Content Category
Literary Criticism
Abstract/Description
Given the play’s themes of justice, mercy, and sacrifice, it seems natural to examine Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice within the allegorical framework of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Some Shakespearean scholars have endeavored to assign a redemptive Christ role in the play; however, such comparisons can feel incomplete when considering the complexities of Christian atonement theology and the religious tensions central to the play’s interpretation.
What if, then, we search for a different type of Christ? Such a figure can be found in perhaps the most unique character out of all of Shakespeare’s comedies: Shylock. Throughout the play, the Jewish moneylender is expected—by the plot and by the characters themselves—to fulfill a merciful Christlike role, but when faced with the opportunity, he ultimately fails. The Christian characters “expect a gentle answer” from the Jew, and then vilify him when he chooses to act in accordance with the Old Law rather than the New (MV 4.1.34). Shylock does not turn the other cheek, declines to show mercy, and demands the sacrifice of another’s flesh rather than offering his own.
Contemplating Shylock as a failed Christ type also provides additional insight into the play’s “Jewish question,” and offers a reading of the play that, while critical of Shylock’s individual moral failings from a Christian perspective, also exposes the anxieties and hypocrisies of the Christian characters in the play. Casting Shylock as the failed Christ to their failed Christianity results in a perspective that is far more critical of these Christians than it is antisemitic.
Copyright and Licensing of My Content
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Origin of Submission
as part of a class
Faculty Involvement
Richard Duerden
Location
Brigham Young University
Start Date
1-3-2019 11:00 AM
End Date
1-3-2019 12:00 PM
An Unsatisfying Savior: Shylock as Failed Christ in The Merchant of Venice
Brigham Young University
Given the play’s themes of justice, mercy, and sacrifice, it seems natural to examine Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice within the allegorical framework of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Some Shakespearean scholars have endeavored to assign a redemptive Christ role in the play; however, such comparisons can feel incomplete when considering the complexities of Christian atonement theology and the religious tensions central to the play’s interpretation.
What if, then, we search for a different type of Christ? Such a figure can be found in perhaps the most unique character out of all of Shakespeare’s comedies: Shylock. Throughout the play, the Jewish moneylender is expected—by the plot and by the characters themselves—to fulfill a merciful Christlike role, but when faced with the opportunity, he ultimately fails. The Christian characters “expect a gentle answer” from the Jew, and then vilify him when he chooses to act in accordance with the Old Law rather than the New (MV 4.1.34). Shylock does not turn the other cheek, declines to show mercy, and demands the sacrifice of another’s flesh rather than offering his own.
Contemplating Shylock as a failed Christ type also provides additional insight into the play’s “Jewish question,” and offers a reading of the play that, while critical of Shylock’s individual moral failings from a Christian perspective, also exposes the anxieties and hypocrisies of the Christian characters in the play. Casting Shylock as the failed Christ to their failed Christianity results in a perspective that is far more critical of these Christians than it is antisemitic.