The Merchant of Venice: Is Shylock a Villain or a Victim.

Shylock the Victim essays Shylock the Victim essays In a movie, book, or play there is usually a victim and a villain. It is usually very easy to tell the two apart, the victim is the one that gets hurt physically or emotionally. Then the villain is causing problems and stands out as the mean character.

In early productions of The Merchant of Venice, actors played Shylock as either a monster or an evil clown, enforcing the idea that he is the villain of the play. In many ways he certainly seems to be the antagonist of the story: one of his primary functions is as the obstacle standing between Portia and Bassanio’s wedded bliss.

Shylock: Victim or Villain?.Throughout history, Jews have been criticised and ridiculed. The earliest Jews to settle in England came over with the Norman's in 1060's. In 1189 a fledgling community fell victim to the first of London's anti-Semitic pogroms (organised persecution and massacre, especially of Jews), Thirty Jews were killed.

In the play, The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, Shylock is a villain because in the play Shylock uses deception and his knowledge of Antonio to exact his revenge, Shylock also shows that anger, revenge and hate has clouded his mind and so he chooses to show no forgiveness or mercy towards Antonio.

In the trial scene, Shylock is portrayed as both villain and victim; he is mocked by the Christians, especially Gratiano. Even the Duke is against him when he is a fair judge. Portia is also acting as Balthazar; Shylock refuses to show mercy when asked by Portia and the Duke.

Therefore, being aware of the reasons why Shylock qualifies as villain, this article will attempt to show why he is also a victim, taking into account the view literary critics Harold Bloom, Frederick Turner and Emma Smith have on this matter.

Free shylock papers, essays, and research papers. Is Shylock a Villain or a Victim? - In this essay I will try to discover is Shylock a villain or a victim, in the William Shakespeare play “A Merchant of Venice” It is difficult to say if Shylock is a complete villain or a victim, as his character is complex and ambiguous.

Get an answer for 'Would you say Shylock is a victim or a villain?' and find homework help for other The Merchant of Venice questions at eNotes.

It is questionable as to what the Jew, Shylock, can be regarded as - victim or villain? Many factors need to be contemplated when determining if Shylock is to be considered a victim or villain. Having been subject to racism and prejudice, losing his da.

Shylock Victim Or Villain English Literature Essay ” The Merchant of Venice” is one of Shakespeare’s most well known comedies and was written in the late 1590’s. The play is set mainly in Venice, which at the time was the city of trade, and which Shakespeare’s audience would have found exotic.

Villain or Victim Shylock is a character from William Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice. Shylock is a Jew and through the middle ages Jews were shunned and removed from Venice, some Jews stayed in Venice as moneylenders that made money through interest.

This sample essay on Who Was Shylock And Where Did He Live provides important aspects of the issue and arguments for and against as well as the needed facts. Read on this essay’s introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. In my opinion Shylock was a victim of the society he lived in.