Victim or villain? How is Shylock presented in 'The Merchant of Venice'?

The merchant in The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, t here(predicate) appears Shylock. As the play unfolds Shylock is seen to be the villain. He is portrayed as being cold, unbending, and evil. But is he? Is Shylock really the opposite word in this play or can he too be viewed as a persecuted individual who resorts to revenge exclusively if after he has been pushed too far. To fully understand the consult of Shylock we must first look at Elizabethan attitudes towards Jews. The earliest documented presences of Jews were recorded in Oxford, during the year 1075. At that time, Jews and Christians were living in harmonious without strong resentment or hatred towards each other. Despite this, there were certain rules that Jews had to tire out such as they were banned from certain trades and professions as they were non considered citizens. In the sixteenth century Jews were rarely if ever seen in England. In the Middle Ages Jews had fled to England to escape perse cution in France under the Normans. They were given undertake in England by Henry I in retrograde for a percentage of their profits from trade and specie lending. It is here that the stereotype of Jews lending money was started which spurred on to the mental standard of Jews as a greedy community.

A few geezerhood in the first get off The Merchant of Venice was written, an accusation was make towards Queen Elizabeths physician of attempting to poison her. His public execution and the fact that he was of Jewish earth led to an outbreak of anti Semitism in the country. Similarly in todays world, after the i ncident that took place on September elevent! h 2001, many have been prompt towards the Middle Eastern races for fears for repercussions. many other plays were written during Shakespearian time concerning Jews to which... If you want to shoot a full essay, articulate it on our website: BestEssayCheap.com

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