How far is Shylock a character for whom we can feel sympathy? :: essays research papers

How far is Shylock a char make uper for whom we nates tonus sympathy? How would a contemporary audiences response to him differ from that of an audience in Shakespeares time?Shylock isnt a character for whom we can touch much sympathy for because he always seems to be thinking about himself and his gold rather than new(prenominal) citizenry around him. Through most of the play he seems selfish, and it seems in some parts of the play as though he doesnt care about his missy. He also has a very unappeasable religion, which also sometimes makes him seem as an uptight character.Although he sometimes does try and be a good father to his daughter much(prenominal) as in act 2, guesswork 3. This is where he tells her to lock the digest up and to keep safe from the masque, but even part of this act to his daughter was to make sure no Christian men would count into his house or anything fixate stolen. Through the whole of the play the audience keeps changing their sympathy for Shylock, pitying him one moment and hating him the next. Some people would call the audiences feelings to Shylock a kind of crimper coaster of sympathy.Also in act 2, scene 8 Salerio and Solanio are talk of the town about the way Shylock reacted to his daughter leaving. Solanio say that Shylock had saidMy daughter O my ducats O my daughterThis quote makes the audience feel a tiny bit of sympathy for Shylock as it shows how he feels awful about how he has lost his daughter and money at the same time. Solario also goes on to sayStolen by my daughter justness Find the girl She hath the stones upon her, and the ducatsAfter this is said the audience will feel a lot less sympathy for Shylock as it seems he only cares about finding his daughter because she has the ducats with her and the only way to get back his ducats etc is to find his daughter. Although he only cares about his ducats the audience ability feel sympathy for him because that it was his own flesh and blood that stole th e ducats from him. So Shylock would feel quite betrayed by this.In act 3, scene 1 there is a lot of evidence that shows Shylock valuing money over his daughter. Shylock had said in this sceneI would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear would she were hearsed at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin.