Shylock, a major character in Merchant of Venice. However, should he be classified as a bloodthirsty villain seeking for revenge, or a victim of the Christians' bullying? There is much debate about this topic, but I feel that Shylock is a victim. He lost his daughter, religion and money all due to the Venetians, and in the end, when forced to convert to Christianity, he would be shunned by both the Jews and the Christians.
I feel Shylock is a victim, as at the end of Merchant of Venice, he is only person with a bad ending. His entire fortune was given to Antonio, the one who insulted Shylock the most, and Lorenzo, who stole his only daughter. This makes him a victim, as in addition to not having his revenge on Antonio, Shylock is forced to give away his money, the only possession that he really loved, to his arch enemy Antonio, who insulted him and his religion, and Lorenzo, who stole Shylock's daughter who was the second most important in his life. That was like adding insult to Shylock's injuries, as he had to give his most precious possession to two people in the world that he hated most. Therefore, Shylock is a victim.
Additionally, Shylock was also forced to convert to Christianity. In addition to being the religion that his enemies have, converting to Christianity also turns Shylock into a "in-between", as his Jew friends will desert him, but the Christians would also not want to associate with him. Even his daughter, who was once always by his side, would no longer be seen as related to him any more, being on the side of her lover, Lorenzo. Therefore, Shylock has truly been turned into a lone man, whom no one would want to know nor like. Therefore, Shylock is a victim.
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