In Shakespeare's play “The Merchant of Venice”, the controversial character of Shylock performed a crucial part in the plot. The discussion has been going on for a long time on whether this moneylender deserved sympathy or condemnation, whether he was a villain or a victim (Schneider, 2001). The answer is rather easy: he appeared to be a victim. This claim is not based on a contemporary understanding of religious tolerance. It finds its grounds in the simple logic of how Shylock was treated in comparison with others. His main problem was that he was a Jew, not a bullied moneylender. If he had been an Italian, he would have had much less headache. Thus, my claim is based on the contemporary understanding of social rights and ethnic\racial discrimination.
Being a moneylender was the sole career a Jew could lead in Venice of the Middle Ages, and Shylock was considered ethically inferior due to his way to make a living. Quite possibly Antonio, his rival, lent out cash free of interest only to revenge Shylock as well as various other Jews, or maybe he truly desired to become "a good Christian", yet Shylock (reasonably!) viewed that as a means to deprive him of the chance to make a fair living. No matter what Antonio's reasons were, the outcome was undeniable: he was making Jews lose their only possible jobs.
Another instance where the audience can sympathize with Shylock is when his own daughter tricked him. Not only Jessica ran away, she likewise stole Shylock's, her father’s money and went to a friend of his rival! The final event which calls for compassion when it comes to Shylock is the court trial wherein an unfair verdict is ruled against this Jew. It could be suggested that Shylock was barely the sweetest of personalities, however, within this specific situation, one could hardly find fault with him. Shylock was basically struggling for what he considered to be fairness. He merely desired to be given equal treatment. One may try hard not to feel bad regarding all the injustice chasing Shylock in the course of the entire play. He experienced persecution, his own daughter left him and he was given a highly unfair verdict from individuals that were ethically inferior themselves, driven mostly by greed and personal gain. He was a victim of the system, not a villain disrupting it.
Works Cited
Schneider, Robert. Shylock, the Roman: Unmasking Shakespeare's the Merchant of Venice. Pulpless.com: 2001
Shakespeare, William, The Merchant of Venice, Web 2012-09-13,
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