the Merchant of Venice’ it can be argued that Shylocks character undergoes a metamorphosis from villain to victim. However‚ in this essay I hope to discuss whether in fact Shylock can be defined as either villain or victim and to form an opinion of what Shakespeare intended. <br> <br>First we shall look at the aspects of the text that portray Shylock as a villain. We are first introduced to Shylock in Act I Scene iii where we learn of his usury. It is in this scene that Bassanio seeks Shylock out
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between sympathy and hatred for Shylock through his quotes and the actions that happen through out the plot. Shylock was portrayed as a devil multiple times throughout the play as a selfish money lender who cares more about his ducats then his own daughter! The quote “Why‚ there‚ there‚ there! A diamond gone cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfurt! The curse never fell upon our nation till now‚ I never felt it till now... no tears but a’ my shedding.”(3:1:53) Shylock‚ emphasizes how he wants the
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In The Merchant of Venice how does Shakespeare present both Shylock as both victim and villain? Throughout the play‚ ‘The Merchant of Venice’‚ Shylock reveals many personalities; therefore making him such an emotionally complex and detailed character that shows elements of being both a victim and villain; and to come to my decision to whether Shylock is either of the two‚ other characters language towards him and his reactions will perceive different ideas from different era’s in time to determine
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The Merchant of Venice Study Guide Name: ______________________________ Hour ____ Shakespeare gets contract story from Italian novel collection by Ser Giovanni Fiorentino circa 1558. “Pound of flesh” story occurs as early as 1378. Casket plot appeared in Greek romances—is used as a means of a test. Act I 1. What important background information is established in the first scene? 2. Does Shakespeare intend the audience to view Bassanio as a spendthrift and a “gold digger”? 3. Why‚ in
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Is shylock portrayed as the villain or the victim in the play? The play ‘Merchant of Venice’ is about a man called Bassanio who needs another loan of his good friend Antonio. He guarantees a loan of the Jew‚ Shylock. Shylock is both the villain and the victim in this play. He is the villain when he sees the opportunity to take revenge on Antonio for the way he has treated him and makes a bond to take a pound of his flesh. His anger is fuelled even more when his daughter runs away and steals his
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Raymond Schmit � PAGE * MERGEFORMAT �6� Shakespeare The Tragedy of Shylock I had not read the _Merchant of Venice_ before this class. All of my familiarity with the play was based on hearsay‚ and for some reason I got the idea in my heads that it was a tragedy. I thought that Shylock_did_ receive a pound of flesh from Antonio‚ but that it was just skin removed from his back. This gruesome image was what I was waiting for during my entire reading of the play. But I was pleasantly surprised to
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In this assessment I will analyse Shakespeare’s use of language‚ structure and dramatic techniques to present the relationship between Shylock and the Christians at different points of the play. I will first look at Act 1 Scene 3‚ where we learn that Shylock has suffered mercilessly at the hands of the Christians and now harbors an almost sadistic hatred towards them. This can be evidence by Shylock’s statement to Antonio. “You………gabardine‚”. This statement allows the audience to gain an understanding
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How does Shakespeare use language differently for Portia and Shylock in the judgement scene and elsewhere? In this essay I will be discussing how characters language changes throughout the play‚ centering on the judgment scene. The Characters I will be focusing on are Shylock and Portia. The first difference in the language is how Portia and Shylocks language portrays them as characters. Shylock is seen as the villain in the play he is manipulative‚ blood thirsty ‘’Nearest his heart’: those are
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often killed because of their beliefs. Such is the kind of racial discrimination toward Shylock‚ the Jewish character in "The Merchant of Venice." Some believe that the character as a greedy‚ coldhearted villain‚ which is not the case. In Shakespeare’s play‚ "The Merchant of Venice‚" Shylock was a victim of years’ struggle against discrimination toward his religion. One of the most persistent charges against Shylock was that he was cruel and bloodthirsty. Antonio says in act 4 scene 1 that it is impossible
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The play Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare has two major themes running through its story. Even though it was written in the late 1500s these themes still have significance today. The main characters of this play are Shylock‚ the Jew‚ who is a money lender charging interest to make living. Antonio is another character of this play and he is a fairly rich merchant. Antonio has a very good friend Bassanio‚ who wants to marry Portia‚ a wealthy woman who is Shakespeare’s heroine. Prejudice
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