Shakespeare’s Shylock: A sympathetic portrait of a Jew in an anti-semitic culture

Type :

Term papers

Pages :

6 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

04/02/2009

Category :

Philosophy & literature

Sub category :

Literature

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Summary :

Introduction
Christian prejudice and persecution directed toward the Jews
A virulent strain of anti-Semitism in the mainstream Christian population
Shylock's first appearance in the play
The events in the scene: Setting the stage for the way that Shylock will be understood and treated
The manner in which Shylock is perceived and treated by the Venetian Christians
The play's climax: Shylock's desire for revenge
Conclusion
Works cited

Abstract

William shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice plays host to one of the most complex and intriguing characters of the accomplished playwright's literary canon. In the character of shylock, shakespeare presents a view of the Jews that is, while still negative by the standards of modern culture, remarkably sympathetic and progressive within the context of the strongly anti-semitic Elizabethan world in which he wrote. Though shylock is the villain of the play, shakespeare styles him less as the stock character of the "villainous jew" popular in other Elizabethan literature and more as a feeling, human individual whose villainy is a product of the lifelong cruelty and persecution he has suffered at the hands of his Christian counterparts and not merely an intrinsic and unavoidable symptom of his identity as a jew. This unconventional aspect of shylock's character becomes evident when comparing shakespeare's characterization of shylock to the standard portrayal and understanding of the Jews in the Elizabethan world and to the way that standard Elizabethan understanding is expressed by the other characters in the play.