Devon Pollock
Portfolio B
In the opening scene of act 4, Shakespeare uses examples from nature to display Antonio’s close-minded belief that it is only natural for all Jews to be ruthless, unforgivingpeople, which perpetuates the negative stereotypes placed on Jews in Shakespeare’s era. When Bassanio is trying to argue with Shylock to have him forget the bond, Antonio stops Bassanio to say, “I pray you think you question with the Jew/… You may as well use question with the wolf/ Why he has made the ewe bleat for the lamb” (4.1.70-74). Antonio is saying that there is nothing Bassanio can do because arguing with Shylock is useless since he is a devilish personwho cannot be persuaded into doing the right things. Antonio’s specific choice of comparing arguing with Shylock to questioning the wolf “why he has made the ewe bleat for the lamb”, depicts Shylock as bloody thirsty animal, the wolf, while Christians like Antonio are just innocent, loveable lambs. This carries on the theme of Christianity being the respected religion while no respect is given to any Jewish faith. Antonio continues with his nature similes byadding, “You may as well forbid the mountain pines/ To wag their high tops and to make no noise” (4.1.75-76). This statement continues with Antonio’s idea that it is simply natural for Jews to be evil. It is part of nature for the leaves to respond to the wind and move, and using this example conveys the message that it would be uncharacteristic for Shylock to forgive andspare the Christian. This simile maintains the unfavorable view of Jews that has shadowed the whole play. Antonio ends his dialogue with tell Bassanio, “You may as well do anything most/ As seek to soften that- than which is harder?-/ His Jewish heart.” (4.1.78-80). Antonio claims that there is nothing more impossible than to soften “his Jewish heart”. Comparing those incredibly hard tasks to the hardness of Shylock’s heart shows the intense hatred Antonio feels for Shylock and his religion. In the end it shows the irony that this Christian exclaims that there is nothing harder than a Jewish heart yet he doesn’t see that the reason Shylocks heart washarden was from the mistreatment Shylock received his whole life from him and Christians.
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ReplyDeleteIn the analysis Antonio Hating on Jews, a great parallel is drawn between Jews and wolves, and Christians and lambs that shows how Antonio feels that he is Shylock’s victim, Shylock being as ruthless and unforgiving as a wolf while he is as sweet and morally chaste as a lamb. This parallel is not only great because it focuses on Shakespeare’s specific word choice of “wolf” and “lamb” but also because it demonstrates that Antonio sees Shylock’s hatred for him, a Christian, as something he was born with rather than taught. Similarly, Shakespeare uses nature to denote Graziano’s mindset, interchangeable for Antonio’s, that Jews are predisposed to be hateful and malicious. Graziano attributes an animalistic nature to Shylock because of how Shylock sharpens his knife way in advance of the taking his forfeiture. Graziano states “that souls of animals infuse themselves/Into the trunks of men.” (4.1.131-132). Here, Graziano implies that Shylock has been all his life animal-like, bloodthirsty and vicious, and that Antonio did nothing to deserve Shylock’s hatred. Through Graziano’s implication, Shakespeare conveys that Christians thought Jews were naturally “sinners” even though the Christians treated the Jews cruelly and unfairly, essentially forcing them to “sin” as defined by the Christian faith.
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