranger within Venice. As a Jew, he is very different from the rest of the characters who are all Christians. Shylock acts and does things differently, driven by sin. The Christian characters such as Antonio however show compassion and mercy and seem to be driven by love for other Christians. These characteristics depict religious stereotypes during Shakespeare’s lifetime quite well. It can be said that Shakespeare’s writing of the characters within The Merchant of Venice were influenced by society within this time period. And the play does indeed parallel the real world of that time; out casting the Jew and making him seem like the devil, while embracing the Christians and making them ideal human saints.

Annotated Bibliography

1) Adelman, Janet. Blood Relations: Christian and the Jew in the Merchant of Venice. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2008. Print.

This book goes into depth about how The Merchant of Venice shows what Shakespeare and people from his time may have thought of the increasing presence of Jews in the community. The book talks about how Shylock, the Jew, is portrayed badly for other Jewish people and how Shakespeare shows Judaism as an evil, while Christianity as something humane and good for people. The author talks about differences between Shylock and the rest of the Christian cast and how these characters can be related to real life struggles Jewish people have faced.

2) Boehrer, Bruce. "Shylock and the Rise of the Household Pet: Thinking Social Exclusion in The Merchant of Venice." Shakespeare Quarterly 50.2 (1999): 152-170. JSTOR.Web.1 Mar.2014. Folger Shakespeare Library. Web. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2902184>.

This book talks about how Shylock can be much like a pet. It shows how Shylock’s speech in the play bestializes him when compared to the rest of the cast.  The author uses sections of the play to show how Shylock is alluded to as a “beast” and that this shows that when compared to the Christians of the play, Shylock is seen as nothing more than a slave, or something less than human. The author also gives other examples showing that Shylock, as a Jew, is an outcast in the society, and doesn’t belong with the Christians. Shylock even alludes to the audience and Antonio that he is an outcast. This is then related to the idea of Jews being looked down upon and Christianity being the main religion at this time.

3) Lewalski, Barbara K. "Biblical Allusion and Allegory in "The Merchant of Venice"" Shakespeare Quarterly 13.3 (1962): 327-43. JSTOR. Web. 1 Mar. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2866826>.

This article talks about major differences between the Christian characters such as Antonio and Shylock the Jew, in the play The Merchant of Venice. It shows that the Christian characters are meant to be relatable to traits such as love and compassion, while Shylock the Jew embodies the exact opposite and is driven by money and greed. The author also shows that Shylock emits these “Christian” traits at first, which is interesting. Perhaps Shylock is acting “Christian” to fit into this society and only reveals his “Jewish” side later in the play because he’s forced to. The author also implies that perhaps the relationship between Antonio and Shylock symbolizes the confrontation of Judaism and Christianity as theological systems.

4) Shakespeare, WIlliam, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Merchant of Venice. New York: Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 2010. Print.

Sean Young

3/12/14

Third Essay: The Merchant of Venice

     During Shakespeare’s lifetime, Christianity was the most prominent religion. In fact, if you were a believer in any other religion, you were looked down upon. Thus, the Jewish people who lived during this mainly Christian era, were segregated against, tortured and spit upon, and even killed. The Christians didn’t think much of the Jews and although the Jews were allowed to live in the Christian society, they were not treated with much respect. This can be seen in Shakespeare’s work, “The Merchant of Venice.” Shylock the Jew, is treated and acts much differently than the rest of the Christian cast. Shylock is a stranger in Venice, because he is a Jew among Christians. The Merchant of Venice shows that the difference between a Jew and a Christian is that Jews are selfish while Christians show love towards one another. This can easily be seen throughout the play and by the character’s actions and words. This characterization is most likely due to the religious stigmas that Shakespeare experienced during his life time.

     In order to see this comparison between Jew and Christian clearly from Shakespeare’s point of view, one must take note of the real world religious differences during the 17th century. During this time, Jews were seen as greedy, deceptive and evil animalistic creatures. And to go along with their image of greed, a very popular stereotype of a Jew was their occupation of being money lenders. And though many Jewish people actually did take up the role of being a money lender, they weren’t necessarily a greedy people. They were forced to take up this job because many other jobs were restricted to Christians, while Christians were actually restricted from committing usury, thus allowing Jews to find money lending jobs easily (Adelman). And being a predominantly Christian society, Christians saw themselves as perfection in a sense, embodying the perfect human nature of love and self-sacrifice. These real world images of Jews being greedy and selfish, while Christians being self-sacrificing and caring runs parallel with Shakespeare’s interpretations of these different religious groups in The Merchant of Venice.

