The Portrayal of Jews in Venetian Society

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Julia Ziyue Peng

Mr.

IB English 10

Thursday, September 7, 2010

                           The Portrayal of Jews in Venetian Society

        In the number of comedies Shakespeare wrote, The Merchant of Venice is probably

the most well known. What distinguishes this particular play from the rest is the number of

dramatic scenery and controversial themes. One of the main disputes regarding this play is

the stance it takes pertaining to anti-semitism, a term that describes the English Elizabethan

society. Shakespeare uses repetitive connotation to portray Jews as people who will

consistently be scorned by society, even after humanizing them. The two Jewish characters,

Shylock and his daughter Jessica, are the sole representatives of their population.

        Throughout the first two acts Shylock resembles the stereotypical, evil Jew when

perceived by other characters. Shylock does not appear in the first fraction of Act II at all, but

instead his presence hangs over every one else like an ominous shadow. Launcelot, for one, is

compelled to abandon his post as Shylock’s servant because to stay with Shylock is to stay

with someone who “is a kind of devil” (2.2 23-24). Launcelot furthermore embellishes this

phrase to state that “[Shylock] is the very devil incarnation” (2.2 26-27). Having worked for

Shylock for a significant portion of his life, Launcelot would have a clear idea of Shylock’s

malevolent personality. He makes a striking metaphor out of Shylock and the devil himself,

and will continue to do so for the remainder of the act. Yet another repugnant comparison

Launcelot emphasizes is one in which Shylock is compared to a fiend. These comparisons are

made so often that the aura surrounding Shylock is consequentially cynical. The connotation

associated with words such as ‘devil’ and ‘fiend’ is one that immediately highlights the

repulsive personality of a character. Through repeated use, the reader’s brain will

automatically focus on this particular, precontrived aspect of Shylock throughout the entire

play. When Shylock makes his appearance in the later half of the act, it is to bring out his
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negative personality even more. He voices his sinister intentions of attending a party: “But

yet I’ll go in hate, to feed upon / The prodigal Christian” (2.5 14-15). This particular

quotation emphasizes the dishonesty Shylock possesses, and in turn, deems him an outsider.

He is now a Jew who defies moral societal behaviour. Every character, even his own daughter

Jessica, wishes to alienate themselves from him because of the basis that he is a Jew. This

underlines the confound assumption that to be a Jew meant immediate reject from the rest of

society.

           Jessica, the only other main Jewish character, is used to convey the abhorrence the

English society maintained towards the Jewish population. Jessica is viewed throughout Act

II as a wretched victim of her father’s intentions. Shylock accurately fulfills the role of a

dominating, controlling father in a patriarchal society. Jessica, despite her age and maturity, is

still under her father’s restraint in the sense that he orders her to “Lock up my doors, and

when you hear the drum, / … / Nor thrust your head into the public street” (2.5 29 – 32).

Shylock unnecessarily controls every aspect of his daughter’s life. Having had enough time

under her father’s authority, Jessica takes control of her own life, and elopes with her lover

Lorenzo who is a Christian. However, the fact remains that she has to convert to Christianity

in order to receive acceptance from the rest of Venetian society, because she sees her Jewish

heritage as a mark on her honor. But even though she has agreed to convert, she is still

viewed as an outsider to many people. It was imperative to steal great sum of gold and wealth

from her father in order to disprove this view. Nonetheless, no one but Lorenzo is fully

comfortable in interacting with her, although they do not consider her to be along the same

level as a Jew now. Gratiano, Lorenzo’s friend, even remarks that Jessica is “a gentle and no

Jew” (2.6 51). Through his words he is acknowledging the fact that in Elizabethan society,

being a Jew cannot coincide with possessing Christian traits such as gentleness. This motif is

repeated by other characters such as Lorenzo, who states, “if e’er the Jew her father come to

heaven, / It will be for his gentle daughter’s sake” (2.4 34-35). The adjective ‘gentle’ in The

Merchant of Venice is never once associated with the Jewish population, but rather as a trait
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of the Christian population. Through repeated use in this context, the reader absorbs the

meaning behind the connotation that having a Jewish heritage automatically makes a person

resemble a devil in religious areas. Likewise, not being a Jew automatically deems the person

‘gentle and good’. This precise usage not only sways the characters to believe Jews are

outsiders, but also plants the coercive idea into the audience member’s mind.

        In Shakespeare’s works, characters will typically display a great range of sympathy.

Shylock’s full range of emotion and morality is not apparent until Act III. Even though

Shakespeare humanizes Shylock by revealing the story from Shylock’s point of view, he still

remains drastically different from any other character because of his heritage. So far, Shylock

is “an object of loathing and contempt; he is depicted as unprincipled in business and

unfeeling in his home” (Draper). In Act III, Shylock challenges this prejudice made against

him by pointing out that a Jew is much alike a Christian in physical and psychological

aspects. He goes to say, “has not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections,

passions?” (3.1 55-56). He questions the justifications Christians give for treating him in a

derogatory manner, and shows he does indeed care about his daughter’s whereabouts. The

reader and audience interpret his feelings and are able to make essential connections based on

them now. But all this turns out to be for naught, because he is still perceived in the same

way by the other characters. Solanio still emphasizes the metaphor that “the devil cross my

prayer, for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew” (3.1 20), and also “a third cannot be

matched unless the devil himself turn Jew” (3.1 73-74). The word devil is again used as a

connotation, because it implies the feeling of something evil and sinisterly corrupt. Even

though Shylock has evidently shown his moral compassion, his words make absolutely no

mark on the other characters’ beliefs. This is a paramount concept because what the

characters say and believe outline how the audience interprets Shylock. That is to say, their

opinions have a great impact on the opinions of the audience. Thus what the characters

believe to be detrimental to society, the Jewish population, is also reflected in the influenced

beliefs of the audience.
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        The theme of animosity and hatred towards Jews is one that is reflected in other

countries besides England. Anti-semitist beliefs have a deep root in European history, and

continue to affect us today, and The Merchant of Venice is a prominent example. Throughout

the play, Shakespeare utilizes a method of repetitious connotation impacting the overall

manner in which the Jewish population is viewed. One important detail to take note of is that

Shakespeare meant for his plays to be performed and seen, not read. Therefore the use of

repetitious connotation is even more important. Audience members will hear the same

concept of ‘the devil that is the Jew’ numerous times. This will subconsciously paint the

atmosphere in which Shakespeare intended the Jewish population to be viewed. The Jews are

considered the antagonists of the plotline. They fulfill their role with an impeccable accuracy,

both through their own words and through the words of other characters pertaining to them.

The underlying assumption that Shakespeare implies through his use of connotative words

and plot is one highlighting that to be a Jew is to be considered a person without morals and

orthodox traditions. As a result, the Jewish population as a group can never truly be

integrated with the rest of the Venetian population, no matter what they do.
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                                      Works Cited

Draper, John W. “Usury in The Merchant of Venice”. Shakespeare Quarterly. 1935: 37 – 47.

Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Essex: Longman Group UK Limited: 1992.