In shakespeares edgy and suspenseful play, the merchant of venice, the character of shylock may evoke complex feelings within the reader. A nobleman from venice, who is a kinsman, close friend, and longtime debtor of the merchant, antonio. Shylock is very particular in the play about setting himself up as different from the christians. He is a successful businessman, owning a fleet of trade ships.
Character sketch of shylock the merchant of venice most. Shylock is one of the bestknown characters in the entire range of shakespearean drama. Shylock was an evil and a rich jew who lived in venice. Portia is one of the most mature and prominent heroine of shakespeares play, the merchant of venice. Posted by nicole smith, dec 7, 2011 poetry comments closed print. The merchant of venice is a play written by william shakespeare in the late 16th century. Shylock s anger and bitterness lead him to sign a contract with antonio, in which antonio puts up a pound of his own flesh as collateral for a loan. Through the conflict between antonio the christianand shylock the jew shakespeare is able to portray an accurate image of society in his times. Character shylock in the merchant of venice essay sample. Antonio is the merchant of venice, the titular protagonist of the play. We also learn that antonio hates shylock s sacred nation, and well soon learn just how much of an antisemite antonio is. Character sketch of shylock the merchant of venice youtube.
Dec 07, 2011 the merchant of venice and othello, much ado about nothing, tragic hero, the power of words previous post comparison of the use of irony and satire in a modest proposal and gullivers travels by jonathan swift next post character analysis of isabella in measure for measure by shakespeare. How the character of shylock from the merchant of venice is presented to the audience in scenes 1. He is not an inherently likeable character throughout. Shylock is clearly a villain in the sense that he takes repeatedly takes advantage of people in vulnerable economic situations and makes a handsome living in this way. Shakespeares presentation of shylock in the merchant of venice 831 words 4 pages. The sample paper on how is shylock presented in the merchant of venice familiarizes the reader with the topicrelated facts, theories and approaches.
Character analysis of shylock from the merchant of venice shylock is the devil in the merchant of venice, and wants revenge on the christian, antonio. In the merchant of venice, shylock is a wealthy jewish moneylender from venice and jessicas father. Dont hate the actor that plays shylock, hate or, hey, maybe love the way that actor is told to play shylock. Character analysis of shylock from the merchant of venice by. When he is first introduced to us in the play, he is in a melancholy mood. In this period england was a christian country, all the children were baptised soon after they were born, and were taught the essentials of christian faith from a early age. Shylock is probably the most memorable character in the play because of shakespeares excellent characterization of him.
Download as doc, pdf, txt or read online from scribd. The merchant of venice characters from litcharts the. Shakespeares characterisation of shylock in the merchant of venice essay sample the merchant of venice is set in the late 15th century. Shylock can be termed as miser and greedy for money. Character analysis of shylock from the merchant of venice. Character analysis in the merchant of venice owl eyes.
Shylock from the merchant of venice character analysis. Because he wants to woo the noble portia, but cannot himself afford to do so, bassanio read full character analysis. Mar 03, 2017 shylock has been the symbolism of the hatred given to jews in shakespeare time. He is horribly mistreated by the christian characters, especially antonio, and seeks to enact his revenge by forcing antonio to stick to the bond that he signs. Shylock, the jewish moneylender is the villain of the play and the audience response depends on. Shakespeares 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 christian characters in the play represents the love and value for human relationships more than money and business, whereas, the jewish character, shylock, represents a character who always think of his selfinterest. Shylock is the most vivid and memorable character in the merchant of venice, and he is one of shakespeares greatest dramatic. Shylock hated antonio as he did not charge any interest on the money he lent. Portia is a protagonist of william shakespeares the merchant of venice. On the other hand, he was also the villain of the play.
Shylock is the antagonist in the play because he stands in the way of love. Despite his traditional attitude toward nonchristians, shakespeare in the merchant of venice surpasses the norms of his time in his attempt to understand his enemy and to present him as a real human being. Its complex main character, the unforgettable shylock expresses true. Shylock is a jewish moneylender, father to jessica, enemy to antonio, and one of the most complex characters of the merchant of veniceand arguably of all of shakespeares works. Shylock, the jewish moneylender is the villain of the play and the audience response depends on how he is portrayed in performance. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He lends antonio and bassanio the 3,000 ducats that bassanio needs. Is this consistent with elizabethan attitudes towards jews.
The fact that jews are constantly insulted by the christian characters in the play helps provide a sense of sympathy towards shylock character. Dec 25, 2019 merchant of venice act 1 scene 1 in hindi, merchant of venice full movie in hindi, merchant of venice in hindi, merchant of venice act 3 scene 1, merchant of venice act 4 scene 1, merchant of. Give any five characteristics of shylocks character in. Shylock is a jewish moneylender of notable prominence in venice. Aug 17, 20 shylock is a fictional character in william shakespeare s play the merchant of venice. Character sketch of antonio in merchant of venice a plus. Aug 19, 2018 character sketch of antonio in merchant of venice icse class 10, 9 english antonio antonio temperamental melancholy antonio is a wealthy merchant in the city of venice. He is about forty years of age and has lived his life to the fullest. What is shylocks character sketch in william shakespeares. Theres ample joking about porkeaters from lancelot, but shylock really seems to hold it as a point of pride and separation. Character sketch of launcelot gobbo in merchant of venice. Shylock is the antagonist and a tragic character in william shakespeares the merchant of venice.
