Shylock is great in every scene where he appears, yet each later scene exhibits him in a new element or aspect of greatness.  For as soon as the Poet has set forth one side or phase of his character, he forthwith dismisses that, and proceeds to another.  For example, the Jew’s cold and penetrating sagacity, as also his malignant and remorseless guile, are finely delivered in the scene with Antonio and Bassanio, where he is first solicited for the loan.  And the strength and vehemence of passion, which underlies these qualities, is still better displayed, if possible, in the scene with Antonio’s two friends, Solanio and Salarino, where he first avows his purpose of exacting the forfeiture.  One passage of this scene has always seemed to me a peculiarly idiomatic strain of eloquence, steeped in a mixture of gall and pathos; and I the rather notice it, because of the wholesome lesson which Christians may gather from it.  Of course the Jew is referring to Antonio: 

“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 will execute; and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.”

I have spoken of the mixture of national and individual traits in Shylock.  It should be observed further, that these several elements of character are so attempered and fused together, that we cannot distinguish their respective influence.  Even his avarice has a smack of patriotism.  Money is the only defence of his brethren as well as of himself, and he craves it for their sake as well as his own; feels indeed that wrongs are offered to them in him, and to him in them.  Antonio has scorned his religion, balked him of usurious gains, insulted his person:  therefore he hates him as a Christian, himself a Jew; hates him as a lender of money gratis, himself a griping usurer; hates him as Antonio, himself Shylock.  Moreover, who but a Christian, one of Antonio’s faith and fellowship, has stolen away his daughter’s heart, and drawn her into revolt, loaded with his ducats and his precious, precious jewels?  Thus his religion, his patriotism, his avarice, his affection, all concur to stimulate his enmity; and his personal hate thus reinforced overcomes for once his greed, and he grows