Merchant of Venice Shylock and Portia are both sympathetic characters in The Merchant of Venice. Shylock is a man emotionally conflicted throughout much of the play. He is a study of a balancing act. Much like a clown, he shows the world a happy face on the surface, but when you look beneath the mask, he is a man suffering unbelievable pain. Within his soul, he harbors all of his sadness. Portia, on the other hand, suffers from far less conflict. She exudes a great sense of strength and character throughout the play. There is duplicity in Shylock’s character that Shakespeare eloquently weaves throughout. He is a shrewd businessman, yet he is kind. Shylock’s conversation with Antonio and Bassanio in act 1, scene 3 is representative of all the ambiguity in his life.
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