Enam's Note

Shylock, an amusing as well a confusing figure, is one of the main characters of Shakespeare’s outstanding play “ The Merchant of Venice ”. His activities are full of variegation making us very complex to understand him. At times, his ridiculous activities give us pleasure and make us laugh. Again sometimes his brutal actions fall us in fear and make us anxious. So we, very easily, mark him as the comic villain of the play. Let us discuss it in detail. Actually, Shylock is a usurer and his business of usury is disturbed by Antonio lending money without interest. So Shylock considers him as the worst enemy and awaits an opportunity to take revenge on him. As he says: “If I can catch him once upon the hip   I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.” [Act: I, Scene: III] Shylock alsohates  Antoniofor his  religion. As he confesses: “I hate him for he is a Christian” [Act: I, Scene: III]   At that time, the most of the Christians think the usur...

Religious conflict between Christianity and the Judaism is clearly distinct in Shakespeare’s great tragicomedy ‘ Merchant of Venice’ . Here, Shakespeare makes Shylock, a Jew, the villain of the play and portrays negatively as much he can while the Christians are shown as great and noble. Now we are going to discuss the theme of racial conflict in the drama “Merchant of Venice”  Though at that time the usury was completely legal, Shylock’s business usury is shown very contemptibly as if it were prohibited. Moreover his business of usury is often hampered by Antonio.  Antonio might be a good and sympathetic person but Shylock is not wrong in his activities. Antonio has no right to disturb him. Antonio does not like him only for religious facts.  As Shylock says: “He hates our sacred nation; and even Where merchants most do congregate°, he rails On me, my contracts,° and my well-earned profit, Which he calls, usury”        ...