The character of Shylock was written to be acted in a certain way, in which Shakespeare himself would have been on hand in order to instruct the particular actor on how to play the part. However, modern actors and readers do not have this luxury, and thus are forced to determine the true nature of the character of Shylock. It is extremely important to fully understand the Elizabethan attitudes towards Jews for this determination to be made correctly. These Elizabethans held the view that Jews were vicious killers, well poisoners, inhumane monsters who could never be trusted. This view dominated Shakespeare's time period, and is reflected in his writing. It is certain that Shakespeare's Shylock is a villainous "well poisoning" Jew and not a heroic, respectable defender of a persecuted race. In this play, Shylock is not just a dreadful usurer, but also a conspiring and resentful character who plots revenge against Antonio. It is evident that this is the case from the onse!
             t of the play when Shylock demonstrates his villainous nature from the moment he is introduced as he converses with Bassanio.
             Shylock is a wealthy man as a usurer and is less interested in collecting Antonio's money than in the probability of Antonio failing to repay his loan. Shylock is an embittered person, resentful of the ways he has been treated in the past by Antonio and other Christians upon the Rialto and around the streets of Venice. He is intrigued at the idea of Antonio, a Christian who has verbally abused him in the past, being contractually obligated to him, and one is able to recognize his scheme for revenge from the very beginning. "Three thousand ducats for three months, and Antonio bound"( I.3.9-10) He continues to declare that "Antonio is a good man . . . he is sufficient"(I. 3.12 . . .16,17), meaning that Antonio has the means with which o repay him. However, Shylock then doubts the fact that...