They were treated despicably, so as the play starts and as Shylock is introduced as a Jew it is certain that he is going to be depicted as the lowest of the low, as being mercenary and sadistic. However, as the play progresses we see.
A character by the name of Bassanio borrows money from his friend Antonio, and Antonio borrows the money from Shylock to give to Bassanio. Eventually, Antonio cannot pay the money back because his ships have supposedly sunk. Therefore, he comes close to death because he signed a bond with Shylock stating that Shylock would get a pound of his flesh if the bond was not repaid.
In the end, the conflicts between the characters are resolved, and the mastermind. This cruelty helps the audience feel comfortable in the world in which they live; the good guy wins, the bad guy is punished, and characters learn from their mistakes.
In that sense, without cruelty, there would be some uncertainty left in for audiences that would not bring about the same ending. Without cruelty, the possibility that sometimes the antagonist gets away with things or that a character does not learn from a mistake.
Anti-Semitism of that era. To be more specific, Shylock is a Jewish merchant whose legal rights have been violated, as Antonio was incapable of paying his debt to him. Obviously, Shylock seeks vengeance against Antonio. When Shylock refuses to explain his reasons for wanting Antonio dead, it makes him sound unreasonable; he says if his house is troubled by a rat, he can. Also, how do you think an Elizabethan audience would have felt about this would they have thought he deserves his punishment?
In the final scene, Shylock and Antonio went to court. Shylock was very determined to receive the pound of flesh from Antonio as agreed upon in the contract. Portia, disguised as a man, encouraged Shylock to show mercy, but he did not. The main argument in this scene was "Justice versus Mercy. Shylock backed off, but he agreed to take the money instead. Portia and the Duke now rejected that, saying that he would have to face punishment.
Shylock had his fortune taken away, and was forced to convert to Christianity. He failed in getting his revenge and was humiliated for it.
They both are trying to get business done with a slightly evil side to them. Did Shylock Deserve His Punishment. Accessed November 12, Essay, Pages 7 words. Get quality help now.
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