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Anti-Semitism in The Merchant of Venice
through the conversation of Salarino and Salanio when they report on the news of Antonio's wrecked ship and Shylock's state of mind. As Shylock himself enters, they call him and make fun of him. They tease him relentlessly about the loss of his daughter. When the crazed Shylock hears about the loss of Antonio's ship, he determines to take his pound of flesh from Antonio when he fails to repay his debt in a timely manner. He tells Salarino and Salanio that Antonio's flesh will "feed" his revenge. Shylock then lists the wrongs done to him by Antonio, all because he is a Jew. In this famous speech of justification for seeking revenge, Shylock asks, "Hath not a Jew eyes? ...Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions, fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrongs a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrongs a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me I will execute; and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction" (AIII s.I 47-59)." He argues that there is no difference between his position and that of the Christians. Shylock claims that he is as human as they are, with "hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions." It is significant that he makes no mention of having a heart in this diatribe. It is also intentional and ironic that he claims equality only at the lowest levels of human beings, the basic physical form and pure instinct.
Elizabethan Christians d Jews, here embodied in Shylock. Although Shakespeare gives a voice to the persecuted minority, who is allowed to claim equal humanity with gentiles, he uses this voice by having Shylock only claim bodily equality. Shylock shuns gentle ways and lacks humility, generosity and charity. Antonio, who characterizes Christians, is gentle, generous, loyal, and has a noble idea of humanity. Shylock is crazier than ever because of the money he is spending in the search for his daughter. He openly states his bitterness when he says, "I would my daughter were at my foot, and the jewels in her ear." His harangue against Jessica competes with his delight in the news of Antonio's possible ruin. Another Jew, Tubal, plays on Shylock's greed. He raises Shylock's spirits just to deflate them, by changing the subject, first to Antonio, and then to Jessica. Shylock appears to be an outsider even amongst the Jews. It is no wonder that he says he now feels the curse of the Jew.
Salanio's message that all [next page]