In Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice there is a palpable hatred between the Jewish moneylender Shylock and the privileged and prodigal Christians Bassanio, Lorenzo, Antonio, Gratian and Portia. History shows that Jews have long been persecuted and despised for not accepting Christianity, Islam, or other majoritarian religions as their own. Yet the choice of religion is not the cause of the horror of the two cultures. Their hatred is much more deep-rooted; stems from their antithetical cultural beliefs. Shakespeare describes lifestyles; morals and values ​​that are completely opposed to each other, the very nature of his Christian characters nullifies Shylock's distinctive characteristics. The closed, cautious, sober, simple and solitary man is catapulted into the social, extravagant and spendthrift world of Christianity. Detested as much for his mean profession and his bare lifestyle as for his religion, he is a stranger in a society that contradicts everything he feels and believes. values ​​are inadequate and unworthy of living. Shakespeare ultimately asks Portia to destroy Shylock, thus pointing to Christianity as the superior way of life. Yet it is not out of antisemitism that Shakespeare strips Shylock of his principles, rather it is a conclusion about how life should be lived. Although the Christians in The Merchant of Venice are far from perfect, with their hypocrisy of mercy and extreme materialism, their life is still preferable to the stingy, antisocial, emotionally connected alternative. Before Shylock even enters the play, Shakespeare hints at the intolerance of Christian society through his protagonist Portia. Like Por...... middle of paper......s. Portia expounds extensively on the Christian ideal of mercy, saying, "It is an attribute of God himself," but ironically exercises none of it in softening Shylock's punishment; forcing him to convert to Christianity and seizing half of his wealth, the Christians show him no mercy. True to form, Shakespeare depicts his characters with all their human flaws; they make mistakes. However, it is in Christians that he places his hope for the future. Their values ​​and ideals are good and they strive to realize them. Belmont's paradise, unattainable and perfect, represents the harmony and order they aspire to. Shylock's ideals leave man with nothing to live for, while Christians celebrate and appreciate life and are content. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Ed. Lawrence Danson. New York: Pearson Education, 2005. Print.