Because of the characters notable request of a pound of flesh for security interest, individuals considered to charge excessive interest on loans are sometimes called shylock. Shylock is the antagonist in the play because he stands in the way of love, but this does not necessarily. Character sketch of shylock in merchant of venice a plus topper. Character analysisshylock, the merchant of venice youtube. Shylock is probably the most memorable character in the play because of shakespeare s excellent characterization of him. His defeat and conversion to christianity form the climax of the story. Shylock is a usurer and a malevolent, bloodthirsty old man consumed with plotting the downfall of his enemies. Questions give any five characteristics of shylocks character in detail 0 vote up vote down aamira asked 3 years ago give any five characteristics of shylocks character in merchant of venice by william shakespear. Shylock insists that he hates antonio because hes a christian and because he undermines his moneylending business and talks smack about him at the rialto the merchant s exchange in venice. Furthermore, shylock having suffered prejudice and being.
Shylock, portia, antonio, bassanio, gratiano, jessica, lorenzo. The anti semitic message which plagued europe throughout the middle ages has spawned many thought provoking, controversial plays. Character analysis of shylock in the merchant of venice by. How is shylock presented in the merchant of venice essay. In shakespeares merchant of venice the antagonist of the play is shylock. Get an answer for what is the character sketch of shylock in the merchant of venice.
The merchant of venice characters from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. Need help on characters in william shakespeares the merchant of venice. Pdf shakespeares shylock, the everlasting character of all. He mainly hated antonio who was another christian and was a fellow moneylender.
Apr 20, 2020 shylock merchant of venice merchant of venice characters shylock character sketch of shylock in merchant of venice merchant of venice workbook answers shylock a major character, a direct contrast to antonio clever and crafty adamant and cruel a greedy money lender, revengeful more sinned against than sinning shylock a major character shylock isread more. Character analysis of shylock in the merchant of venice by william shakespeare. In this video i have told you the character sketch of shylock the villain of the play the. How is shylock presented in the merchant of venice essay example. Themes in the merchant of venice love versus selfinterest. Character analysis of shylock from the merchant of venice by william shakespeare in william shakespeares the merchant of venice the character shylock, a jewish moneylender is shown to the audience in more than one. The character of shylock in the merchant of venice a typical image of jewish life in elizabethan times. Character sketch of antonio in merchant of venice icse class 10, 9 english antonio antonio temperamental melancholy antonio is a wealthy merchant in the city of venice. Shylock is a fictional character in william shakespeares play the merchant of.
Character analysis of shylock in the merchant of venice. He is horribly mistreated by the christian characters, especially antonio, and seeks to enact his revenge by forcing antonio to stick to the bond that he. Shylock is a murderer and he hated all the christian people. Also notable is portias speech about the quality of mercy. The character of shylock in the merchant of venice from. A character sketch of shylock in the merchant of venice august 17, 20 shylock is a fictional character in william shakespeare s play the merchant of venice. The character of shylock in merchant of venice few characters created by shakespeare embodies pure evil like the character of shylock in the merchant of venice. The merchant of venice by shakespeare, free pdf, ebook. Learn all about how the characters in the merchant of venice such as shylock and. A shylock character analysis can tell us a lot about the merchant of venice.
Shylock merchant of venice merchant of venice characters shylock character sketch of shylock in merchant of venice merchant of venice workbook answers shylock a major character, a direct contrast to antonio clever and crafty adamant and cruel a greedy money lender, revengeful more sinned against than sinning shylock a major character shylock isread more. Antonio is a merchant of venice who has invested deeply in overseas ventures, to the. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. A character sketch of shylock free download as word doc. The happy ending of the play was celebrated by all except shylock. Shylock character timeline in the merchant of venice the timeline below shows where the character shylock appears in the merchant of venice.
Shylock being referenced as the jew that is the very devil incarnation signifies the overall prejudice that jews suffer by christians. Shylock is a character who has lost and suffered by the actions of others. Although critics tend to agree that shylock is the merchant of venices most noteworthy figure, no consensus has been reached on whether to read him as a bloodthirsty bogeyman, a clownish jewish stereotype, or a tragic figure whose sense of decency has been fractured by the persecution he endures. What are the character traits of shylock from the merchant. A character sketch of shylock in the merchant of venice. Jun 22, 2016 shylock is being portrayed as a victim of prejudice in act 1, scene 3.
