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Ⅰ.Introduction

WilliamShakespearewasborninStratford-on-AvoninApril,1564.Hewasthethirdofeightchildren.Asthesonofaprominentfamily,Williamdoubtlessattendedthetowngrammarschool,whichpreparedthesonspfthelocalburghersforentrytoauniversity.In1582attheageofeighteen,ShakespearemarriedAnneHathaway,eightyearshissenior,andsixmonthslatertheirdaughterSusannawasborn.In1585twinswereborntothecouple,aboyandagirl,namedHamletandJudith.BythisyearJohnShakespearewasinlesscomfortablefinancialcircumstances,andaboutthesametimeWilliamShakespeareleftStratfordtoseekhisfortune.Leavehisfamilybehind.Shakespeare’searliestplayswrittenbefore1594,areratherconventionalworksofcomedy,melodrama,andhistory（includingComedyofErrors,TitlesAndronicus,andHenryⅥ）.By1594hisplaysmoreclearlyshowthestatureofhisgenius,AmongtheseplaysofhisearlymiddleyearsarethecomediesAMidsummerNight’sDreamandTheMerchantofVenice;thetragedyRomeoandJuliet;andthehistories,RichardⅡ,HenryⅣintwoparts,andHenryⅤ.Duringtheperiodfrom1599to1606,hewrotethegreattragedies,Hamlet,Othello,KingLear,andMacbeth.Concurrently,hewrotethe“dark”or“problem”comedies,All’sWellthatEndsWell,TroilusandCressida,andMeasureforMeasure.Finally,between1608and1611,hewrotetheromanticcomedies,Cymbeline,TheWinter’stale,andTheTempest.

DuringtheJews’four-hundredyear’sabsencefromEngland,legendsfromthecontinenthelpedtoperpetuateEnglishstereotypesoftheJews.IthadbecomeconventionalinEuropetoattributeunexplaineddeaths,plagues,andotherdisasterstoJewishhatredforChristiansandtheirdesireforrevengeagainsttheirpersecutors.ThetwointertwiningstoriesoftheplaywerefamiliartoShakespearefromtheexistingbodyofEuropeanliterature.Talesaboutusurerswerefairlycommon,andthethemeofthepound-of-fleshhasancientanaloguesinreligioustalesofPersiaandItaliansources.ThusweseethatthemainelementsofTheMerchantofVenicearetobefoundinearliersources:

theusuriousJew,thepound-of-fleshcontract,andthewooerwhomustchooseamongthreecaskets.Whatistoextraordinaryaboutthisplay,however,isthewayinwhichShakespearemanagestocombinethevariousthemesintoatightlyunifiedandhighlypoeticwhole.ThecharactersofBassano,Antonio,Jessica,Lorenzo,Gratiano,andparticularlyPortiaandShylock,arefarmoreinterestingandcomplexthanpredecessors.

Shylock,theJewishmoneylender,isoneofthemostinterestingandoneofthemostcontroversialofShakespeare’scharacters.discussionofthemerchantofVenicegenerallycentersaroundShylock,andyettheplaywasnotcalledtheJewofVenice（atitlegivingtoitin1701）,Shylockisnotonstagemostofthetime,anddoesnotappearatallinthefinalact,whythendowefeelthatheisthecenteroftheplay?

TheansweristhatShylockisgiventhemostpassionate,mostpassionate,mostmemorablespeechesandactionsintheplay,andhischaracterisetchedinboldstrokesacrossitsentiresurface,leavinganindeliblemarkonthewordsandactionsofalltheotherplayers.Heisabelievablehumanbeingaswellasanoutrageousvillainandcomicbutt,andhasbecomeallthingstoallmen.

ⅡAcleverJew

Hisheadisfullofcalculation,andheisasmartbusinessman.Becauseoftheneedofoccupation,notonlyhetakesgoodcareofhisproperty,topotentialcustomers,evenAntonioaswell.

2.1setAntonioatrap.

ShylockconsidersBassanio’srequestwithslowdeliberation,repeatingeverythingthatBassaniosaysasifstallingfortimetoweightheprosandconswithinhimself.whenhetalkedaboutAntoniowithBassanio,hesaid：

Mymeaingissayingheisagoodman,istohaveyouunderstandme,thatheissufficient,Yethismeansareinsupposition:

hehathanargosyboundtoTripolis,anothertotheIndies:

Iunderstand,moreover,upontheRialto,hehathathirdatMexico,afourthforEngland,andotherventureshehath,squanderedabroad,butshipsarebutboards,sailorsbutmen:

therebeland-ratsandwater-thievesandland–thieves.Imeanpirates;andthenthereistheperilofwaters,winds,androcks,Themanis,notwithstanding,sufficient,Threethousandducats;IthinkImaytakehisbond.（Shakespeare,1996:

11;ACTⅠSCENEⅢ）

ShylockevidentlykeepsabreastofthebusinessaffairsoftheprincipalmerchantsofVenice,forhealreadyknowshowmanyshipsAntoniohasatseaandwhattheirdestinationsare.Heiswaryandpragmatic.WhenAntanioborrow3000fromShylock,Hepourouthisgrievances.，whenAntanioisangry,hesaystohimwithagreasysmile：

Why,lookyouhowyoustorm!

