A Person Who Needs to be understood again-Shylock
Antonio, a Venetian merchant, complained of melancholy; his friend Bassanio asked for a loan to court Portia. Antonio agreed to help him and he approached Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, to ask for a loan. Shylock was reluctant to lend his money to the Venetian Merchant Antonio, and agreed only after the merchant staked a pound of his own flesh as guarantee. Antonio agreed and soon after the deal was done. Later, Shylock was delivered a painful blow when his daughter Jessica left him for the warm embrace of her Christian lover, stealing his money in the process. Disgraced by what he saw as an insult to his pride and integrity, Shylock was hungering for revenge. After Bassanio got the money, he met Portia and courted to her successfully. At the same time, Antonio's loan was due to pay but he couldn't repay the money, so Shylock charged him to the court in demanding his right of cutting a pound of flesh in Antonio. Portia disguised herself as a male lawyer to go to the court to help Antonio. She used her wit to persuade Shylock that according the contract, he had a right to cut Antonio's flesh, but if Shylock made Antonio breed he should be arrest for shedding a Christian's blood. At last, Shylock had no choice but to lose gave half
Was Shylock cruel? In my view, he was kind enough to lend the money to Antonio, the person who insulted him and his tribe. When Portia and other Christians asked Shylock to give a mercy to Antonio, did they think about themselves that did they have ever given any mercy to the poor Jews? If Shylock wanted Antonio's flesh was a cruel behavior, how about the behavior that the Christian towards the Jews? I think this should be charged more seriously. And Shylock was not an entirely cruel person, if he was; he would not lend the money to Antonio and would not go to Antonio's party. I believe that if the Christians and the Jews could get together peacefully at that time, Shylock should not be this Shylock in this play. His characteristics were mostly affected by the society. As for the critic about Shylock's cruelty towards Antonio, I don't think he is too cold-hearted. If I were in his situation exactly, I would revenge more extremely than him. First, I would not lend many to Antonio, because he not only "he hath disgrac'd me and hind'red me half amillion; laugh'd at my losses, mock'd at my gains, scorned mynation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mineenemies", but also that he did not feel any regretful about his abuse to Shylock. When Antonio needed Shylock's help and Shylock condemned his bad behavior, Antonio only replied, "I am as like to call thee so again, to spit on thee again, to spurn thee too." In this
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Approximate Word count = 966
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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