Why does antonio spit on shylock

Bassanio warns Antonio against entering such an agreement, but Antonio assures him that he will have no trouble repaying the debt, as his ships will soon bring him wealth that far exceeds the value of the loan. Bassanio remains suspicious of the arrangement, but Antonio reminds him that his ships will arrive within the next two months. Shylock is an arresting presence on the stage, and although Antonio may be the character for whom the play is named, it is Shylock who has come to dominate the imaginations of critics and audiences alike.

However, in many ways, the play belongs to Shylock. Shylock, however, differs in that his malice seems to stem, at least in part, from the unkindness of his Christian colleagues.

Exactly how to read Shylock has been a matter of some debate, and even the most persuasive scholars would be hard-pressed to call him a flattering portrait of a Jew.

In the first place, these other villains see themselves as evil, and while they may try to justify their own villainy, they also revel in it, making asides to the audience and self-consciously comparing themselves to the Vice character of medieval morality plays. Though the Christian characters of The Merchant of Venice may view Jews as evil, Shylock does not see himself in that way.

His views of himself and others are rational, articulate, and consistent. Shylock, on the other hand, is an outcast even before the play begins, vilified and spat upon by the Christian characters. Indeed, Shylock understands the Christians and their culture much better than they understand him. He says:. Shylock insists that he will have his pound of flesh from Antonio, even though other characters plead with him to be merciful.

At what point do we see a sentimental side to Shylock? When Shylock learns that Jessica has traded a turquoise ring of his for a monkey he is particularly upset. We learn that it was given to him by his wife, Leah, before they were married and is worth more to him that any number of monkeys.

At this point we might feel some sympathy for Shylock because he has lost something of sentimental value. He talks passionately about what makes us human. Fish bait. Which things does he mention that are the same for all human beings? We all have the same bodies and feelings.

We eat, get ill, feel pain, bleed, and die. We take revenge when done wrong. Shylock previous. I hate him for he is a Christian;. In this scene, Shakespeare makes it clear at once why Shylock is the most powerful dramatic figure in the play and why so many great actors have regarded this part as one of the most rewarding roles in all Shakespearean dramas.

Shylock enters first; Bassanio is following him, trying to get an answer to his request for a loan. Shylock's repetitions "Well. Throughout the whole scene, both Bassanio and Antonio often seem naive in contrast to Shylock.

Shylock has something they want — money — and both Antonio and Bassanio think that they should get the loan of the money, but neither one of them really understands Shylock's nature.

In reply to Bassanio's demand for a direct answer, Shylock still avoids answering straightforwardly. Shylock knows what he is doing, and he uses the time to elaborate on his meaning of "good" when applied to Antonio. Only after sufficient "haggling" does he finally reveal his intentions: "I think I may take his bond. Shakespeare often uses the devices of asides and soliloquies to allow his heroes and, in this case, his "villain," a chance to immediately make clear his intentions and motivations to the audience — as Shylock does here.

Shylock's declaration of his hatred for Antonio immediately intensifies the drama of the scene; the audience now waits to see in what way he will be able to catch Antonio "upon the hip" and "feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him. Their greeting has ironic overtones for the audience, which has just heard Shylock's opinion of Antonio. There then follows a debate between Antonio and Shylock on the subject of usury, or the taking of interest on a loan — permissible for Shylock but not for Antonio, according to Antonio's moral code.

In making Shylock avoid committing himself immediately to lending Antonio the money, Shakespeare is building a dramatic crisis. For example, Antonio's mounting impatience leads to increased arrogance; he compares the moneylender to the "apple rotten at the heart. In Shylock's earlier aside "I'll hate him [Antonio] for he is a Christian" , the audience was inclined to pigeonhole Shylock as the "villain" of this drama; anyone who hates a man simply because he is a Christian must logically be a villain.

Yet now, in this speech, there is much more depth and complexity; we are given a most revealing glimpse of a man who has been a victim, whose imposition of suffering on others is directly related to his own suffering.

Shakespeare is manipulating us emotionally; we have to reconsider Shylock's character. After Shylock regains control of himself and skillfully leads Antonio toward the sealing of the bond, he says that he "would like to be friends" with Antonio. Clearly, to us, Shylock's interest is not only in money in this case, but Antonio does not realize this, nor does he realize or fully understand the depth of Shylock's hatred of him.

He is therefore unable to be persuaded that this bond is dangerous.