Time to get provocative!
In Act Two, Shakespeare gives us two soliloquies: one LONG (by Lancelet, at the start of 2.2) and one very SHORT (by Jessica, at the end of 2.3). Both of them deal with the same thing: abandoning Shylock and dealing with the consequences.
So, given our discussion on "complexity" in class on Friday, let's think about complexity in the characters of Shylock, Jessica and Lancelet: are we supposed to side with Jessica and Lancelet, or are we supposed to side with Shylock? Are we supposed to cheer on their efforts to emancipate themselves from the Jew, or are we supposed to feel for Shylock?
There are no right answers here, people, only provocations. But remember that if you want to be taken seriously, you've got to back up your points with textual evidence.
And here's a version of the Lancelet speech from the recent Broadway production of The Merchant of Venice. Watch it first!
The abandonments of both Jessica, and Lancelet cause Shylock to become a more sympathetic character. Although Jessica and Lancelet offer up a negative depiction of Shylock, their arguments are infact counterintuitive, causing the reader to actually side with Shylock. Both of them, are portrayed as selfish and childish because they decide to seek freedom from Shylock because of their own anti-semetic views alone. Neither are actually able to find any substancial abuse from Shylock, revealing their actions to be both unfair and unethical. Lancelet even goes as far to say that Shylock is "a kind of the Devil," and continues on to express his fear of becoming a Jew because he is working for one. He even recognizes that his conscience is telling him to stay with Shylock. Consciences, are ultimately supposed to help the beholder distinguish right from one, yet Lancelet chooses to go against what his conscience is telling him. Jessica, as well desires separation from her father, because of his relegious beliefs. She seeks escape by marrying Lorenzo and converting to Christianity. Although she believes her father is tarnishing her honor and reputation, she still feels a sense of guilt for being ashamed of him, "Alack, what heinous sin is it in me/ To be ashamed to be my father's child?/But though I am a daughter to his blood, I am not in his manners." Even she is able to question the ethicality of her own actions, allowing the reader to do the same. Both her, and Lancelot's biased desires to leave Shylock, actually create a bad impression of themselves, rather than of Shylock. Conclusively, although critical of Shylock, Jessica and Lancelot in fact, cause Shylock to become a more sympathetic character in the eyes of the reader.
ReplyDeleteHannah, although you make a very strong point, I disagree with the thought that Shylock deserves more sympathy from readers because of these two characters decisions. I think that even just the simple fact that not one, but two characters want to escape from Shylock leaves readers to believe that he is in fact a bad person. After Lancelet realized the two options he had, he recognized that "the fiend gives the more/friendly counsel"(29-30). His fiend's advice was to run away from Shylock. I believe that the use of the word "friendly" makes readers think that the option of staying with Shylock is unfriendly. If the option is unfriendly, it is because Shylock is unfriendly. If he is a horrible master, then as readers we should side with Lancelet's decision to run away. Jessica also wants to leave him and to defend this she says, "but though I am a daughter to his blood,/I am not to his manners"(18-19). I think that Jessica is saying that she does not have the same "manners" as her father. Although manners could mean practices or traditions, as readers we think of manners such as kindness. Jessica is portrayed as a nice girl, so if she doesn't have the same manners as her father he must not be nice. Therefore, we should side with both Jessica and Lancelet as they try to leave Shylock.
DeleteI agree with Hannah that the reader becomes sympathetic for Shylock when his daughter and worker decide to leave him. While this may be true to the modern day reader, I think that Shakespeare intended the common audience member to dislike Shylock. Since anti-Semitism was stronger in Shakespeare's time, I expect that when all of Shylocks loved ones abandoned him, the audience would have taken this as verification that Shylock is evil.
DeleteI also think that most readers today will tend to feel sympathy for Shylock because of his solitude in this society of mostly Christians. In the beginning of his soliloquy, Lancelet says, “Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from this Jew, my master.”(2.2.1-2) Even as he is saying this, he says “this Jew,” which seems like Lancelet is trying to emphasize that Shylock is Jewish. He knows that it is wrong to leave Shylock because he is afraid of becoming too involved with a Jew, but still goes against his conscience and ultimately decides to leave. As he is telling his father why he wants so desperately to leave Shylock, he says “My master is a very Jew.… I am famished in his service” (2.2.104-106) Lancelet’s prejudice against Jews is evident here as he generalizes that all Jews are greedy and selfish. This leads us to conclude that the main reason why he wants to stop working for Shylock is because of his prejudice against Jews. This results in sympathy for Shylock from readers because he seems to be ostracized unfairly because of his religion. In Jessica’s soliloquy, she mentions that leaving her father and becoming a Christian will “end this strife” (2.4.20). Her desperation to marry and become a Christian makes the reader question if she really has Christian beliefs or if she is just using her marriage to escape her “strife” as a Jew in Venice. In conclusion, both Lancelet and Jessica mainly abandon Shylock because of his religion. This makes the reader want to side with Shylock because he is being shunned for his beliefs.
DeleteWe are supposed to side with Jessica and Lancelet in this play. Although in reality, with our own views, we may feel bad for Shylock, this play intends for the audience to agree with the abandonment and general hate everyone seems to hold for him. The Merchant of Venice is a comedy, so the humor can only be successful when the one being “made fun of" or "picked on" is not liked by the audience. Daniel is right when he explains that anti-Semitism was more popular back in Shakespeare’s time, consequently allowing the audience to believe that Shylock is a bad person who deserves to be left alone. If we hold sympathy for the "bad person", Shylock, this play becomes a tragedy rather than a comedy. Lancelet says, "To be ruled by my consciousness, I should stay with the Jew my master"(2.1. 22-23). This establishes his character to have good intentions, for his consciousness knows that what’s right is to stay with his master regardless of Shylocks “horrible treatment”. Making him a good person on the inside allows Lancelet to escape his disliked master, with less or no hate from the audience to hold against him. The hatred towards this "evil" character and love for the "good characters", such as Jessica and Lancelet, allows bad treatment against him to be funny.
ReplyDelete-Rina Rabinovich
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