Tariq Mahmood Awan
As a human, I am all for peace, humanity and justice. However, the Israel-Palestinian conflict is spooking me even as a human. The torture, killings, destruction and misery scenes have shaken my part and resolve on humanity. Humans are one of those species who seem born to devour one another. Their very nature ranges from divinity to devility. It is here they are so complex, intricate and intriguing. Lately, Israel has cordoned off the Gaza Strip and claimed to halt food, water and all supplies indispensable for human existence. They are so arrogant that they claim to give a lesson of life to Palestinians. The claims are not less than godly.
These claims remind me of the popular Drama of William Shakespeare, the Merchant of Venice. As a student of literature, I would sympathize with the jew character, Shylock, who symbolized how Jews were persecuted by the Christians in Europe economically, culturally and humanly. Even when I became an English literature teacher, all my sympathies would remain with the character of Shylock whenever I taught the Drama to my class. Then, a particular monologue by Shylock would propel me to think deeply about the level of discrimination Jews were met with. Let me produce the monologue!
To bait fish withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies, and what’s his reason?
I am a Jew. Hath, not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.
If a Jew wrongs a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrongs a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why revenge? The villainy you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard, but I will better the instruction.
Let me also explain the context of the monologue to make readers understand better the meaning of the text.
In the drama The Merchant Of Venice, William Shakespeare analyses the relationships and strains between peoples of Christian and Jewish faith; later in his literary career, he would return to this backdrop and themes of ethnicity, race, nationality and identity in Othello (its famous Act 5, Scene 2 speech is another exceptional Shakespearean oration worth any actors’ spell).
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The discrimination against the Jewish character Shylock and Jews in the drama The Merchant of Venice is a prominent theme that reflects the prejudice and intolerance of the Elizabethan society. Shakespeare portrays Shylock as a complex and controversial figure who is both a victim and a villain of the anti-Semitic attitudes of his time. The drama explores multiple perspectives where Shylock and Jews are discriminated and persecuted.
Shylock and Jews are discriminated against because of their religious beliefs and practices, which are seen as inferior and alien by the Christian majority. Shylock is constantly mocked and insulted for his faith, such as being called a “dog”, a “misbeliever”, a “cut-throat dog ” and a “damned, execrable dog “by Antonio, Gratiano, Bassanio and Portia respectively. He is also forced to convert to Christianity at the end of the play as a punishment for his attempt to kill Antonio, which is a violation of his religious identity and freedom. Moreover, Jews are stereotyped as greedy, ruthless and vengeful moneylenders who exploit Christians with their usury, which is forbidden by the Christian doctrine. Shylock is depicted as a typical example of this stereotype, who demands a pound of flesh from Antonio as collateral for his loan and refuses to show any mercy or compassion.
Furthermore, Shylock and Jews are discriminated against because of their legal status and rights, which are limited and unequal compared to those of Christians. Shylock is subject to the laws of Venice, which are biased and unjust towards him as a foreigner and a Jew. He is denied the justice he seeks from the court when Portia, disguised as a lawyer, tricks him into forfeiting his bond by using a technicality that he cannot shed any blood while taking his pound of flesh. He is also stripped of his property and wealth, half of which goes to the state and half to Antonio, who generously allows him to keep it on the condition that he becomes a Christian. Furthermore, Jews are excluded from the social and economic spheres of Venice, which are dominated by Christians. They are confined to living in ghettos and wear red hats to distinguish themselves from the rest of the population. They are also banned from engaging in any trade or profession other than moneylending, which makes them dependent on Christians for their livelihood.
Then, Shylock and Jews are discriminated against because of their human dignity and emotions, which are disregarded and devalued by Christians. Shylock is treated as an inferior and subhuman being who does not deserve any respect or sympathy from his Christian counterparts. He is spat upon, kicked, cursed and abused by Antonio and others, who consider him as an enemy and an obstacle to their happiness. He is also betrayed by his own daughter Jessica, who elopes with Lorenzo, a Christian, taking some of his money and jewels with her. She renounces her father and her faith, calling him “a merry devil” and “a faithless Jew”. However, Shylock is not a heartless or emotionless creature; he is a human being who suffers from pain, grief, anger and loneliness. He expresses his feelings in his famous speech: “I am a Jew. Hath, not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?”
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Finally, the discrimination against Shylock and Jews in The Merchant of Venice is a significant issue that reveals the dark side of the Elizabethan society and its intolerance towards religious and cultural differences. Shakespeare presents Shylock as a complex character who is both discriminated against and discriminating towards others. He challenges the audience to question their own prejudices and stereotypes about Jews and other minorities.
Returning to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the symbolism of the drama shows that it is a matter of time; the soon one gets power, one becomes cruel. Power makes humans evil, and more power, more brutal. Israel should comprehend the power dynamics and cycle of civilizations. Power sustainability has been the most inconsistent civilizational pattern. Once powerful and the next phase, the weakest we are. Therefore, Israel should know the power dynamics and historical mercilessness.
Israel needs to read the monologue of Shylock and let me close my article with one of its lines: And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?
If Israel wrongs the Palestinians, will they not revenge?
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