The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-05-06
By DR.. Henry Frank
Lecturer Tor The EtheaI Religious Society
Psychological stuey.'


Jew in that age to receive the same abuse
and derision was heaped upon its parents.
Again, when his daughter deserts him. what
IS ShylOcks attitude? There those who
insist he rails at the loss OF his ducats and
shows but little feeling at the loss OF his
daughter Herein he is supposed TO expose
his heartless righteousness. But do not
hear Shylock railing at all What do hear
Is the scurrious recital OF such railing by a
detesting and hilarious hypocrite. For II is
Satanic who ever calls the Jew a dog. a cur a
'illain. aud desires TO see him beaten. in whose
mouth Shakespeare puts the words:
never heard a passion so confused.
As the dog Jew did utter IN the streets.
NY daughter. my dueats-o my
daughter.
Fiea with Christian. my Christian
duestsi"
But when Shylock speaks about the daugh-
ser and the ducats he speaks In sorrow and
shame. When Tu0al tells him Jessca has
epuandcrcd four-score ducats in one night ha
cries. Thou stickst dagger in me; shall
never see my ducats again" True. he mourns
the loss OF has ducats. but his cart is stuck
With pain at his daughters shamclessness and
solly. Then when Tubal tells him he
ring which his daughter had sold for monkey.
shylock cries out. In manifest agony:
Out upon herl Thou torturest me IT,
bal; IL was my turquoise. had Il Of Leah.
when was bachelor. Z would not have
given IL for a whole wilderness Of mon
keys
What other meaning can be discerned here
but that his heart was deeply pierced with pain
because his daughter had recklessly thrown
away dear memento OF his departed wife?
How can anybody read the lines without feel.
ing that his intensest suffering comes from
the association of the ring with the memories
OF his JOYS OF married life and the loss Is the
deeper because OF such association? Surely
the mere money value OF turquoise could not
be that Of a Wilderness of monkeysl The only
thing that could make II valuable was the
painful memory connected with a..
Shakespeare never loses an opportunity to
allow the Jew TO stand forth conspicuously
a character OF preeminent intellectual force.
He ever suffers him 10 trip and play with his
Christian adyersaries to their discontinue.
When Antonio reflects preiudiCialy on Shy.
locks business. the latter makes a pretty turn
of Jacobs experience with the ewes. as told in
Scripture. and says:
This a way 10 thrive
And thrift is blessing, u men steal not
Antonio is 50 Mustered all he can say in
reply is:
Mark you, Sassano, the Devil cite
Scripture for his purpose
This was answer. but confession of
defeat.
And then how sublime is that matchless
unparalleled irony which completely dunn
POUNDS the confused Merchant OF Venice when
Shylock cries;
sisniOr Antonio. many time and Oft
In the Raito you have rated me.
Shall bend low, and ina bondman's key.
Say this
Fsir Sir. you spe, on me on Wednesday
lastI
You spurned me such a day; another time
You called dog; and for these eour
tesies
III lend thee thus much MONIES
In this entire scene Shylock looms sublime
among his belittled Christian deriders. An
tonic can but sputter his anger and hatred;
am as like TO call thee so again.
To spet on thee again. TO spurn thee. too
n Shakespeare had intended 10 represent
the jew as Dee was commonly regarded in that
age he would not have allowed him 10 come on
best IN every intellectual encounter and moral
controversy.
Let us not forget. Iikcwire. that Shake
spesre goes so far as TO make the Christian the
fool ia the transaction about the bond For
he allows Shylock to trip him into the merry
sport" OF signing the bond. the forfeit OF which
would cause his death. In one Of the legends
from which Shakespeare procured this story IL
SIS the Jew who l5 made the victim OF the trick.
But Shakespeare makes the victim the Chris
tian merchant. Here. again discern
Shakes pcare'S keen sarcasm and insinuating
derisioU OF the hypocritical Christianity OF his
day.
Again. when the lew r. twitted by salarino
about the forfeiture OF the bond. and SCOTS be-
cause he will demand tho fun payment Of the
pound Of flesh how keen and mentally force
ful o. Shylock's reply. and how set with with
erlng defiance True. he shows the spirit OF
vengeance. but DO gives his reasons. for.