![Shylock, in the film, is portrayed as more of a victim than anything. It would be seen as racist to do otherwise. In the play, he’s seen as villainous and evil.
In the play, however, the turning point for him is his famous “Hath not a Jew eyes” speech. In this, he calls for tolerance of his people from the Christians:
“Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dementions, 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 vs shall we not revenge?” [Act IV Scene I]
It’s one of the most famous monologues from Shakespeare simply because it’s still relevant today. It relates to racism and tolerance in a universal way.](http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kr5h1mpXXG1qa10kgo1_400.jpg)
Shylock, in the film, is portrayed as more of a victim than anything. It would be seen as racist to do otherwise. In the play, he’s seen as villainous and evil.
In the play, however, the turning point for him is his famous “Hath not a Jew eyes” speech. In this, he calls for tolerance of his people from the Christians:
“Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a
Jew hands, organs, dementions, 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 vs shall we not revenge?” [Act IV Scene I]
It’s one of the most famous monologues from Shakespeare simply because it’s still relevant today. It relates to racism and tolerance in a universal way.
