(1) A Grand Figure : ‘Old Shylock’ is a grand figure in The Merchant of Venice. He is imagined to be on the wrong side of forty with unkempt hair and dressed in a long Jewish garberdine.
(2) His Miserliness : His miserliness is peculiarly Jewish. He loves only riches. So he grudges even his servant, Launcelot’s food, sleeping by day and the cost of his clothes. His concentrated love on riches makes him a bad father, and causes Jessica to feel that his house is ‘hell for her.
(3) His Usury : His usury is no less Jewish. It is based on the authority of his holy scriptures : the interest on money is a well won thrift, as it is based on a bargain. So for him bargain was a way to thrive.
(4) His Cruelty : Shylock’s cruelty in business dealings is also Jewish through and through. Once a bargain is made with the Jew, the Jew must get his due. Due to his cruelty he did not care for the feelings of his customers and even of his daughter. He is very sensitive to injustice. When his sensitiveness strikes his miserliness, he goes almost mad.
So to conclude we can say that if not the hero of the play, Shylock, undoubtedly is the most dominant and strong character in the play ‘The Merchant of Venice’.
