OntheCharacterofShylockinTheMerchantofVeniceWord格式.docx

OntheCharacterofShylockinTheMerchantofVeniceWord格式.docx

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MerchantofVenice，Shylock，Character,acreationofcircumstance,awarrior

1Briefintroduction

1.1Abriefintroductionofthewholestory

TheMerchantofVeniceisoneoftheShakespeare’sfamouscomediesinhisearlytime.Itsthemeistoextolkindness,friendshipandlove.ThisstorybeginswiththeVenicebusinessman,Antonio.Antonio’smoneyisallinvestedinmercantileexpeditions.Inordertohelphisbestfriend,Bassano,hehastoborrowfromtheJewishusurer,Shylock.ShylockhasmadeastrongbondthatrequiresAntoniotosurrenderapoundofhisfleshifhefailstorepayhimwithinacertainperiodoftime.Antonio’sletternowreleasesthathisshipshaveallbeenlost,andheispenniless,andwillhavetopaythepoundofflesh.TheboundissuehascomebeforeacourtoflawatwhichPortiaappearsdisguisedasayounglawyerinstructedtojudgethecase.ShefirstappealstoShylocktohavemercy,butwhenheinsistsontheletterofthelawsheletshimhaveit:

hemaytakehispoundofflesh,butthereisnomentionofbloodinthebond;

ifheshedsasingledropofaChristian’sblood,hislandsandgoodswillbeconfusedbytheStateaccordingtothelawofVenice.Thus,Antonioissaved,andShylockhastoundergocertainseverepenalties,includingcompulsoryconversiontoChristianity.（ZhangBoxiang,2004:

176）

1.2Abriefintroductionofthesocialbackground

In16thcentury,EnglandisundertheleadershipofElizabethatthattime.Withtherapiddevelopmentofcapitalisteconomyandthegrowthofthebourgeoisie,thediscriminationandexclusiontowardstheJewshasbecomeincreasinglyserious.EveninVenice,thestrongestandmostpowerfulcountryinEurope,thesufferingsoftheJewsaretheinevitablefacts.Accordingtothelawsatthattime,theJewswereforcedtoliveintheoldplantorslumsinisolation.TheywereundertheguardofChristiansaftersunset.Duringtheday,anyJewswhowantedtoleavethecivilianareashouldalwaysbringredhatsshowingthattheyare“Jews”.Becausetheywerenotallowedtopossessprivateproperty,theycouldonlydealinusuriousloansforlife,butthiswasagainstthelawsofChristianity.ThemerchantofVeniceturnedablindeyetotheirsufferings.ButtheReligiousFanaticswhowerehostiletotheJewswouldbeat,abuse,andevendeprivetheirrightstoexist.AnditisthiskindofinjusticethatcontributedtothemaincauseofShylock’sabnormalpersonality.

1.3AbriefintroductionaboutShylockinthistragiccomedy.

Shylock,inthisplay,istheantagonist.HeisthemodelofJewishusurerandistherepresentativeofthevoiceofanoppressednation.Mostpeoplereadhimasabogeyman,aclownishJewishstereotype.Heisselfish,cruel,avariciousandniggard.Oncehehasthechancetorevengehisfoes,hewilltryhisbesttomakethemintodeathtrap.Helovesmoneyandcaresitthananythingelse.Hedoesn’tcareabouthisonlydaughter,andthismakesJessica’selopementwithherlover.Inthecourt,heisclamandwisdom,evenfightsagainstseveralChristian’sattacks.Allofthismakespeopletakeunkindattitudetohim.ButthecharacterofShylockhasalsobeenthesubjectofmuchcriticaldebate:

HowarewemeanttoevaluatetheattitudeoftheVenetiansintheplaytowardhim?

Isheabloodthirstyvillain?

Orisheaman“moresinnedagainstthansinning”?

OneofthereasonsthatsuchquestionsareraisedisthattherearereallytwostagesofShylockintheplay:

first,thereisthestage“villain”whoisrequiredfortheplot;

second,thereisthehumanbeingwhosuffersthelossofhisdaughter,hisproperty,andwhat`sworse,hisreligion.

2AnalysisofthecharacterofShylock

2.1Shylock’sattitudetowardshiselopeddaughter

Wecansaythatthereisnolovebetweenhimandhisonlydaughterwhichisbasedonthefollowingpoints.Helockshisdaughterathomeandmakesherguardwealtheveryminutejustlikeatoolanddoesnotallowhertogoout.Asaresult,hisdaughterregardsherhomeasthehellanddecidestorunawaywithhisloverwithoutanyhesitationinadarknight.ThiscanbeprovedinACTⅡSCENEⅤ.WhenShylockwillgoouttotakedinnerwithAntonio,evenunderhisunwillingness,hecallsthreetimesbeforeJessica’svacantresponse.Thereisnocommonfather-daughterrelationship.Besides,Shylockcaresmoreaboutmoneythanhisdaughter,WhenJessicastealspreciousgemsthousandsofducatsfromhim,hedoesn’tcareweathersheisaliveordead.What’sworse，hesays:

Iwouldmydaughterweredeadatmyfoot,

Andthejewelsinherear!

