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An essay on Shakespeare's character of Shylock
An essay on Shakespeare's character of Shylock Author:George Farren Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: " And Nathaniel said unto him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" And again from Acts, xxiv. v. 5, in which Tertullus accusing St. Paul before Felix, says... more », " For we have found this man a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition among the Jews, throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes." Shy- lock then adds,—I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following; but it excites my contempt, even to laughter, for you to suppose that one of God's chosen people would attend your unclean orgies, for no better object than the pleasure of speaking with Antonio. Come, let us change the subject. " What news on the Rialto? Who is he comes here?" Bassanio, This is Signior Antonio. Shylock. (aside.) How like, a fawning publican, he looks I I hate him, for he is a Christian, But more for that, in low simplicity, He lends out money gratis, and brings down The rate of usance here with us in Venice. If I can catch him on the hip, I'll feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him. The next enthusiastic burst, which marks the pride of the descendant of Jacob, will be found in the following:— Shylock. Methought you said you neither lend nor borrow upon advantage. Antonio.—I do never use it. Shylock. When Jacob grazed his uncle Laban's sheep. This Jacob from our holy Abraham was, (As his Wise mother Wrought In ins .behalf,) The third possessor. At, He Was The Third. Again the actors have misunderstood one of the finest allusions in the play. The reader will remember the part taken by Rebecca, the wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob, to obtain his father's blessing for him, in preference to Esatt, the elder son (Genesis, chap, xxvii.) It was by this act of hers that Jacob became the third possessor; and for this deceit, Shy...« less