Iwouldbefriendswithyou,andhaveyourlove,forgettheshamesthatyouhavestaindmewith,supplyyourpresentwantsandtakenodoitsofusanceformymoneys,andyouwillnothearme:

thisiskindIoffer.thiskindnesswillIshow.Gowithmetoanotary,sealmethere.yoursinglebond;and,,inamerrysport,ifyourepaymenotonsuchaday,insuchaplace,suchsumorsumsasareExpressedinthecondition,lettheforfeit.Benominatedforanequalpoundofyourfairflesh,tobecutoffandtaken.Inwhatpartofyourbodypleasethme.（Shakespeare,1996:

15;ACTⅠSCENEⅢ）

Healreadyhadreadyplanstomeetasituation,waitingforsuchachanceforrevengeforalongtime.Hehidesdangers,andjusttakesattitudewithcarefulconsiderationinhisbusiness.firstletBassaniointotrap,andthengangupagainstonAntaniowhostressfriendshipdignityandgotothewall.

Bassaniothinkitisverydangerous,HewillratherliveinpovertythanAntoniosignthecontract.whentheplanisfailed,Shylockswears：

OfatherAbram,whattheseChristiansare.Whoseownharddealingsteachersthemsuspectthethoughtofothers!

Prayyou,tellmethisifheshouldbreakhisday,whatshouldIgain.bytheexactionoftheforfeiture?

Apoundofman’sfleshtakenformsaman.isnotsoestimable,profitableneither,asfleshofmuttons,beefs,orgoats.Isay,tobuyhisfavor,Iextendthisfriendship:

ifhewilltakeit,so;ifnot,adieu;and,formylove,Iprayyouwrongnot.（Shakespeare,1996:

15;ACTⅠSCENEⅢ）

Inthisway,Antonioislaidintoatrapandsignedthecontract,eventhoughtthatShylock’sheartreallybecomemuchwell.ShylockplanstorevengeagainstAntonioifhecan“catchhimoneuponthehip,”thatis,ifhecangethimathismercy,andheswearsbyhistribethathewillnotforgiveAntoniofordenouncinghimtothemerchantsofVenice.Shylockalsopromisesto“feelfattheancientgrudge,”suggestingforthefirstofmanytimesinthisplay,thedisgustingconnotationofcannibalism.

2.2Answeringquestionscleverly

Shylockisapersonwhotriedtoprotecthisrightandregiondignitywithhiswisdom.Atthecourt,whenmostofpeopleaskedhimtobemerciful,heusedhisownwordstodebatethemwittily.Suchas”Iamnotboundtopleasetheewithmyanswers,wouldstthouhaveaserpentstingtheetwice?

”“Ifyoudenyit,letthedangerlightuponyourcharterandyourcity’sfreedom”…Healsosetupsomeexamplesaboutthearistocrat’streatmenttotheslavestoexpresshisunfairtreatment.Asamatteroffact,ShylockissomekindofabraveJewwhowantstogainhisownrespectandnormallife.

WhenSalariomethiminthestreetsofVenice,toldShylocknottocutthefleshofAntonio,hespeaksinexcitement:

Tobaitwithal:

ifitwillfeednothingelse,itfeedmyrevenge.Hehathdisgracedme,andhinderedmehalfamillion:

laughedatmylosses,mockedmygains.scornedmynation,thwartedmybargains,cooledmyfriends,heatedmineenemies;（Shakespeare,1996:

42;ACTⅢSCENEⅠ）

Shylockusedaseriesofparallelism,tosatirizeAntonio’sfaults.Thismakeshimdumb.TheDukeonceagainaskedShylocktohavecompassionandforgivenessofAntonio,Shylock’sansweris：

Ihavepossess’dyourGraceofwhatIpurpose;AndbyyourholySabbathhaveIsworntohavethedueandforfeitofmybond:

ifyoudenyit,letthedangerlight,Uponyourcharacterandyourcity’sfreedom.（Shakespeare,1996:

64;ACTⅣSCENEⅠ）

AfriendofAntonioGratianowhoisinbadtemper,alwaysmakeimpertinentremarksonShylock,hereproves：

O,bethoudamn’d,inexecrabledog!

Andforthylifeletjusticebeaccused.Thoualmostmakestmewaverinmyfaith,ToholdopinionwithPythagoras,Thatsoulsofanimalsinfusethemselves.Intothetrunksofmen;thycurrishspirits.Govern’dawolf,whohang’dforhumanslaughter,Evenformthegallowsdidhisfellsoulfleet,And,whilstthoulay’stinthyunhallow’ddam,Infuseditselfinthee;formydesires.Arewolvish,bloody,starvedandravenous.（Shakespeare,1996:

67;ACTⅣSCENEⅠ）

ItishardnottoletShylockback,heusesafewwordshadshownhisindifferentattitude“Tillthoucanstrailthesealformoffmybond,Thoubutoffend’stthylungstospeaksoloud;Repairthywit,goodyouth,oritwillfall.Tocurelessruin.Istandhereforlaw.”（Shakespeare,1996:

67;）WhentheDukeonceagainwarnedhimtohaveaheartofcompassion,laterwillhavemercyonhispeople.Heimmediatelycountered“WhatjudgmentshallIdread,doingnowrong?

”（Shakespeare,1996:

65;）HeaskedtheDukewithoverbearingtone“Ifyoudenyme,fieuponyourlaw!

Istandforjudgment:

answers:

shallIhaveit?

”（Shakespeare,1996:

66;）Shylockasksthejustice,andremindstheDuke,ifthecitydoesnotmaintainthedignityoflaw,Venice'sprosperitycanbedamaged.So,becauseoftheShylock,allpeopleareaskedrenderedspeechless，Even,Baociawithwiseandkindheartedandareadytonguefinallyalsohavetoresortlegalprovisionsforcontractloopho