Shylock's Downfall: The Merchant of Venice By Raghav Kaushik [KorektPhool] In Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, the character of Shylock is partially responsible for his own downfall. Shylock is a victim of a society that values trade over human life; he falls foul to a city that regards Jews such as himself as inferiors; and even the intricate details of the law plays a part in his demise. It is true that Shylock feeds …showed first 75 words of 2213 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2213 total…ne in this act contains many jokes and neatly finishes the play. Shylock's downfall is caused by an openly anti-Semitic Venetian society that also prizes trade over human life. Shakespeare reflects English society at his time: with all the Jewish stereotypes. While Shylock can never be considered a true hero, (the Jew is a believable individual and had many faults of his own), he can be deemed as a martyr of the Jewish faith.