The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1878-01-03

than with Shyl,.

Wenr. during his al
called at Shylock's house,
away the beautiful iewess, Jess
he accompanied beyond the reach
tyrannical father. Shortly after Jess
and Lorenzo were married and were
guests at the house of Portia, who in the
mean time had become the wife of BaB-
sanio. So these people deal together,
eat together and inter marry. They
appeared to stand upon a footing of
social equality. The greatest impedi-
ments to their intercourse was the nat
ural exclusiveness Of the .geNish charac-
ter together with Shyloek's special
qualities and the antasonism of his.
and Antonio's business interests. Their
fore, Shylock, bearing no badge #
social inferiority, and being Lanpered
by no legal Determinations against him.
when he hadAntonio''up the hip" was,
like other men, free to say what he
thought, and to speak with such vehern-
ence as he felt.
Before discussing the actual state u
his feelings towards Antonio it may not
be amiss to enquire the age and physic-
:. condition of Shylock at the time of
3 great law suit. We know of no off
ring save Jessica, who was therefore
IS eldest as well as his youngest child
and she, at this time, was just arrived
at the bloom of womanhood and was
probably experiencing her first real pas
sion. In the absence of any positive
proof. it would clearly be illogical to dis
regard probabilities. It is better to
reason upon probabilities than to not
reason at all. Therefore we feel COM
PEELED to assume that the difference in
the age of Jessica and her father was
about the same as the average distance
between father and eldest child as we
observe it in common life. No poet with
the fervid passions of shakespeare would
for moment contemplate the eloponent
of lady beyond twenty. The judg-
ment Is then not only too cool for auch
enterprises, but experience has taught
her other means of accomplishing her
set purposes. All this would compel
us to place ShylocE under the age of
fifty years. # he had hatreds, age had
not placated them If he had avarice,
age had not not yet barred it's further
growth if he had cunning, age had not
yet impaired his intellectual acuteness ::
il he had revenge, he still had years
enough to satisfy 1t. Shylock is often
pictured as bent with age, shriveled with
parsimony and weakened with toll.
But where is the proof of all this? Is
not this error INDUCED because such is
the popular conception Of a miser,
and because s5hyloGk is supposed to
.)e the prince of Misers Whereas
g was much more than mere
Ter. AS nliser ftpure and simple"
SCOTS Isaac of York, we believe, may
well claim to be the peer of Shylock.
With Isaac, tie ''lust of gold" contend
ed with severa! quite respectable senti-
ments; and this very contention but en-
HANGED his reputation and gave per-
spective to his character as a lover of
money; for the master passion always
prevailed. But Shylock's .shad emf
nence" was due to a variety of wicked
qualities. His character seemed to con-
tradict almost the aUhoze decalogue.
He was avaricious, crafty, revengeful
and cruel. In short ne YVES versatile in
his badness. It is fair to presume,
when nothing oontradicts the presump-
ton, that guest at midnight supper
was no dyspeptic; that man who had
acquired so great wealth and was still
eagerly getting more, was still vigorous
and in the prime Of all his physical ss
well as his mental powers. IF his pas
sions were robust, his expression OF
them would very likely be forcible and
vehement. Let us see, then, what were
the passions that were afame within
him.
On meeting Antonio to negotiate re-
specting Bassanio's loan, the first ex-
preston of his feelings was
IT hate him. for he is a christian:
But more. for that, in low simplicity,
He lends ont money gratis and brings down
The rate of usance here with IN Venice.
II can catch him once upon the hip,
Will feed fat the ancient grudge bear him.
He hates our sacred nation; and he rails,
Even there where merchants most do con-
gregate,
On me, my bargains, and my well won thrift.
Which he calls interest; Cursed be my tribe,
If forgive him..
From this it appears that Antonio
and Shylock were the leaders respective
" Of the s'bears'' and s:bulls'' Of he
Rialto; and that the latter held an f:an-
cient grudge" against the former which
he was more anxiously seeking to
''feed' than to increase his store Of due
ats. Tt is to be further noticed in the
passage last quoted, as well as in num-
erous others in the play, that Shylock
is the only person in the group who
could not quite forget the question of
nationality; and who distinctively avow-
ed a race hatred. Observe his cold
blooded calculation SIS he plans for the
remote chance Of rocking his 7engeanoeJ
for it must be remembered that no one
anticipated Antonio's failure:
go with me to q notary seal me there
Gour single bond; and, in a merry sport,
II You repay me- not on such day,
In such place. such sum, or sums as are