Faith can heal you

Out of all the characters in The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is the only one who practices Judaism. Intolerance of the Jewish faith is apparent amongst the Christian characters in the play. Shylock's treatment by the other characters is harsh, he suffers many verbal insults and criticisms. Not only is he spat upon by Antonio but Shylock is also referred to as the devil by Solanio. The Christians seem to have no patience for Shylock, often teasing and belittling him. Shylock's thirst for vengeance is fueled by his mistreatment by others. However, Shylock is not merely a victim. He reveals his true feelings about Antonio in Act 1, Scence 3: "I hate him for he is a Christian" (1.3.38). Antonio hates Shylock because he is a Jew and Shylock hates Antonio because he is a Christian. This religious conflict contributes to the other conflicts within the play, such as Antonio and Shylock's disturbing money for flesh agreement. Shylock's hatred towards Antonio is so fierce that he does not care about losing 3,000 ducats. He simply wants to watch Antonio suffer for all the cruelties he has committed towards Shylock. This Christan Vs. Jew conflict may also mirror the thoughts and feelings of many Elizabetheans of time period, seeing as Jews were officially banned from England in 1290.