Shylock s Tragedy And Its Toll On Romantic Comedy

Shylock’s Tragedy and its Toll on Romantic Comedy The inclusion of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare adds a complexity not typically found in romantic comedy. Shakespeare could have made Shylock’s role a light mockery of anti-Semitism, or something to that effect, but instead he chose to create a tragedy at the center of romance and comedy. This makes for a play, which does not fit neatly into an assigned genre. Shylock’s language in this passage, reveals several things, not only about the play, but also the other characters. Through Shylock, the hypocrisy of the Christians is revealed. Shylock flips this romantic comedy on its head, and turns it into something more significant. Pauses and repetitions give†¦show more content†¦This can be seen in both the content and structure of Shylock’s lines. Intentional pauses indicate Shakespeare’s intention for an emotional reading of Shylock. Pauses and repetition in this part icular moment in the play suggest Shylock is at a loss for words, and caught up in his grief: â€Å"The curse / never fell upon our nation until now—I never felt it / till now† (3.1.78-80). Jessica’s choice to join her father’s persecutors is cruel. He pauses after this statement, perhaps because Jessica’s betrayal is the worst type of betrayal against her heritage, and against him. She causes Shylock, who has always had a hard exterior in spite of oppression and abuse, to feel the pain of his persecution. This realization deserves pause, not only for Shylock, but also the audience. For Jessica to leave her father, in this particular way, brings the mistreatment and pain of an entire nation to Shylock. Because his motivations seem somewhat convoluted at times, by greed and revenge, these moments of intentional pause allow the audience time to realize the magnitude of Shylock’s sorrow, and perhaps his true motivation. The repetition in his l anguage, demonstrates a shift in tone, from concise angry Shylock, to repetitive sad Shylock. Repetition is used throughout the play for various dramatic effects. For example, in act three, scene three Antonio