Shakespeares Presentation of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice Essay

Shakespeare's Presentation of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice This essay is an analysis of how the character of Shylock, in the play 'The Merchant of Venice', is presented to the audience, by Shakespeare, in different ways. The riveting play shows the best and worst aspects of human nature and contains one of Shakespeare's most reviled, complex and compelling characters. Love and romance end this play, yet before that come bigotry, racism, hatred, death threats and money-especially the money. The dramatic courtroom scene and Shylock's cruel downfall will challenge your heart and your sense of justice. Shylock is a successful Jewish moneylender, who is filled with bitter words for the Christians, much prejudiced over his own religion and the practice of moneylenders, such as himself, of charging interest. Shylocks of the past and present have been portrayed in different ways on screen and in the theatre. He has been played by Anthony Sher, John Woodvine, Ralph Richardson, Dustin Hoffman, John Gielgud and Barrie Rutter. Each of the actors has tried to show him in either his best or his worst possible light. In some interpretations of 'The Merchant of Venice', the technique that the directors use is to cut a lot of Shylock's original lines to make him seem less harsh and more undeserving of all the hatred that the people around him give him constantly. In most cases, the intensity of the performances, of the actors playing Shylock, go towards getting his character across to the audience. In the play, religion seems to be inextricably connected with business Shakespeare puts Shylock in a bad situation as soon as his char... ...ery valid observation in that speech. He was trying to point out that humans are all the same, no matter what they believe in, we are all born, living and are eventually going to die in very much the same ways, so why can't he have his revenge? The desire of revenge is almost inseparable from the sense of wrong and we can hardly help sympathising with the Shylock, hidden beneath his "Jewish gabardine," his madness by repeated, undeserved name calling and labouring to get rid of the obstructions, from opportunities and freedom, heaped upon him and all his tribe by one desperate act of 'lawful' revenge. The ferociousness of the means by which he is to carry out his purpose, turn us against him. Even so, when disappointed of the revenge on which he built his hopes and the way he is punished for his actions, we pity him.