List the range of shylock’s human experiences

- Support each o
- Rejected by society, his own daughter, his employees
- Feels dejected by his lack o
- Marginalised by society, institutionalised marginalisation as a Jew for example to seal the
bond they
- Shylock is often a victim of prejudice,
- Paranoia that possession will be removed from him  Jessica removes his possessions, to
start a new life whereas Shylock requires money ( paranoia is rooted in the historic
dispossession of Jews)

List the range of Shylock’s human experiences:

- Prejuduice:
o Shylock is a victim of dehumanisation from Christians, which he internalises:
o “You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog and spit upon my jewish gaberdine”
- Judgement
o “A goodly apple rotten at the heart”
o The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose./An evil soul producing holy witness”
- Suffering/persecution – Power
o Historically prevalent:
o “I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him”/ “Cursed be my tribe if I forgive him!”
o Invoking the persecution of his collective people, as a means to justify his revenge
which is considered unchristian-like- however in notably inconsistent behaviour, the
Christians negotiate with Shylock on his unchristian terms
o “Suffrance is the badge of all our tribe”- common experience across the collective
jewish experience
o As such, Shylock’s revenge is quite morally disturbing, with an emphasis on the
physical human experience and emotional human response- by the shock factor of
the request, to the audience and inside the play. It demonstrates Shylock’s craving
of a power over his oppressors, that Christians have historically had, this is both an
emotional and psychological experience which benefits him. His imposition of
suffering to others is directly related to his own “Let the forfeit be nominated for an
equal pound/Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken/In what part of your body
pleaseth me”.
o Unsettling reference to “merry bond”, which is an insight into the aspect of Shylock
that is machivellian. There is juxtaposition and irony to this usage, where he seems
unbothered by having a life in his hands.
o Shylock also has a legal power initially as Antonio is bound to him (physically,
financially and legally)  legally kill a Christian who has defamed him and shamed
him
o Shylock uses humour to make sharp jibes, “Antonio is a good man”: mercantile
society, connects money with character.
o Shylock reveals the inconsistencies within other individuals, e.g shows that
Christians are hypocritical through his invoking the bible for example. Use of biblical
allusion in, “Yes, to smell pork, to eat of the habitation which your prophet the
Nazarite conjured the devil into”
 o Yet at the same time Shylock profits off the inconsistency of individuals, caused by
money  Antonio, “Yet to supply the ripe wants of my friend/ I’ll break a custom”
o He also profits off Christian hypocrisy
o Inconsistent and manipulative with the justification of the bond plot, “
o At the same time he mocks Christian business principles trading the pound of
flesh/life, instead of money gained by interest. Shylock interest/usury will be
Antonio’s life/revenge.
- Performance
o To survive Jews have had to hide and veil their true thoughts and intentions
o Shylock, for example rehearses the proposition for money, which suggests that the
human experience is a work of performance that the individual grapples with when
representing, furthermore it externalises a key proponent of the jewish experience,
and their response to a society which both marginalises them yet heavily depends
on them, with the motif of everyone being actors. Note the use of theatrical form in:
“Hath a dog money? Is it possible/ A cur can lend three thousand ducats?” Or/ Shall I bend
low and in a bondman’s key/ With bated breath and whispering humbleness”
o Also illustrates the dishonesty to expressions and how it can be contrived, which
indicate the juxtaposing and paradoxical human experience of Shylock- both the
villain and the victim

Segregation

- Shylock separates himself from the unclean Christians, Con

- Yet at the same time invokes the experience of the collective to

Insecurity/Loss

- Rigid Dogmatism/Moral principle

Point about Human Experience  how it relates to human behaviours and motivations (whether
they seem inconsistent, paradoxical or anomalous)

Christians consider Jews immoral to