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Evil for Evil: The Downfall of Shylock Within the various forms of literature, many notable authors have emerged as experts in their particular field. Shakespeare is viewed by many as one of the most profound and dramatic playwrights. He is generally noted for his complex dramas, tragedies, and comedies, all of which were written in a most eloquent and glorified manner. In one of his latter plays, The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare attempts to portray …

…the author's fixed intent to exhibit his Shylock as an inhuman scoundrel, whose diabolical cunning is bent on gratifying a satanic lust for Christian flesh. The Jew, in fact, is the ogre of medieval story and the cur to be exacerbated by all honest men. He represents the tormented receiver of evil from society, the baneful villain plotting to destroy the hero, and most importantly, a man fueled by others' maledictions to exhibit his own.