Shakespeare - Merchant of Venice

What defines a villain as such an evil person? What qualities and actions determine whether or not this individual is deserving of the title villain? What is it that distinguishes a villain, from being confused with a tragic hero? These two descriptions are commonly confused and especially in the case of Shylock from the William Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice. The question of which role Shylock falls into can be debated heavily. However, …

…the house. This hatred and resent towards Christians only added onto his resume as the villain of the play. Finally, the confusion and debate over whether or not Shylock was the tragic hero or the villain is actually a very simple decision to make. When the aspects of how he treated those around him, his priorities and his religion are seen. It becomes quite evident that Shylock is the villain of The Merchant of Venice.