How is Shylock greedy in The Merchant of Venice?

How is Shylock greedy in The Merchant of Venice?

In summery, Shylock is a very greedy man because he wants his daughter dead at his feet which is showing a man part of being greedy which is puting money before anything else. Also he is so mad at someone for loseing him money and also mocking his race he wants a pound of there flesh if he can not repay them.

What is the famous quote from The Merchant of Venice?

“Let me play the fool.” “If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches, and poor men’s cottages princes’ palaces.” “God made him, and therefore let him pass for a man.” “How like a fawning publican he looks!

How is Shylock selfish?

Any concern about his daughter arises only as she represents a return of his possessions. Again, Shylock’s selfish, greedy, and dark character comes through as he wishes for the return of his daughter dead or alive so he could get his jewels back.

How is wealth shown in The Merchant of Venice?

During Shylock’s sentencing, he makes a pragmatic argument for wealth, explaining that, in a commercial society like Venice, a person cannot pursue nobler values such a family, friendship, or love without being financially secure. If a person values their life, they must value money, the means by which they live.

How does Shakespeare present greed and generosity in Merchant of Venice?

Shylock expressed his greediness through his selfish actions when making his deal with Antonio. When Antonio’s ships were late to arrive Shylock insisted to receive his pound of flesh rather than accepting offers of three times the value of his original offer. During the play Shylock says, “I’ll have my bond.

Why does Shylock use the example of a rat?

By comparing Antonio to a rat, Shylock equates the worth of Antonio’s life to be that of a rat’s, dehumanizing himself as he sees no value in another human being’s welfare.

What is the proverb quoted by Shylock What does it mean?

Answer: The proverb ‘Fast bind, fast find’ is quoted here because Shylock imposes all kinds of restriction upon Jessica. He disallows her even to look at a procession of Christmas, from the windows and doors of his house, and wants them to be locked from inside when he goes out.

How is Shylock manipulative?

Because of this, Shylock is a hardened character who is cunning, intelligent and manipulative. This is shown by the way he manipulates Antonio into agreeing to forfeit a pound of flesh if the bond cannot be fulfilled as a ‘joke.

What does Shylock value more than money?

Some human relationships do indeed matter to Shylock more than money. Moreover, his insistence that he have a pound of flesh rather than any amount of money shows that his resentment is much stronger than his greed.

What happened to Shylock’s wealth?

In the end – due to the efforts of Antonio’s well-wisher, Portia – Shylock is charged with attempted murder of a Christian, carrying a possible death penalty, and Antonio is freed without punishment. Shylock is then ordered to surrender half of his wealth and property to the state and the other half to Antonio.

Why is Shylock compared to an animal?

Shylock, in turn, seeks to reduce his debtor Antonio to the status of an animal whose body can be bought or sold. In the courtroom scene, he justifies his purchasing of a pound of Antonio’s flesh as being fundamentally similar to the way in which other Venetians might buy slaves or livestock.

Why does Shylock mention pigs and bagpipes?

What does Shylock mean by his reference to a pig, a cat and a bagpipe? There are men that can’t stand things like pigs, cats and bagpipes for no real reason – they just don’t like them. So he doesn’t need a reason why he wants Antonio dead.

How was Shylock treated unfairly?

Shylock felt betrayed and heartbroken, to the point that he was shouting on the streets that his daughter, “Fled with a Christian!”(II,VIII,16) Due to the way Jessica had treated her father by taking his ducats, selling his engagement ring, and marrying a Christian, Shylock was treated unfairly by the end of the play.

Who is the real villain of Merchant of Venice?

Shylock is a fictional character in William Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice (c. 1600). A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play’s principal antagonist.

Why Shylock was a villain?

In the play, The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, Shylock is a villain because in the play Shylock uses deception and his knowledge of Antonio to exact his revenge, Shylock also shows that anger, revenge and hate has clouded his mind and so he chooses to show no forgiveness or mercy towards Antonio.

Why does Shylock cry for his ducats twice?

Solanio reports that Shylock’s reaction was strange. He lamented his lost ducats intermittently with his lost daughter, both stolen by a Christian. This got him mocked by all the boys in Venice, who trailed behind him crying of ducats and daughters.

How does Shakespeare present Shylock’s feelings about money?

In this extract Shakespeare presents Shylock as vengeful. This can be seen when Shylock says that Antonio’s flesh will, ‘feed my revenge,’ and the verb ‘feed’ personifies his vengeance and makes it seem animalistic and intense, as well as suggesting that Shylock is hungry for revenge.

  • August 7, 2022