Character sketch of antonio in merchant of venice a plus topper. Their relationship is fuelled by a passionate hatred, and concludes with the ultimate sacrifice. In addition to his baser traits, shylock is proud and has deep religious instincts. Detailed analysis of characters in william shakespeares the merchant of venice. His monumental failure caused by his personal faults as a man, which cost him a great victory. A rich, beautiful, intelligent heiress of belmont, she is bound by the lottery set forth in her fathers will, which gives potential suitors the chance to choose among three caskets. In shakespeares the merchant of venice, shylock is a stereotyped jewish merchant who is bent on revenge. Shylocks strength of character, his patriotism, his convictions, his religious pride, his magnificent rationalism and. A jewish moneylender in venice who has been embittered by years of abuse at the hands of venetian christians and antonio, the merchant, in particular. Shakespeares the merchant of venice centres around the conflict of a christian merchant. Shylock is a fictional character in william shakespeares play the merchant of venice. Learn all about how the characters in the merchant of venice such as shylock and antonio contribute to the story and how they fit into the plot. The duke of venice knows that he cannot risk venices livelihood by denying shylocks suit, but is less than happy at the fact.
Character analysis in the merchant of venice shylock. Merchant of venice 1 answers jayanta kumar maity staff answered 3 years ago shylock, give any five characteristics of shylocks. The character of shylock in merchant of venice free. Shylock is a character in william shakespeares play the merchant of venice c. It is about a man named shylock who lets his emotions get the best of him, with tragic results. Shylock, the jewish moneylender in shakespeares comedy the merchant of venice. Shylock is the most vivid and memorable character in the merchant of venice, and he is one of shakespeares greatest dramatic creations. A jewish merchant living in a christian city, he comes across as greedy, jealous and vengeful.
Angered by his mistreatment at the hands of venice s christians, particularly antonio, shylock schemes to eke out his revenge by ruthlessly demanding as payment a pound of antonios flesh. Shylock attempts to kill antonio because he is a christian. This resource features a special focus on the character of shylock from shakespeares the merchant of venice. What is the character sketch of shylock in the merchant of venice. The positive side shylock had been subjected to continuous prejudice. Character shylock in the merchant of venice essay example. Although critics tend to agree that shylock is the merchant of venice s most noteworthy figure, no consensus has been reached on whether to read him as a bloodthirsty bogeyman, a clownish jewish stereotype, or a tragic figure whose sense of decency has been fractured by the persecution he endures. How the character of shylock from the merchant of venice is. Shylocks anger and bitterness lead him to sign a contract with antonio, in which antonio puts up a pound of his own flesh as collateral for a loan. Some critics and readers regard him as a through villain while others believe that, in spite of his villainy, he deserves some sympathy also. Launcelot gobbo merchant of venice merchant of venice characters launcelot gobbo character sketch of launcelot gobbo in merchant of venice merchant of venice workbook answers launcelot gobbo a true jester, provides comic relief a link between the bond and the casket stories full of amusing jokes the droll use of languagemalapropisms liked by oneread more. Character sketch of shylock in merchant of venice icse class 10, 9 english. 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. Because of the character s notable request of a pound of flesh for security interest, individuals considered to charge excessive interest on loans are sometimes called shylock.
Character of shylock the merchant of venice sample. Shylock is a character in merchant of venice representing the jewish community being racially discriminated by christians. The character of shylock in the merchant of venice. The merchant of venice by william shakespearecharacter. In one way we see a good aspect of him as a caring and loving father, in. Character sketch of shylock in merchant of venice a plus. In shakespeare s merchant of venice the antagonist of the play is shylock. It includes three exam questions on shylocks character and five on the various themes that relate to him. Weiss the merchant of venice is more than just a provocative story about ethnic conflict and religious bigotry. Shylock was against christians and did not recieve any christian with pleasantry.
The the merchant of venice characters covered include. Apr 21, 2020 launcelot gobbo merchant of venice merchant of venice characters launcelot gobbo character sketch of launcelot gobbo in merchant of venice merchant of venice workbook answers launcelot gobbo a true jester, provides comic relief a link between the bond and the casket stories full of amusing jokes the droll use of languagemalapropisms liked by oneread more. Justified revenge in the merchant of venice shylock. Tools of characterization in the merchant of venice. A venetian jewish moneylender, shylock is the plays principal antagonist. The merchant of venice character analysis course hero. Shakespeares characterisation of shylock in the merchant. The merchant of venice by william shakespeare summary. The creation of shylock is one of the triumphs of shakespeares art of characterization. She is decribed rich, beautiful, intelligent, and a girl with high standards who follows the rules of his fathers will and also was in love with bassanio. The character of shylock in merchant of venice essay. The is so because his business was affected due to antonio as he would.
Antonio merchant of venice merchant of venice characters antonio character sketch of antonio in merchant of venice merchant of venice workbook answers antonio the hero of the play melancholic by nature love for bassanio a generous philanthropist passive, stoic antonio the hero of the play antonio is the hero of the play andread more. What is the character sketch of shylock in the merchant of. The merchant of veniceshylock analysis freebooksummary. The prince of arragon is a prince of spain and a suitor to portias hand. Character sketch of shylock the merchant of venice hello guys. Shylock is a grasping but proud and somewhat tragic figure, and his role and shakespeares intentions continue to be the source of much discussion. Overall, shylocks character is but a speck in a greater conflict between christians and. Character sketch of characters from the merchant of venice. Michael burger seminar paper english language and literature studies literature publish your bachelors or masters thesis, dissertation, term paper or essay.