To Entrap the Wisest by Rene Girard -- Article Summary
Short summary In his 1986 article "To Entrap the Wisest", René Girard addresses the conflict between the two critical interpretations of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. Some view Shylock as a stereotypical, revenge-seeking mercenary Jew, while others regard him as a sympathetic character who has been wronged. Girard argues that both readings of Shylock are accurate and that, in fact, Shakespeare has intended this duality. Explicitly, Girard explains, Shylock is the undisputed villain. He practices usury and seeks blood revenge. Every character in the play is opposed to his actions, including the Duke, who is supposed to act as the impartial judge in the trial, and his own daughter, who shamelessly robs him and quits his household. Throughout the play, however, there is a subtle undercurrent of rhetoric that establishes Shylock as more benevolent than is immediately apparent. In his "hath not a Jew eyes" speech, Shylock points out that he has learned revenge from...