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1、OntheCharacterofShylockinTheMerchantofVeniceAbstract:CriticstendtoagreethatShylockisthemostnoteworthyfigureinTheMerchantofVenice.SomepeoplereadhimasabloodthirstybogeymanandaclownishJewishstereotype.Theythinkthatheisselfish,cruel,avariciousandniggard.However,theothersholddifferentideasforth
2、ewoefultreatmentshehasgot,whichmakesithardforustolabelhimanaturalbornmonster.So,nobodyhasgivenhimanexactimagefornow.Indeed,Shylockistheplay’santagonist,butheisalsoacreationofcircumstance;eveninhissingle-mindedpursuitofapoundofflesh.Here,Iamgoingtogivehimapositiveimage.Exceptforbeingavillai
3、n,heisawarrioralsotolifeandeventothesociety.KeyWords:MerchantofVenice,Shylock,Character,acreationofcircumstance,awarrior1Briefintroduction1.1AbriefintroductionofthewholestoryTheMerchantofVeniceisoneoftheShakespeare’sfamouscomediesin第13页共13页hisearlytime.Itsthemeistoextolkindness,friendshipa
4、ndlove.ThisstorybeginswiththeVenicebusinessman,Antonio.Antonio’smoneyisallinvestedinmercantileexpeditions.Inordertohelphisbestfriend,Bassano,hehastoborrowfromtheJewishusurer,Shylock.ShylockhasmadeastrongbondthatrequiresAntoniotosurrenderapoundofhisfleshifhefailstorepayhimwithinacertainperi
5、odoftime.Antonio’sletternowreleasesthathisshipshaveallbeenlost,andheispenniless,andwillhavetopaythepoundofflesh.TheboundissuehascomebeforeacourtoflawatwhichPortiaappearsdisguisedasayounglawyerinstructedtojudgethecase.ShefirstappealstoShylocktohavemercy,butwhenheinsistsontheletterofthelawsh
6、eletshimhaveit:hemaytakehispoundofflesh,butthereisnomentionofbloodinthebond;ifheshedsasingledropofaChristian’sblood,hislandsandgoodswillbeconfusedbytheStateaccordingtothelawofVenice.Thus,Antonioissaved,andShylockhastoundergocertainseverepenalties,includingcompulsoryconversiontoChristianity
7、.(ZhangBoxiang,2004:176)1.2AbriefintroductionofthesocialbackgroundIn16thcentury,EnglandisundertheleadershipofElizabethatthattime.Withtherapiddevelopmentofcapitalisteconomyandthegrowthofthebourgeoisie,thediscriminationandexclusiontowardstheJewshasbecomeincreasi