The Merchant of Venice
by William Shakespeare
(Bond Scene)
Act 1, scene 3
Shylock agrees to
loan three thousand Ducats to Bassanio, for a term of three months. Bassanio
assured Shylock, that Antonio would guarantee the loan, but Shylock is doubtful
because Antonio's wealth is currently invested in business ventures, that could
fail. In the end, however, Shylock decides, that Antonio's loan-guarantee will
be a sufficient assurance, and asks to speak with him. When Antonio arrives,
Shylock, in an aside, confesses his hatred for him. Antonio, Shylock says, is a
Christian who lends money without interest, making the practice of usury more
difficult. Antonio makes it clear to Shylock, that he is not in the habit of
borrowing or lending money, but has decided to make an exception on behalf of
his friend Bassanio. Their conversation leads Antonio to chastise the business
of usury, which Shylock defends as a way to thrive.
As he calculates
the interest on Bassanio’s debt, Shylock recalls the time when Antonio has
cursed him, calling him a “misbeliever, cut-throat, dog / And spit upon [his]
Jewish gaberdine”. Antonio replies, that he is likely to do it again, and
insists, that Shylock lend him money as an enemy. Such an arrangement, Antonio
claims, would make it easier for Shylock to pay harsher penalties, if the loan
is not repaid. Convincing Antonio, that he is meant to be friends, Shylock
offers, to give the loan without interest. Instead, he suggests, seemingly in
jest, that Antonio forfeit a pound of his own flesh should the loan not be
repaid in due time. Bassanio warns
Antonio against entering into such an agreement, but Antonio assures him that
he will have no trouble repaying the loan, as his ships will soon bring him
money that far exceeds the value of the loan. Shylock attempts to dismiss Bassanio’s
suspicions, asking what profit he stands to make by procuring a pound of
Antonio’s flesh. As Shylock heads off to the notary’s office to sign the bond,
Antonio remarks on Shylock’s newfound generosity: “The Hebrew will turn
Christian; he grows kind”. Bassanio suspects the arrangement, but Antonio
Reminds him, that his ships will arrive within the next two months.
Shylock is an
arresting presence on the stage, and although Antonio may be the character for
whom the play is named, it is Shylock who has come to dominate the imaginations
of critics and audiences alike. Shylock’s physical presence in the play is
actually not so large, as he speaks fewer lines than other characters and does
not even appear in the play’s final act. However, in many ways, the play
belongs to Shylock.
Even though
Bassanio and Antonio require a favor from Shylock, Antonio, still, has a tone
of imperious command, and his past, present, and future attitude toward Shylock
is one of exceptional contempt. Shylock, vividly illustrates the depth of this
contempt, wondering aloud, why he should lend Antonio money, when Antonio has
voided his “rheum,” or spit, on Shylock’s beard, and he kicked Shylock as he
would a stray dog. Without these details, Antonio’s haughty attitude toward
Shylock could easily be forgiven, but the very visceral details of spit and
kicks show a violent, less romantic side to Antonio, and our sympathies for him
cannot help but lessen.
Shylock is
noticeably different from Shakespeare’s other great villains, in several ways.
In the first place, these other villains see themselves as evil, and while they
may try to justify their own villainy, they also revel in it, making asides to
the audience and self-consciously comparing themselves to the Vice character of
medieval morality plays. Though the Christian characters of The Merchant of
Venice may view Jews as evil, Shylock does not see himself in that way. His
views of himself are rational, articulate, and consistent. Also, Shakespeare’s
other villains are generally more deceitful, passing themselves off as loving
and virtuous Christians while plotting malevolently against those around them.
Shylock, on the other hand, is an outcast even before the play begins, vilified
and spat upon by the Christian characters. Shylock’s actions are relatively
open, although the other characters misunderstand his intentions because they
do not understand him.
Indeed, Shylock
understands the Christians and their culture much better than they understand
him. The Christian characters only interact with Shylock within a framework of
finance and law. Though Bassanio asks him to dine with them, Shylock says in an
aside that he will not break bread with Christians, nor will he forgive
Antonio, thereby signaling his rejection of one of the fundamental Christian
values, forgiveness. Shylock is able to cite the New Testament as readily as
Jewish scripture, as he shows in his remark about the pig being the animal into
which Christ drove the devil. As we see more of Shylock, he does not become a
hero or a fully sympathetic character, but he is an unsettling figure insofar
as he exposes the inconsistencies and hypocrisies of the Christian characters.
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