#also something i noticed last time i read tmov

[caliburn-the-sword]

@priscilla9993

omg. the pound of flesh. don't get me started. for my most recent exams i literally submitted an essay where the crux of my argument is that shylock never actually wanted the pound of flesh!! he did it as a joke ("in a merry sport... let the forfeit be nominated"). and yes, there are dangers in taking ANY character's words at face value, but basically textual evidence for him willing to forgive everything antonio has done to him and start afresh with this joke and deal are that he has previously been a doormat (there IS textual evidence to support this in his aside at the end of act one but i can't for the life of me remember word for word) and lets antonio do whatever. so shylock is primed to forgive (or at least overlook with minimal complaint) yet ANOTHER insult from antonio. and the joke itself is saying yeah i'm gonna trust you because we're putting aside our differences and accommodate YOUR religion and not collect anything other than the money owed because i trust you to pay me back. it all comes to a turning point where, if not antonio, it's the wider christian community have such a pack mentality and bias against him that his ENTIRE life is ruined within the span of a night. his ENTIRE fortune is stolen, he is cut off from his daughter, and antonio has also essentially robbed the guy (once again i don't have textual evidence as of now but antonio ADMITTED to planning on not paying shylock back. which demonstrates his own trust in shylock not to come collecting on the bond because he KNOWS shylock to be a forgiving man). shylock has NO ONE he can safely direct his outrage at, no one except antonio given shylock is so sure that venetian court will follow this all to the letter of the law. which they would have?? but also they were literally SO biased in antonio's favour. anyway that brings us to the trial, he states as justification for his vendetta "wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice" um mr shylock you've been stung WAY more than twice. and it also just greatly summarises what i was saying before, claiming the bond has become a self preservation instinct to protect him from having his life ruined even further by Antonio and Co™. in essence, even a worm will turn

i COMPLETELY forgot where i was going with this so hopefully i managed to hit whatever it was i started this tangent on. you gotta forgive me for being very general because it's been over a month, everything has flown out of my brain, i have no notes because they're in my locker and i'm going off pure vibes, and also i'm 17 and not very smart LMAO i only just scrape good grades usually. i'm more of a science guy. i'm just very passionate about shylock