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The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
Shylock: the eye of the storm of morality by Tara VodihnThe Merchant of Venice is full of many elements - treasure chests, cross-dressing women, enduring friendships, and the nature of both revenge and mercy. It is hardly a wonder that it is considered one of Shakespeare's "problem plays," as it tackles many serious themes within what is considered a comedic framework. Merchant presents a collage of people, thrown together by chance, all of which are convinced that they are behaving in a moral way. So it should follow that if all the characters are behaving in a moral way there is no conflict. It comforts us to think that when a moral question occurs, there is only one right answer. After all, even though we all come from different countries, religions and walks of life, we are all human beings - what binds us together if not a shared sense of right and wrong? We begin with Jessica escaping from and deserting her father Shylock. A beautiful girl is in love with a handsome young man, and she wants to marry him and live happily ever after. This is the stuff of fairytales. Of course leaving her father is the right thing to do. However, this fairytale is complicated by the facts that she takes a portion of her father's treasure, including a ring that was a gift to her father from her dead mother, and Jessica must renounce her religion and become Christian. Then, there is Shylock's insistence that Antonio fulfill his bond. In exchange for aiding his friend by obtaining a loan, Antonio's life is now forfeit. Hardly seems fair. He has done nothing but help unfortunate people get out of Shylock's grasp, and for this, Shylock wants revenge. We cringe at the idea of a pound of flesh being extracted, but consider this: You are a Jewish person living in 16th century Venice. You must live in a ghetto, and have limited access to the rest of the city. You are forced to become a moneylender, one of the few positions open to you. Your profession brings the scorn of others upon you, even as they seek your help. Your livelihood is interfered with by a merchant who pays off the debts of your clients, therefore stopping you from collecting interest. This same man spits on you and calls you a dog. If you are powerless in society, should you give up the one chance you have to even the score in the name of mercy? Would you not feel morally right in collecting your pound of flesh? When the tables turn, the Duke tells Shylock that he will strip away all of his possessions but spare his life. Since the Duke can legally condemn him to death, sparing his life is the morally correct act. Antonio takes this action one step further when he decides to minimize some of Shylock's punishment. But we may also question whether it is merciful to return to Shylock half of his goods, only to take away his religion and his profession. By forcing Shylock to convert, Antonio makes him unable to practice usury, which was Antonio's main reason for berating and spitting on him in public. It seems that one man's mercy is another man's punishment. It would seem that morality is defined in relation to one's position in society - by creating a character that lives outside of norm, Shakespeare alters our moral landscape, and forces us to examine our own ideas of what is right and just. Shylock is the eye of the storm of morality that is The Merchant of Venice. Tara Vodihn is an actress and New Theatre's Resident Literary Manager. |
