The Character of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice :: Free Merchant of Venice Essays

The Character of loan shark in The Merchant of Venice         Often, The character Shylock, in Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice, is portrayed as a unintellectual monstrosity, with a lust for Antonios life.  Through a more careful examination it can be determined that Shylock was an upstanding member of his community, who endured abuse, forgave easily, and upheld the customs and law.         Shylock endured much of Antonios abuse, overt a long period of time. This can be seen by the sheer volume of disgraces he has bore. A good example is in Act 3 scope 1, beginning with line 52         He hath disgraced me half a million, laughed at my losses,       mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains,       cooled my friends, het up mine enemies...                    &nb sp                -Shylock         Shylock had such a magnanimous spirit, that he even offered Antonio, who had abused him terribly, a loan, free of interest.  Shylock was willing to loan m stary to one who totally ruined him in public, on terms that were nicer than his normal business terms.  This kind, forgiving heart can be seen in Act 1 Scene 3 beginning with line 148         Why, look how you storm I would be friends with you and       have your love, forget the names that you have stained me       with, supply your present call for and take no doit of usance       for my moneys, and youll not hear me This is kind I offer.                                   &nbs p -Shylock         Often, this quote from Act 3 Scene 1 line 83,         Why, there, 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 up it till now.  Two thousand ducats in that and    other precious, precious, jewels  I would my daughter were dead      at my foot and the jewels in her ear portraying Shylocks treatment of his daughter, after she ran away, is manipulated to make Shylock seem beastly.  But, within the Jewish culture and the time period, his response was appropriate.  After his daughter ran away, she was, for all intents and purposes, disowned.  Thusly, the theft of