     Looking at Shylock’s character, we can see this image of greed put upon the Jewish society. A great example is when Tubal tells Shylock that his daughter, who has ran away, spent fourscore ducats in one night. Shylock responds by saying, “Thou stick’st a dagger in me. I shall never see my gold again. Fourscore ducats at a sitting, fourscore ducats!” (3.1. 109-111). Or even earlier in the play, when Shylock first finds out his daughter ran away from home with his wealth, he runs rampant through the city, yelling “O, my ducats! O, my daughter!” (2.4. 15). Shylock is obviously upset at the fact that his daughter is spending his precious money. In these scenes, Shylock seems to hardly care about his daughter’s wellbeing. He screams about his ducats before yelling about his daughter. This shows that the ducats are the first thing that comes to his mind, not his family. He is clearly focused on the fact that he is losing his ducats. Not only that, but he compares losing his money to being stabbed with a dagger. In his eyes, Shylock believes that losing that much money is a fate as cruel as death itself. Shylock’s character, written with the 17th century Jewish stereotype in mind, shows that he cares for his money more than his daughter or his own life. His desire for wealth is stronger than his own blood and flesh, showing just how twistedly greedy Shylock can be.

     Shylock also shows in the trial scene that he will do anything to get what he desires. When the court, Bassanio, and the others plead Shylock to spare Antonio’s life and take the money instead, Shylock cleverly uses the Venetian law about slavery to help his case in taking Antonio’s flesh as punishment. Shylock states, “You have among you many a purchased slave which, like your asses and your dogs and mules, you use in abject and in slavish parts because you bought them. Shall I say to you ’Let them be free, marry them to your heirs… You will answer ’The slaves are ours.’ So do I answer you. The pound of flesh which I demand of him is dearly bought. ‘Tis mine, and I will have it.” (4.1. 89-99). He extends the law in order to work for his favor, going against everyone’s plead to show love and forgiveness to Antonio. Shylock will have none of that, and only acts to fuel his selfish desire of fulfilling the agreement to take Antonio’s flesh. And though Shylock rejects three times the amount of money he originally would have obtained, his greed is shown through his selfish desire to take Antonio’s flesh. In this example, greed is seen through his desire getting what he wants, not from money. Portia even explains that Shylock should show mercy as any other person would. She says “The quality of mercy is not strained . . . It is an attribute to God himself… Therefore, Jew, though justice be thy plea, consider this: That in the course of justice none of us Should see salvation. We do pray for mercy, and that same prayer doth teach us all to render the deeds of mercy.” (4.1. 179–197). Yet Shylock demands that he take Antonio’s flesh, above all else, showing no love or mercy whatsoever. This is the ideal stereotype of the evil devilish Jew that was common in the 17th century, and completely opposite of Christians and their beliefs. Shylock shows a heartless desire to kill a Christian. This was seen as demonic and animalistic; a completely inhumane act that a Christian would never commit (Boehrer).

     The Christians in the play however show the exact opposite type of behavior from the Jew, Shylock. An example is when Antonio allows Bassanio to borrow a large sum of money in order to see his love, Portia. Bassanio’s problem is personal, and has nothing to do with Antonio at all; in fact, Antonio really has nothing to gain from loaning Bassanio his money. However, Antonio allows Bassanio access to his money the second he hears of his plight. Antonio says “I pray you, good Bassanio, let me know it; And if it stand, as you yourself still do, within the eye of honor, be assured, my purse, my person, my extremist means, lie all unlocked to your occasions.” (1.1. 142-146). Antonio is saying that he will let Bassanio have all that is his. Antonio is ready to give up his money and himself for his friend’s request. Antonio even goes so far to agree to Shylock’s demand that “if let forfeit, be nominated for an equal pound of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken in what part of your body pleaseth me.” (1.3. 160-164). Ultimately, Antonio cares more about his friend, rather than his own life or his own finances. This attitude is very relatable to the ideal idea of a Christian at the time. “Christian love demands a readiness to give and risk everything, possessions and person, for the sake of love.” (Lewalski 329). Antonio embodies this idea completely, with Shylock embodying the exact opposite set of characteristics.

