也谈夏洛克对安东尼奥的报复

本文认为莎剧《威尼斯商人》中的角色夏洛克与其说是一位受压迫者和当时犹太人民的代表 ,倒不如说他本人就是一位压迫和剥削者 ,兼具一位高利贷者所具有的贪婪、专制等本性。他对安东尼奥必欲除之而后快的主要原因是因为后者是他通过放高利贷赚钱道路上的主要障碍 ;他对安东尼奥的报复反映了没落封建高利贷者和处于上升时期的新兴资产阶级之争。

This paper argues that instead of being the oppressed and a representative of the then oppressed Jewish people, the character Shylock in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice has all the sins of the usurer and he actually is an oppressor and exploiter himself. The reason that he takes revenge upon Antonio deliberately is chiefly that Antonio is his chief obstacle on his way to make much money through usury and thus his revenge upon Antonio is a reflection of a fight between an ascending bourgeoisie and a declining feudal usurer. This conclusion is further verified after we have made an objective study of the acts and behaviors of Shylock in terms of his relationships with his servant and his own daughter and from the perspective of historical materialism. At the end of the paper, suggestions for further study are pressented and discussed.