Merchant of Venice: Is Shylock Term Paper

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Bassanio chooses lead, when asked to select from the three caskets that Portia offers to test her suitors. She is happy that he wins, and the lead is supposed to be the correct choice, for the person who chooses lead is supposed to be a man who has hazarded all he has, to win Portia. But in truth, Bassanio has hazarded nothing and desires Portia's gold. It is Antonio who has taken the risk in lending money for his friend. Now that Shylock is angered because of the loss of his daughter, he resolves to call upon the bond Antonio made in jest, a pound of flesh. The jest-like nature of the false bond was reflected when Antonio said that: "The Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows kind." (I.2) in other words, Shylock asked for no interest or money upon the loan in an effort to cement his relationship with Antonio (another example of how Shylock does not always put money before relationships). However, Shylock's kindness turns to cruelty, because a Christian has sundered his relationship with his beloved daughter -- a Christian, incidentally, in need of money that willingly spends the ducats stolen by his stolen bride from Shylock's coffers.

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Even in court, Shylock places money above his revenge, because of his anger at being harmed by Christians. Portia offers to pay the debt, when she learns of what has transpired. Even learning of Bassanio's poverty and his borrowing of funds to woo her, she still wishes to marry him, and offers to pay the debt owed by Antonio the merchant to save Antonio's life. Shylock refuses the accumulating wealth, clearly not a man, once again, who prizes money over all things. Portia must resort to a legal trick to win her case when she is disguised as a lawyer, rather than giving Shylock money, but her own victory is shown to be hollow at the end of the play. Portia marries Bassanio, but only after learning how quickly he is willing to sacrifice the ring she gave him, in payment for services bestowed upon the friend who lent him money at the beginning of the play.

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