WHEN SHYLOCK CRIED
In Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”
In this 16th century play, Antonia, a Christian merchant, takes a heavy loan from a Jewish moneylender, Shylock, on the condition that if he doesn’t repay the
loan by the deadline, Shylock will have the right to take a pound of his flesh.
At the time the play was written, the Jews stood infamous and
disrespectable. There was inter-religious disharmony which is strongly reflected
in the following speech of Shylock in answer to a question by an Antonio’s
friend Salarino.
Salarino. I am sure, if he forfeit , thou shall not take his
flesh: what is that good for ?
Shylock. …if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my
revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me (caused me to lose) half
a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation,
thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated (incited) mine enemies;
and what is his reason ? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes ? hath not a Jew
hands, organs, dimensions (limbs), senses, affections, passions ? fed
with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases,
healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a
Christian is ? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh
? If you poison us , do we not die? And if
you wrong us; shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble
you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian , what is his humility
(kindness, humanity) ? Revenge . If a
Christian wrong a Jew , that should his sufferance (endurance) be by
Christian example ? Why, revenge. The
villainy you teach me , I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better
(improve) the instruction. “
Shylock’s cry emphasises two great truths. First,
all humanity is one. There is no biological difference between a Christian and
a Jew. There is also no emotional and psychological difference in their personalities.
The followers of both the religions are also
subject to the same physical hurts and their healing devices. Their affections
and passions are no different. The second truth is that revenge
breeds revenge. To hate and harm a person because he is a Jew will compel a Jew
to treat a Christian similarly.
Shylock’s cry
is a very loud message for religious antagonists.
It succeeds in establishing
that creedal inequalities are man-made. For God all humans are equal. It is,
therefore, necessary that they recognise amongst themselves a physical, mental
and emotional co-relation and refrain from mutual hatred. Hatred cannot
breed love, nor can revenge breed tolerance. To dream about social harmony , when
we do not treat the people of other
faiths with the same spirit of love and
respect as we do ourselves is vain. Religious harmony cannot be had as a gift , it has to be earned.
………..
19th
August 2021 G.R.Kanwal
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