Skip to main content

What are some reasons to have sympathy towards Shylock in The Merchant of Venice?

There are a number of reasons to sympathize with Shylock. For one, he is a Jewish man in the Catholic Venice. In a sense, he is a stranger in his own country. In the play’s conclusion, the Christian Antonio is referred to as a citizen, while Shylock is considered an alien. Shylock does not have the same rights as Christians do. Even though Shylock’s daughter Jessica marries a Christian, Launcelot Gobbo “jokes” that she will...

There are a number of reasons to sympathize with Shylock. For one, he is a Jewish man in the Catholic Venice. In a sense, he is a stranger in his own country. In the play’s conclusion, the Christian Antonio is referred to as a citizen, while Shylock is considered an alien. Shylock does not have the same rights as Christians do. Even though Shylock’s daughter Jessica marries a Christian, Launcelot Gobbo “jokes” that she will still be damned because her father is a Jew.


Jessica’s elopement with the Christian Lorenzo is another reason to pity Shylock. He is distraught that she has run off, especially with a man who is not of her faith. While the Christians consider her to be condemned for being Jewish, Shylock says that “she is damned” for marrying a Christian against his will. On top of that, Jessica stole some of Shylock's most prized positions. He values money above almost everything else, and Jessica spends it prodigally. Shylock is especially distressed to hear Jessica traded a ring for a monkey. He had the ring “of Leah when [he] was a bachelor;” it seems that it was a treasured gift from his deceased wife.


The Christian characters mock Shylock and gloat at his losses. When he laments the departure of his daughter, “his own flesh and blood,” Salarino replies, “There is more difference between thy flesh and hers than between jet and ivory.” Shylock mourns, “no sighs but of my breathing; no tears but of my shedding.” Numerous characters refer to him as a devil and hurl antisemitic insults his way. Antonio spat on him, kicked him, and called him “misbeliever, cut-throat dog.” Shylock’s powerful “Hath not a Jew eyes?” speech about the similarities between Jews and Christians falls on deaf ears.


No doubt, Shylock is a difficult and dangerous man, calculating and ruthless. Still, he is also a desperate and sympathetic character.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more