A comedic story of love, religion, and money sums up Shakespeare's play, "The Merchant of Venice". In the 1500's, when this was written, life was more complicated and revolved on who you were and what you had. The story is about a merchant, Antonio, who helps his good friend, Bassanio, borrow money to see the love of his life, Portia. In order to get the money, Antonio and Bassanio, had to make a deal with the loaner, Shylock. Throughout the story, you get to see how the conflicts of money, religion, and love all tie into the characters and how they develop in the story. One character in particular shows himself clearly throughout the whole story. Shylock is a greedy, mean Jew that clearly represents a narcissistic person.
In the story, Shylock is portrayed as a cruel Jew that only cares about his religion, money, and himself. In act one where they talk about lending the money, Shylock says "This kindness will I show. Go with me to the notary, seal me there, Your single bond, and, in merry sport, If you repay me not on such a day, In such place, such sum or sum as are Expressed in the condition, let the forfeit Be nominated for an equal pound Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken In what part of your body pleaseth me." (Act 1, Scene 3, 140-148) This is a very clear representation of how Shylock is a very cruel, greedy person because he would take a pound of flesh from someone who couldn't pay off his debt. This bond is another reason of how selfish he is by not just lending the money to Bassanio and Antonio because of his own reasons. Further along the story, Shylock says to Antonio "I'll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak. I'll have my bond, and therefore speak no more. I'll not be made a soft and dull-eyed fool, To shake the head relent, and sigh, and yield To Christian intercessor. Follow not; I'll have no speaking, I will have my bond." (Act 3, Scene 3, 12-17) After finding out Antonio can't pay back his debt, Shylock becomes greedier for his pound of flesh because of how Antonio used to treat him of being a Jew. He refuses to even talk to Antonio showing how selfish he can be to get what he wants. Shylock is a very important character to the story, he shows the bad side of how a person can be like greedy, selfish, and cruel.
Shylock has faced many problems throughout the story that deals with religion and money. In the beginning of the story a religion conflict occurs, Shylock says to Antonio "You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine, And all for use of that which is mine own." (Act 1, Scene 3, 10-14) The time this play was written, Christians and Jews didn't get along which is shown in the play between the other characters and Shylock. Shylock is constantly bullied throughout the story of being Jewish which could also be why he is bitter to the Christians like Antonio. Another conflict that happens when Shylock won't get his bond and is threatened to have most of his things taken away, Shylock says "Nay, take my life and all, pardon not that. You take my house, when you take the prop That doth sustain my house: you take my life, When do you take the means whereby I live." (Act 4, Scene 1, 370-373) After the judge rules he can't have his bond, Shylock is embarrassed and almost has to give up on his things. This is a big conflict because this bond is a main part of the story and now that it's done Shylock has to deal with it. Shylock faces many problems, but his bond and how he is treated is the biggest conflicts he deals with in the play.
Even though Shylock is portrayed as greedy and selfish, there is a lot to learn from outcomes of his actions. Towards the middle of the play, Jessica, his daughter, plans to escape him with the help of Lorenzo. Lorenzo explains the plan to Gratiano "I must tell thee all. She hath directed How I shall take her from her father's house, What gold and jewels she furnished with, What page suit she hath in readiness. if e'er the Jew her father come to heaven It will be for his gentle daughter's sake, And never dare misfortune cross her foot Unless she do it under this excuse: That she is a to a faithless Jew." (Act 2, Scene 4, 30-38) Jessica doesn't want to be a Jew like her father and escapes to be with Lorenzo taking as much as her fathers money she can carry. Shylock experiences this loss because of how he is as a person making him even more miserable than he already is. Also in the story, Shylock doesn't get anything he wants out of his bond made with Antonio. Portia tells Shylock "Thou shalt have nothing but forfeiture To her taken at they peril Jew." (Act 4, Scene 1, 39-40) After all the greediness and cruelty in order to get this bond, Shylock doesn't get anything even though the bond was broken. This shows how his actions showed to affect how he ended up at the end of the play. Shylock is primary example of a person not to because his personality of greed and selfishness ends up into outcomes that you didn't want.
Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice" is a very complicated but important character based on his personality of greed and selfishness. His actions were so conniving, that his own daughter left to become a Christian taking his money with her. After this, Shylock was full of hatred and wanted revenge. He wanted to make Antonio suffer for bullying him about his religion, taking a loved one, and stealing his money. In the end, his cruel ways got the best of him and left him with nothing. Shylock is a main character that ties the story together. He represents more than the bad qualities of a person but also what might come of these qualities. He is a perfect example of how acting in a negative way, such as greed and selfishness, will create more problems for you in life and make you live your life in a negative perspective.
