( Log Out /  Shylock’s hatred of Antonio, and Christians in general, is a result of the perpetual state of fear that existed between the two races at the time the play was written. This was extremely clever. (The fact that he uses his oath in heaven and his religion to justify his murderous pursuit of Antonio, and that he asks What judgement [from God] shall I dread, doing no wrong? To the Christians, collecting interest was against their teaching. The punishments laid down in the statute books, however harsh, must be deemed as deserved. He is unmoved by pleading or by insult and when sentence is passed against Antonio, he repeats the words of the bond with almost inhuman relish: ….. Ay, ‘his breast’: So says the bond – doth it not, noble judge? Although anti-Semitism is totally unacceptable today, it was quite normal in Shakespeare's time. Laws existed that forbade Jews from owning property or engaging in any profession. Does Antigone Deserve to Be Punished? The previous quotations, taken in isolation, transform Shylock into a monster. Whatever. ) ( Log Out /  He sets out, forcefully and incontrovertibly, facts so basic about human existence that they would make even the most hardened racist think twice. Shylock is a human being and he suffers during the course of the play, but he creates suffering. He has only one valid reason for pursuing Antonio through the courts: namely, Antonio’s failure to repay the 3 000 ducats before the bond has expired. Clearly, the Duke, the supposed impartial judge in this case, is anything but impartial. He thinks he is higher up the social ladder and house hierarchy when he is merely a steward who takes dislikes a little too far. Thou almost mak"tmst me waver in my faith, To hold opinion with Pythagoras that souls of animals infuse themselves into the trunks of men: thy currish spirit governed a wolf, who hanged for human slaughter, Even from the gallows did his feet soul fleet, And whilst thou layest in thy unhallowed dam, Infused itself in thee; for thy desires are wolvish, bloody, starved, and ravenous" (The Merchant of Venice; Act 4, Scene 1;... ...Xiaoqing Shi Despite his hard heartedness, he never appears less than devoted in his faith. Does Shylock deserve his punishment? ( Log Out /  A modern audience might argue that there is a moral case to answer, too, given his treatment of Shylock. In Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is presented as the most developed character. that for this favour He presently become a Christian; A man as intelligent as Antonio must surely know that a man as devout as Shylock will be unable to carry out this punishment in any way but in name. ...Even thought it seemed like Shylock loved his money more than his daughter, it was still a very cruel thing to do to any one. However, these comments are somewhat partial, such as John Gross said, “If Shylock is merely a typical image, he can not occupy the stage over 400 years.”[2]273 There are still certain positive aspects in his personality. Many of Shylock’s punishments are justified; Shylock sought only justice and so he receives only justice, according to the letter of the law. Therefore presenting Shylock as more of a villain than a victim. In act one scene three, however, the reader’s first impression of Shylock is he is a victim of bullying and anti-Semitism until we later discover Shylock has a different side of him when he demands for flesh. We first see Shylock as a person who chooses everything over money, but later we find out that there are in fact some things he places above money. The continuos onslaught of comments towards Shylock, makes him a more sympathetic character. There are now more than 350 in the GTA only that are Ontario Montessori schools listed are accredited by the Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators (CCMA) and are thus true Montessori schools. His outburst is harsh, but it represents the outburst of a man destroyed by his own flesh and blood’s unfeeling attitude. Shylock is then ordered to surrender half of his wealth and property to the state and the other half to … The punishments may be harsh but they are legal and binding; Shylock followed the law to the letter and can expect little sympathy from the Christians. Malvolio links more and more into the story as it progresses; this is because he becomes similar to a 4th point in the love triangle. Another example of Shylock's mistreatment is Christians insulting his faith. Retrieved October 11, 2020, from https://newyorkessays.com/essay-does-shylock-deserve-his-punishment/, Save Time On Research and Writing. If Shylock can't do this, he must … This is bad enough: Shylock’s money, some already stolen by Jessica, is to be given to her Christian husband. The Duke concurs. We can also tell this by the repetition of “well” as it displays excitement and foreshadows Shylock’s evil nature. That is just how it was now. Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is? She regards burying dead people as absolute just behavior under any circumstance. 6 However, his anger and his hatred do require some context. Classics 102Q Whether Shakespeare intended his Elizabethan audience to feel sorry for Shylock is a moot point, the fact remains that our last vision of him is of a broken and humiliated man, devoid of family, friends, faith and dignity. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The Arnold Gesell theory of child development can be summarized in a few areas, Make money effortlessly while playing games :Through his research, Arnold Gesell developed some of the first milestones that children should meet. Shylock is being abused by Christians but mostly Antonio. However, to what extent should Shylock suffer and does he deserve our sympathy or hostility. As the play progresses, so our sympathy for Shylock ebbs and flows. In Creon’s opinion, Polyneices is so wicked that even gods do not want to see him buried. This is the fool that lent out money gratis. He is left with no choice but to be a moneylender and earn his money from collecting interest. These milestones are called the Gesell Developmental Schedules. Creon ‘s opinions are reasonable... StudyMode - Premium and Free Essays, Term Papers & Book Notes. He is a pretentious, pompous, condescending fool in his actions and his thoughts. Malvolio’s misfortune is a cautionary tale of ambition overcoming good sense, and the audience winces at the way he adapts every event—including Olivia’s confused assumption that he must be mad—to fit his rosy picture of his glorious future as a nobleman. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. 14 In other words, our sympathy for the wrongs Shylock has received as a Jewish man cloud the condemnation we should feel for his actions against Antonio. His faith is important to him and is personal to him and is immutable. The final punishment is the cruellest and most impractical, designed solely for Shylock’s utter humiliation. Antigone has been acclaimed as a model that challenges authority and insists on just acts. (2016, Aug 11). In 1971, Trass also started the Toronto Montessori Institute a flagship school for the instruction of Montessori educators. Viewed like this it seems simple enough; Shylock broke a Venetian law and, as a consequence, is punished. 10 Shylock’s grief, anger and hatred are more powerful than his compassion and he resolves to have his revenge. Now this is the justice that is deserved even though it seems to be awful to us now. And spit upon my Jewish gabardine. On the surface, Shylock’s quest for justice does seem extreme, but in the face of such abuse of power from his opposition, it is almost justified. It is hard not to feel sorry for Shylock. Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? He appears cold and calculating, but is subject to bursts of outrage and passion. This is because after harsh words like these you can see why Shylock is so driven to want to kill Antonio. That is just how it was now. Shylock does himself no favours. It would be hard not to feel sympathy for Shylock. Before his entrance, Shylock is described by the Duke as a stony adversary, an inhuman wretch, / Uncapable of pity, void and empty / From any dram of mercy. Therefore, as a main character of a great tragedy, Antigone must possess flaws. Although this information hardens him against Antonio, the seeds of hatred were planted long before. Three leading Christian characters conspire together, unlawfully, to further punish the already defeated Shylock. Being the only Jew in Venice, he is subject to a lot of discrimination. Roma Gill claims that when we know a person well, and understand why he acts as he does, we become sympathetic to him…Sympathy can give rise to affection, and affection often tempts us to withhold moral judgement, or at least be gentle in our censure. Antonio’s demand that Shylock should renounce his Judaism and become a Christian and his insistence that Shylock should will his money to the Christian Lorenzo who lately stole his daughter1, add up to much more than punishment for wrongdoings. ( Log Out /  In the end – due to the efforts of Antonio's well-wisher, Portia – Shylock is charged with attempted murder of a Christian, carrying a possible death penalty, and Antonio is freed without punishment. Shakespeare purposely creates both an antagonist and protagonist in Shylock, by creating a change in view for the reader throughout the play. Examine the claim that ‘state legitimacy is closely associated with democracy’ (Blakeley and Saward, 2009, p.370). His desire must be Shylock’s complete defeat. There is a difference between making a fool of someone and locking him or her up for life. He “sought to consume utterly with fire the city of his fathers and the shrines of his father’s gods, -sought to taste of kindred blood, and to lead the remnant into slavery”.