The character Shylock is first introduced to us in Venice in act 1 scene 3 talking to Bassanio about the loan of 3000 ducats. Shylock is a moneylender who is a wealthy Jew and charges interest for the lending of his ducats. Even thou Shylock dislikes Antonio he still agrees to loan Bassanio the money on a bound of that if he does not pay back the 3000 ducats in the three months Shylock can cut off I pound of flesh from were he please. In the 1597 people who followed in the Jewish religion were really dislikes and hated and sometimes killed. This is shown by the way that Antonio speaks him in a way that the audience today would not speak to a wealthy Jew Act 1 scene 3 line 94 when he calls him the devil. Antonio is also a moneylender but he does not charge interest and is a Christian and so has more business so he is one of Shylocks competitors. Shylocks daughter Jessica sees a Christian called Lorenzo behind his back, Jessica knows that her father does not wish for her to mix with Christians.
             This play is full of dramatic devices, one of which helps does not help Shylocks reputation of being evil and not caring about anything. This is when he is sitting down in the courtroom sharpening the blade of his knife preparing to cut a pound of flesh from Antonio and the scales being present to weigh the flesh. I find whenever Solanio and Salerio turn up on the scene they recap to the audience what has happened in the play so far. Every time they do this they seem to make Shylocks actions much worse then what actually happened. I find that Shylock is always known what is happening this is because in act 1 scene 3 line 14-20 he knows exactly where the ships are. He is easily annoyed by most of the people around him including his daughter. Throughout the play, the characters only use Shylocks name if they need or want him for something. When Shylock gives his famous speech to Salerio and Solanio " If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tic...