To bait fish withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me and hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies – and what’s his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, 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 us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me I willl execute – and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.
This whole passage is a speech given by Shylock. In the beginning when he talks about fish bait he is telling Salarino and Solanio what he is going to do with Antonio’s flesh. He said if he can’t use it he will have it for revenge/pride. Later in the speech Shylock tells us that he is human too, and he should be treated like a human. Then at the very end he talks about Revenge. And how if a Christian does him wrong he will take revenge on them. I think Shylock is very upset with Christians especially Antonio. When he says “He hath disgraced me and hindered me half a million…” (3.1.44-45) He is talking about Antonio and how he is terrible to Shylock. I think Shakespeare makes you feel bad for Shylock during this scene, and also shows you that there might be a meaning behind this play. Personally, I think there is a meaning, and it is Treat people how you want to be treated. Especially in this speech it comes out a lot, but I think that is the general message for the whole play.
Do you think Shylock is overreacting, or do you think that Antonio has severely damaged Shylock, emotionally?