Shylock is a central character in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. His portrayal as the stereotype of a miserly money lending Jew has raised questions over possible anti-semitism on Shakespeare's part.

A moneylender during a time (the late 16th century) in which Jews, despised as "usurers" in Christian communities for charging interest on loans, were relegated to ghettos, Shylock has a grudge against all Christians, particularly a rival merchant, Antonio. When Antonio comes to him for a loan to finance his friend Bassanio's trip to Belmont, Shylock offers to lend the money at no rate of interest, and proposes as his bond a pound of flesh cut from Antonio's body should he default. Antonio agrees, thinking it a joke. When the ships carrying Antonio's investments sink, however, Shylock is adamant he should receive the flesh as agreed, even though it would kill Antonio. Further embittered by his daughter Jessica's elopement with Lorenzo, a Christian and friend of Antonio's, Shylock becomes obsessed with receiving his bond.

Called before the royal court, Shylock ignores all pleas for mercy and is about to cut Antonio when a young Lawyer (actually Bassanio's wife Portia in disguise) stops him, saying that if he sheds one drop of Antonio's blood, which was not explicitly stated as owed in the bond, he will lose not only blood, but all his property and his life. Shylock realizes this is impossible and says he will now accept the money but Portia intercedes and says that he is guilty of threatening the life of a Christian and therefore must be punished. The judge then decrees that Shylock forfeit his money to Antonio, who in turn says that it should be given to Jessica and Lorenzo. Shylock is also forced to renounce his Judaism and convert to Christianity.

Elements of the Character

There are elements of humanity in the character, most notably in his legendary "Hath not a Jew eyes" soliloquy, in which he pleads his right to dignity and to revenge himself on the Christians who wrong him. This soliloquy is also often thought to be a breakdown of the division between Jews and Christians, both will seek revenge. In modern performances of The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is treated as a tragic figure, while Antonio is cast as more of a villain.

Not mentioned in the play (but well known to his first audiences) is that during Shakespeare's day, moneylending was one of the few careers open to Jews, and Christians made deals with them daily, as the New Testament condemns interest charges on loans (usury is also forbidden by Jewish law, except in loans to non-Jews). In the 16th century, Christians (such as Shakespeare) regarded usury as a sin; for Shakespeare's audience, usurious interest would have been seen as sinful in itself. However, it is important to take notice that Antonio has no real qualms about borrowing money from Shylock when he is in need. Shylock's profession as a moneylender is frequently used to support claims of anti-Semitism in the play.

Some critics have come to Shakespeare's defence on charges of anti-semitism levelled at his portrayal of Shylock. Reasons for this vary and include the breakdown of any division between the Christians and the Jews - verbalized by Shylock's "Hath not a Jew eyes..." speech in which he asserts that he is no different than a Christian and deserves revenge as much as they would have it. Also the lack of mercy shown by the Christians at the end of the play points to hypocrisy on their part. Some scholars also suggest that Shylock is repeatedly shown to have human qualities and that he becomes a sympathetic character, particularly when he is told about Jessica's betrayal and the loss of his (deceased) wife's ring. Some have also claimed that the forced conversion is an attempt by Shakespeare to create a "happy ending", Shylock's soul is saved and in turn the Christians have served God.

Notable Portrayals

Notable actors who have portrayed Shylock include Richard Burbage and Will Kempe in the 16th century, Charles Macklin in 1741, Edmund Kean in 1814, William Charles Macready in 1840, Edwin Booth in 1861, Henry Irving in 1880, Laurence Olivier in a 1973 TV movie and Al Pacino in a 2004 feature film version.

"Shylocking"

The character's name has entered the language as a synonym for loan shark, and as a verb: to shylock is to lend money at exorbitant rates. "Pound of flesh" has also entered the lexicon as slang for particularly brutal revenge. It is very often used for humorous exaggeration; people will say, sarcastically, "Here's your pound of flesh!" even when paying a rather small debt or bet.

Notes

Jews of England

It is of interest that William Shakespeare in all probability had never actually met a Jew in his lifetime - at least, not a Jew who admitted to his or her own Judaism. The Jews of England were expelled on July 18, 1290, on decree of Edward I and were only officially re-admitted by Oliver Cromwell in the year 1655, thirty-nine years after Shakespeare's death. Although a small number of Jews did remain, they were forced to keep their Judaism secret.

External links

• Edward Einhorn's absurdist comedy A Shylock, appearing in his book of plays entitled The Golem, Methuselah, and Shylock, gives another perspective on Shylock. In it, a modern day professor visits Venice, looking for Shylock. Everywhere he goes he gets another description of the famous Jew, each description matching one of the many interpretations the Merchant of Venice has received, ranging from anti-semitic to Freudian to Marxist.

Shakespearean characters | Fictional Jews

Shylock | Shylock