     Another prime example of the differences between the Jewish character and the Christian characters is the fact that the Christians show mercy. At the end of the play, Shylock is tricked by Portia due to being blinded by his own greed. Shylock’s attempt at murder deserves death and half of his estate as punishment. However, the Christian Duke decides to show mercy to the evil Shylock. He pardons his life, and allows Shylock to pay a fine, rather than giving up his whole estate. Even Antonio shows Shylock mercy, forgiving the Jew who wanted to murder him just moments earlier. Antonio tells the Duke “To quit the fine for one half of his goods, I am content, so he will let me have the other half in use, to render it upon his death unto the gentleman that lately stole his daughter. Two things provided more: that for this favor he presently become a Christian; the other, that he do record a gift, here in court, of all he dies possessed unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter ” (4.1. 397-406). Antonio allows Shylock to live and keep some of his wealth but in return, Shylock must turn Christian and accept and gift his new son Lorenzo and his daughter. Antonio shows some mercy, when truly he should’ve shown none at all to the man who wanted him dead. Antonio showed love even to his enemy; an idea that Christians believe in greatly. However, Shylock once again shows his greed for wealth over life itself, showing just how opposite he is as a Jew. Shylock says “Nay take my life and all. Pardon not that.” (4.1. 390), after finding out that he would have to give up his whole estate. He wished to die rather than lose his wealth. Luckily for him, Antonio was merciful.

     It is clear that Shylock is a stranger within Venice. As a Jew, he is very different from the rest of the characters who are all Christians. Shylock acts and does things differently, driven by greed and selfish desires. The Christian characters such as Antonio however show compassion and mercy and seem to be driven by love. These characteristics depict religious stereotypes during Shakespeare’s lifetime quite well. It can be said that Shakespeare’s writing of the characters within The Merchant of Venice were influenced by society within this time period. And the play does indeed parallel the real world of that time; out casting the Jew and making him seem evil, while embracing the Christians and making them ideal human beings.

Annotated Bibliography

1) Adelman, Janet. Blood Relations: Christian and the Jew in the Merchant of Venice. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2008. Print.

This book goes into depth about how The Merchant of Venice shows what Shakespeare and people from his time may have thought of the increasing presence of Jews in the community. The book talks about how Shylock, the Jew, is portrayed badly for other Jewish people and how Shakespeare shows Judaism as an evil, while Christianity as something humane and good for people. The author talks about differences between Shylock and the rest of the Christian cast and how these characters can be related to real life struggles Jewish people have faced.

2) Boehrer, Bruce. "Shylock and the Rise of the Household Pet: Thinking Social Exclusion in The Merchant of Venice." Shakespeare Quarterly 50.2 (1999): 152-170. JSTOR.Web.1 Mar.2014. Folger Shakespeare Library. Web. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2902184>.

This book talks about how Shylock can be much like a pet. It shows how Shylock’s speech in the play bestializes him when compared to the rest of the cast.  The author uses sections of the play to show how Shylock is alluded to as a “beast” and that this shows that when compared to the Christians of the play, Shylock is seen as nothing more than a slave, or something less than human. The author also gives other examples showing that Shylock, as a Jew, is an outcast in the society, and doesn’t belong with the Christians. Shylock even alludes to the audience and Antonio that he is an outcast. This is then related to the idea of Jews being looked down upon and Christianity being the main religion at this time.

3) Lewalski, Barbara K. "Biblical Allusion and Allegory in "The Merchant of Venice"" Shakespeare Quarterly 13.3 (1962): 327-43. JSTOR. Web. 1 Mar. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2866826>.

This article talks about major differences between the Christian characters such as Antonio and Shylock the Jew, in the play The Merchant of Venice. It shows that the Christian characters are meant to be relatable to traits such as love and compassion, while Shylock the Jew embodies the exact opposite and is driven by money and greed. The author also shows that Shylock emits these “Christian” traits at first, which is interesting. Perhaps Shylock is acting “Christian” to fit into this society and only reveals his “Jewish” side later in the play because he’s forced to. The author also implies that perhaps the relationship between Antonio and Shylock symbolizes the confrontation of Judaism and Christianity as theological systems.

4) Shakespeare, WIlliam, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Merchant of Venice. New York: Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 2010. Print.