Shakespeare Anti-Semitic? I Think so.

The Merchant of Venice tackles the big issue of anti-Semitism and can be interpreted many ways. No one knows exactly what Shakespeare intended Shylock’s character to represent but we can make a conclusion based on evidence. Because of Shylock’s role in the play, I believe it is easy to see that he is the “evil antagonist” in The Merchant of Venice. I do not think Shakespeare was specifically anti-Semitic, I think he just wrote the play to display how life during that era actually was.
At first it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that Shakespeare is sympathizing with Shylock. This is because Shylock speaks of being mistreated and spit on by Antonio. Also, the placement of Jews in ghettos helps in victimizing Shylock. (they were definitely treated wrongly I’m just speaking objectively).As the story progresses though, evidence points toward the idea that Shakespeare was not trying to sympathize with Shylock. First, I would like to talk about the main reason Shylock dislikes Antonio in the play. It is because Antonio lends money free of interest and consequently is taking away business from Shylock. “He hates our sacred nation, and he rails Even there where merchants do most congregate On me, my bargains, and my well won thrift, Which he calls interest”.(A1, S3 L48-51) Shylock therefore hates someone based on their religious views in the play which does not exactly make him a virtuous character. Just as the Christians hated the Jews for lending money at interest Shylock is hating someone back for disagreeing with him.
Another reason why Shylock is also seen as bad is because of his bet with Antonio. He is looking to kill him because of his dislike for him. His hatred for him goes so deep that he even refuses all the money Portia offers, (way more then he was promised from Antonio), just so he could have the pleasure of killing Antonio. Jessica shows that, “When I was with him I have heard him swear to Tubal and to Chus, his countrymen, That he would rather have Antonio’s flesh than twenty times the value of the sum that he did owe him. (A3 S2 L84-88). It is a little twisted, no matter who you are to go that far in my opinion. Also, Shylock’s hatred goes as far as to praise Antonio’s financial downfall. After hearing that he all his ships crashed he says, “I’m very glad of it. I’ll plague him, I’ll torture him, I’m glad of it.” (A3 S1 L116-117). Shakespeare does not depict Shylock as a nice person. He straight up shows him as a blood wanting murderer. He does not help out in hypothesizing the Jews because of his portrayal of Shylock as a mean character. More evidence to Shylock being evil is at the ending of the play. Not only does Shylock lose the court case, Shakespeare punishes him severely by making him convert to Christianity! It is clear Shakespeare did not intend in arguing that Anti-Semitism is bad, but instead just wrote history.
The other way to look it at is that Shylock is portrayed as a human because of this famous quote, “…I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, heal‘d by the same means, warm‘d and cool‘d by the same winter and summer as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, shall we not die?” (A3 S1 L58-66) Although this is a very convincing argument by Shylock I do not believe it outweighs the other evidence pointed to his demon ization. Shakespeare just does not put enough textual reference to show that he cares about the racism pointed towards Shylock at all. The whole play revolves around how Shylock becomes a blood thirsty and irrational.
By examining the court trial and Shylock’s demeanor throughout the play, I believe Shakespeare did not rise above his time and try to teach us a lesson about Anti-Semitism. I think he just was thinking about what would appeal to the audience; he wanted to write a comical romance and needed a bad guy to spice things up. That is where Shylock came in. By referencing him only by “the Jew” or comparing him to a dog, Shakespeare did not prove to me that he understood racism was bad. I do not blame him for it, because it is difficult to live ahead of one’s time.(770)