Wouldshewerehearsedatmyfoot,

Andtheducatsinhercoffin!

Nonewsofthem?

Why,so;

AndIknownotwhat’sspentinthesearch;

Whythou-lossuponloss!

Thethiefgonewithsomuch,

Andsosuchtofindthethief（Shakespeare,1996:

7;

ACTⅢSCENEⅠ）;

Thereisnowarmintheirhome.

2.2Shylock’sattitudetowardsmoney

Shylockcaresmoreaboutmoneythananythingelse.Helovesitandtrieshisbesttoearnit.So,hecherishesit,evenbecomesmiserlyinsomeextent.Asausurer,Shylockisstingyandavariciousofwealth.Hehasthemostvividimage.Withthedevelopmentoftheplotandthethoroughdescriptionofcontradiction,histruefeaturesgraduallyappearbeforeus:

Beingamiser,hemakeshislivingbypracticingusuryandregardsmoneyashislife.SinceShylocklovesmoneyverymuchandinthisaffecthebecomesadevilandhateseveryonewhoholdshimbackfrommakingmoneyormakinghimlosemoney.Andheisraptinmoneyandinordertocollectmore,heevenjustlethisservantsufferstarvation.What’sworse,heabandonshisservantandcallshim“lazywasp”,eventuallyhisservantturnsanewhostforhelp.Simultaneously,itisalsoano-warmrelationshipconcerningaboutmoneybetweenShylockandhisdaughter.

2.3Shylock’sattitudetowardsenemy

Oncehehasthechancetorevengehisfoes,hewilltryhisbesttomakethemintodeathtrap.Inthisplay,fortheunfairsufferingshehasgot,itisobviouslythatShylock’senemiesareaseriesofindividuals,groupsandeventhesocietywhodiscriminatedtheJews,amongwhichAntonioisthetypicalone.ThereasonwhyhechoosestorevengeAntonio,Ibelieve,isnotbyaccident.Therearethreemainreasons:

first,Antoniohaseverdespisedhim,abusedhiminpublicandspittedtohim,whichhurthisself-esteem;

second,asausurer,ShylockmusteradicateAntoniowholendsmoneywithoutaskingforanyinterest;

third,Shylock’sdaughterelopedwithAntonio’sfriendandstolenhismoney.HethinksitisAntonio’sconspiracy.Therefore,hehadtoputthisdebtontotheAntonio.ThereisamonologueofShylock:

Howlikeafawningpublicanhelooks!

IhatehimforheisaChristian;

Butmoreforthatinlowsimplicity

Helendsoutmoneygratis,andbringsdown

TherateofusanceherewithusinVenice

IfIcancatchhimonceuponthehip

IwillfeedfattheancientgrudgeIbearhim.

Hehatesoursacrednation,andherails,

Eventherewheremerchantsmostdocongregate

Onme,mybargains,andmywell=wonthrift

WhichhecallsinterestCursedhemytribe

IfIforgivehim（Shakespeare,1996:

ACTⅠCENEⅢ）!

2.4Shylock’sattitudetowardsabusers

Totheinsultsanddiscriminations,Shylockhaslearnedtobebraveandcandealwithitinaflexibleway.AsMr.LuXun（1982:

134）says“Toexplodeinsilence,ortodieinit”.Inthatsociety,theChristianLawisthepower.Sohejustendurestheunfairaffirmationbylaw.Thenon-resistancedoesn’tmeanheisweak.Incontrast,heiswaitingthechance.Oncehehasthechance,hewilltryhisbesttofight.WhenhesuffersinsultsandspurningfromAntonio,hechoosestobearitwithoutanywords.BecauseheknowsclearlythatheisaJewinthelowest-class.However,attheminutewhenAntonioborrowsmoneyfromhim,herecognizesthathehasgotthetime.HemakesfulluseoftheChristianLaw,whichsettledtoforbidtheJews,todefendforhimself.Here,Imustgivehimapositiveimage:

heisagoodlaw-abidingcitizen,whichiscontrasttoPortiatakesadvantageoftheloopholeofthelawinacheekyway.Astheletterofthecontract,hecangetapondofflesh,inwhichcanmakeAntoniointodeathtrap.Fromthis,wecangettheinformationthatShylockisamanofresource.

Ashesays:

SigniorAntonio,manyatimeandoft

IntheRatioyouhaveratedme

Aboutmymoneysandmyusances

StillhaveIborneitwithapatientshrug

Forsufferanceisthebadgeofallourtribe

Youcallmemisbeliever,cut-throatdog

AndspetuponmyJewishgabardine

Andallforuseofthatwhichismineown

Wellthen,itnowappearsyouneedmyhelp（Shakespeare,1996:

ACTⅠSCENEⅢ）.

ThepoundoffleshwhichIdemandofhim,

Isdearlybought;

`tismineandIwillhaveit,

Ifyoudenyme,fieuponyourlaw!

ThereisnoforceinthedecreesofVenice.

Istandforjudgment:

answer;

shallIhaveit（Shakespea