Shylock, Shakespeare and the "Merchant of Venice"

Paper Summary:

This is an argumentative paper about the characterization of Shylock in the "Merchant of Venice" and whether Shakespeare should be viewed as a racist for his portrayal of Shylock. The author argues that Shakespeare is not an anti-Semite and merely reflects popular prejudice in his characterization of Shylock.

From the Paper:

'Shakespeare is not an anti-Semite. He does not portray Jews with intentional slander but instead utilizes contemporary bias and prejudice to create controversy and commentary delivering social medicine to the public through the very same conduit of their prejudice. Shylock, in the Merchant of Venice, is a target and conduit for popular prejudice. By first laughing at the realization of social beliefs the audience is then stunned when Shylock forces the realization of his equality. Regarding The Merchant of Venice, and Shylock, there are two schools of thought. While many call Shakespeare a racist, anti-Semite, bigot and worse, for his many portrayals of minority groups, the portrayal of Shylock has a unique aspect, which necessarily separates it from any other instance of racism within Shakespeare s work."

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