Analysis of Shylock’s Character in The Merchant of Venice.docx

Analysis of Shylock’s Character in?The Merchant of Venice ? Abstract:?The Merchant of Venice?is one of the greatest comedies written by Willliam Shakespeare. Shylock has become one of the immortal characters in English literature. The successful characterization and annalysis of many characters has aroused much interest and controversy for many readers and scholars.Among them, the character of Shylock is a most controversial one. Many people despise Shylock to be a man who is selfish, impious, stubborn, bloodthirsty. However, after examing the view of Jews during Shakespeares time, his another personality comes to the surface. This papers talks briefly about The Merchant of Venice and its religious background, then analyses Shylock’s complex personalities from three different perspectives as a Jew who was enslaved to anti-semitism, as a usurer who are greedy for money and as a victim of Christian and and individual having independent spirit. Key words：The Merchant of Venice; Shylock; ususer; anti-Semitism ? The Merchant of Venice?is an appealing and famous play written by Shakespeare in 1596, which is the masterpiece of the second period of his work. In?The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is a? HYPERLINK /wiki/Jews \o Jews Jewish HYPERLINK /wiki/Usury \o Usury moneylender?who lends money to his? HYPERLINK /wiki/Christian \o Christian Christian?rival,? HYPERLINK /wiki/Antonio_(Merchant_of_Venice) \o Antonio (Merchant of Venice) Antonio, setting the? HYPERLINK /wiki/Bond_(finance) \o Bond (finance) bond?at a pound of Antonios flesh. When a? HYPERLINK /wiki/Bankrupt \o Bankrupt bankrupt?Antonio defaults on the loan, Shylock demands the pound of flesh, as revenge for Antonio having previously insulted and spat on him. Meanwhile, his daughter, Jessica, elopes with Antonios friend Lorenzo and becomes a Christian, further fueling Shylocks rage. Many people think that Shylock is a greedy and mercenary man, whose actions lead to severe consequences for him. They would say he des