Shylock
Not surprisingly, Shylock is thirsty for revenge and he does not show any mercy when Antonio pleads for a lesser punishment. It's evident that Shylock is turning the Christian merchants' words against them. They insulted and mocked him by calling him a dog, devil and other degrading words and he uses the same words to express his vengeance.
"Thou call'dst me a dog before thou hadst a cause,
But since I'm a dog, beware my fangs." (3.3.7-8)
Saying "beware my fangs" certainly does not make him a sympathetic character and it further perpetuates the idea of Jewish people being barbaric creatures. However., he strongly abides the law and rightly punishes Antonio for not being able to repay his interest-free bond with Shylock. I also noticed that Shylock's dialogue has been largely repetitive. I'm wondering if it's simply for emphasis on his stubbornness and determination to gain vengeance or is Shakespeare in a way trying to further mock him and dehumanize him.
"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 intercessors. Follow not!
I'll have no speaking. I will have my bond." (3.3.13-18)
He is definitely fighting against all of the discrimination he's faced and refuses to become a "dull-eyed fool" and to "yield to Christian intercessors". I think his willingness to stand up for himself does make him a more respected character because there is truth in his words. However the Christian merchants interpret his determination to impose the law as their common enemy who is inherently evil.
Portia
Literally everyone in the play thinks of Portia as a heavenly saint/angel with her fair beauty and wealth. It was overwhelming to say the least to have every single person praise her in such an exaggerated manner. I wonder if their praises for her are truly genuine or do they just feel the need to praise her because of her high status, beauty, and wealth? Portia does seem like the heroine of the play. She does not hesitate to "save" Antonio from his ill fate and it was interesting how she feels this deep connection towards Antonio simply because Bassanio is like his "bosom lover". The book annotated "lover" as friend or "well-wisher" or a romantic lover and "bosom" meaning confidential. Does Bassanio feel a closer tie with Portia or are homosocial bonds stronger than heterosexual relationships?
"Which makes me think that this Antonio,
Being the bosom lover of my lord,
Must needs be like my lord. If it be so,
How little is the cost I have bestowed
In purchasing the semblance of my soul
From out the state of hellish cruelty!" (3.4.16-21)
Portia's use of "purchasing" to describe the act of saving Antonio definitely makes her seem money-oriented and possessive. Describing Antonio as the "semblance" of Bassanio's soul really creeps me out because she sort of regards Antonio and Bassanio as one entity and for the soul to resemble each other must indicate a highly interpersonal relation.
Jessica
Speaking of praises, I also noticed that Jessica felt the need to flood Bassanio with compliments.
"Nay let me praise you while I have a stomach!". Why is this act of praising taken so seriously? Does this tie into how Christians are at times hypocritical on how they emphasize the inner over outer appearances but in reality they take every chance they get to elevate their appearances to seek societal approval??
I completely agree with your take on the Christians' excessive praising with each other. Throughout the whole play, they kept emphasizing that what is inside matters the most. However, they appear as shallow and superficial as they shower each other with compliments. Some of them are so exaggerated that it seems insincere. I wonder if this will continue until the very end or will we see the truth after all? I also found your point about Shylock's repetitive phrases interesting as I have not thought about it before. He comes off as an extremely intransigent man. However, his soliloquy often offer lots of explanation to the reasons behind his actions and motives. Even until now, I can't seem to decide whether he is a sympathetic or unsympathetic character.
ReplyDeleteShylock does seem to be quite repetitive in his speech. When Jessica abandoned him and fled with Lorenzo, his seemingly disoriented words kept on revolving around his "ducats". Later, as you noted, his words revolving around Antonio's bond and his legally justified retribution also seemed excessively repetitive. I agree with your analysis that Shakespeare may be using this to mock Shylock as being absurdly stubborn and adamant in his beliefs. After all, it does seem a bit ridiculous how repetitive Shylock is when speaking. I'm not sure whether this directly makes him a more sympathetic/unsympathetic character, but it does make him seem less eloquent, educated and "high-class" in comparison with the Venetian Christians. I agree that Shylock's willingness to stand up to Venetian Christians does make him a respected character to some extent. But, I feel as though the intention that drives his behavior isn't necessarily conducive to sympathy.
ReplyDelete