The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1878-01-17

years CT age. Inc prospective gains
which Shylock anticipated in case of
Antonio's death, were much stronger
reason, at the age of fifty, for rejecting
36, 900 ducats at one s'haul, than they
would have been if he had stood with
zone foot in the grave
As to Shylock's passions, we freely
admit that avarice was the controlling
one; for its action was steady and CON
slant; the others were intermittent and
appeared or not, as there was, or was
want Of an immediate excitant. They
may have been all born of avarice; but is
the son never able to overpoHer the faith
er, nor the daughter the mother? Does q
confiagration never consume the torch
thai lighted 1t? Fever and plague are
often born of intemperance; bnt are they
not distinguishable in their nature
and effects, and are they not treated with
different remedies? In the long run the
constant passion accomplishes most;
but each individual human action is the
result of the motive that for the time
being is strongest. Those must have
been huge and ugly passions that could
have induced Shylock
ITO follow thus loseing suit
OF course when the hope Of revenge
is quenched by an adverse Judgment. av-
| arice, which is not yet affected by the
decision, at once comes into sight, as
being the next highest crag in the
mountain chain.
Finally as to social and political con-
| dition. On this head, it seems to us,
our critic sacrifises much of the harmo-
ny of the play and mars some of those
| characters that are intended for admira-
ton. Bassanio, against whom no
breath of calumny or reproach was ut
tered, save by Shylock, was, as our critic
| is willing TO believe, a fatterer. His
explanation is very erroneous. Shylock
was invited to dine, not to sup, with
Bassanio in order that a conference with
Antonio might be had; but the inter
view occurred by accident almost i'm
mediately; the negotiations were com
pleted, and Shylock went to purse the
ducats straight" When Shylock went
| to sup with Bassanio, it was upon a
special invitation borne by Ldatecelot
| Gobbo and at 4 time when Bassanio no
| longer had any need of resorting to the
mean artifce.. of fattery. It seems much
more reasonable to suppose that the in
vitation to supper sprang from at least a
motive of politeness. if not one of neigh
| borly hospitality. If there had been a
very wide chasm between them socially,
they could not have gathered around
| the same table; and Shylock himself,
with his great perception, seeing the
improperly, would have utterly rejected
| the Invitation. Jews are not much op
pressed in this country; but how often
| do Jews sit at Christian tables even III
! this land of equality?
Our critic shows the greatest warmth,
over the cruelty of the final Judgment
against Shylock. It should be remem-
bered that this great otf4fendsr had been
caught II the very act of attempting ~ q q
| life of Antonio, whereby lie became
punishable by Death. Now, if ShylocI
was required to abjure his religious
faith, it was done i'll the Eexeroise of
executive clemenay, and as q condition
| OF the pardon pronounced; not in the
administration Of any law. It is not u.s.
ual that SO much sympathy is ELECTED
| by the imposition of hard conditions
upon granting pardon to an undoubted
| felon. But we do not understand that
Shylock was required to do this. The
duke did not suggest this condition; i:
came from Aptoniol
1.-TWO things provided MORE That, for this
| favor
| He presently become christian:
!
| Here in the Court of all he dies possessed
| Unto his son Lorenzo, and his daughter;
| Dike. He shall do this; or else do recapt
| The pardon, that late pronounced here,
| P0f- Art thou content, jew, what dost thou
! say?
| Shy. 1 am content.
| P0r. Clerk draw deed of gift.
| Now it is to be observed that Antonio
by the use of the word presently" in
dicating something an future, did not
expect ahiuration as part Of the judg-
mentl that the duke in using the words
"Ife shah do th5s, "a in stead of saying
''He shall do these, intended the enforc-
emcnt of the latter condition only; that
Portia in saying ''Clerk draw deed OF
gift instead of saying Clerk draw a
deed of gift and q confession of faith, u
shows that she understood that the lat
ter condition alone was to be O. matter OF
record III the Court,
And what e. spectacle this is of the
christian robbing the Jew Antonio
who believes himself to be bankrupt,
takes nothing; though the court awards
him half Shylock's goods. He takes
one half, however, subject to the neae5
sitv of rendering it 10 ahyiock's daugh
ter and Son-in law upon the death OF
the Jew, thus saving the daughter from
disinheritan.cccc. Cur critic believes that
Antonio pleaded guilty to the alleged
indignities offered by him to Shyloek.
We confess that his argument 10 exceed
ingly strong ON this point. Antonio
| says:--
II as like to call thee so again,
To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too.
Was this pleading guilty? It admits
nothingg il his conduct had previously
been that of the high minded gentleman
that we take him for, his statement
amounts to no more than that he would
continue to treat Shylock as in the past
We will not claim that we can satisfy
others that the weight of evidence il
with us in this matter. We believe i
ourselves, and give chr reasons fo1
what they are worth. They are these
Bassanio says of him.
1.-THE dearest friend to me- the kindest man,
The best conditional and unwearied spirit
In doing courtesies; aad one IN whom
The ancient Honian honor more appears,
| Than any that draws breath i'll Italy.
Salarino says:-"The good Antonio
the honest Antonio,-O that I had ii
tie good enough to keep his name com
pany."
Shylock wants revenge because Of tht
alleged indigritiesj bus Antonio gives
another version of the matter. He says
II oft delivered from his forfeitures
Many that have at times made moan to me,
Therefore he hates me-.
And when his life has been sought b,
ShyloalE and half the latter's wealth is a
his disposal to relieve his bankruptcy
he takes not ducat. When those
"moans" were made to him and he dis
covered the heartless extortions of The
Jew, it is not unnatural that his indig
nation should have Leen hot; but il
those alterations even, we must be al
lowed to believe that Antonio was some
thing better than a common ruffian