The Merchant of Venice Theme Paper

An Anti-Semitic Premise in The Merchant of Venice

Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, is, without a doubt, an incredibly anti-Semitic play and seems to be, predominantly, via religion. Christian guards keep Jewish people in captivity, refusing them the right to own land. The Christians’ ways of treating Shylock and the other Jewish populace show’s Shakespeare’s anti-Semitic undertone of the play. For instance, their calling Shylock derogatory names, or, rather than referring to him by his birth-given name, calling him “The Jew” proves this point. Among these examples, at the beginning of the play, Antonio spits in Shylock’s face and all of the Jewish citizens are required to wear red caps to identify themselves in public. Religious anti-Semitism is verbally known, specifically, when Shylock says:
“These be the Christian husbands. I have a daughter;
Would any of the stock of Barrabas
Had been her husband rather than a Christian!” (lines 293-295)

Considering the end of act four, scene one, which is commonly referred to as the court scene, when Shylock makes a considerable tribulation concerning the switching from the Jewish religion to the Christian religion, it is perceived that said conversion is a fate worse than death. Shylock’s greed in caring more about his material items and his contract with Antonio, as well, confirms the anti-Semitism of the comedy. Not only is Shylock’s greed proof of anti-Semitism, but the court scene in itself contains a vast amount of anti-Semitism. This anti-Semitism and stereotypical theme is displayed not only by Shylock, but by Portia and the entirety of the audience. Shylock’s voracity is proved by his words in the fourth act:
“Nay, take my life and all! Pardon not that!
You take my house when you do take the prop
That doth sustain my house. You take my life
When you do take the means whereby I live.” (372-375)

During the court scene, Portia frequently refers to Shylock as “The Jew” in place of calling him “Shylock”. For instance, in lines 319-320, she states “The Jew shall have all justice… He shall have nothing but the penalty.” Additionally, when Shylock reiterates what his name is, he puts emphasis on “Shylock” (174), asserting the fact that that is his name, rather than “The Jew”. Portia and the other inhabitants behave callously towards him in their judgments through the entirety of the scene. Portia’s actions are verification of anti-Semitism, as are Shylock’s own dealings. Shylock is offered double and more what his contract with Antonio was worth. He states:
“When it is paid according to the tenor.
It doth appear you are a worthy judge.
You know the law. Your exposition
Hath been most sound. I charge you by the law,
Whereof you are a well-deserving pillar,
Proceed to judgment. By my soul I swear
There is no power in the tongue of man
To alter me: I stay here on my bond.” (233-240)
He, selfishly declines and demands, instead, that they honor the bond and he receive a pound of flesh in lieu of the offered ducats. As Antonio emphasizes:
“You may as well do anything most hard
As to seek to soften that-than which what’s harder?-
His Jewish heart.” (78-80)

Portia’s witty ploy carried out against Shylock is the prevalent example of anti-Semitism in the entire scene. She cons him into believing he will be allowed to receive the pound of flesh that he desires and then contradicts her verdict by informing him that he may take only the flesh, but must spill no blood. She enlightens him of this fact by saying:
“Shed thou no blood, nor cut thou less nor more
But just a pound of flesh.” (323-324)
She also informs him that:
“if the scale do turn
But in the estimation of a hair,
Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate.” (328-330)

Another confirmation of anti-Semitism in The Merchant of Venice is Lancelot’s treatment of Shylock’s daughter, Jessica in act three, scene five. This is best seen in Lancelot says to Jessica in the beginning of the scene. He asserts that
“the sin of the father are to be laid upon the children; therefore, I promise you, I fear you. I was always plain with you, and so now I speak my agitation of the matter. Therefore be o’ good cheer, for truly I think you are damned. There is but one hope in it that can do you any good, and that is but a kind of bastard hope, neither… Marry, you may partly hope that your father for you not, that you are not the Jew’s daughter… I fear you are damned both by father and mother. Thus when I shun Scylla, your father, I fall into Charybdis, your mother. Well, you are gone both ways.” (1-16)
In response to which Jessica declares “I shall be saved by my husband. He hath made me a Christian.” (17-18) The Jewish religion is thought less of by Christians, than the Christian religion is. For one to be considered damned due to being Jewish, yet saved if revolutionized into a Christian, is yet another illustration of anti-Semitism in the play.

Shakespeare portrays Shylock as a stereotypical Jewish man, not only in that the play as a whole has an anti-Semitic tone to it, but through Shylock’s greed. Not only is he insatiable in his yearning to maintain the accord between himself and Antonio, but he is also gluttonous concerning his daughter and his wealth. Shylock mentions, after he discovers that Jessica has taken his ring to trade with Lorenzo, that he would rather her be dead than be his Jewish-turned-Christian daughter made off with his material wealth.

Concisely, Shylock’s penchant to uphold his contract with Antonio and his desire for wealth above family demonstrates his orthodox, Jewish gluttony. However, Shylock’s greed, along with the treatment he and his daughter receive from the Christian’s and the other characters of the play substantiates the very anti-Semitic theme of The Merchant of Venice en bloc. Antonio spits in Shylock’s face, he is constantly identified as “The Jew” and Jessica is said to be damned as a result of her religion.
 
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David Bevington. 6th ed. New York: Pearson Longham, 2009.

English 341 - Shakespeare
The Merchant of Venice Theme Paper
Thursday, September 23, 2010