One of the first idioms taught to students of all ages is "Don't judge a book by its cover." Often a quote like this can be easily overlooked, however it is applicable to people who are not always who they appear to be. Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice is an exceptional play that contains a strange villain in Shylock, who is hated by everyone, although he has not wronged them in the past. Therefore, his habits and personality evolved from his interactions with the Venetian people. By examining the changes that Shylock displays in tone, one can see the motivations of Shylock the villain and ultimately demonstrate that no matter how twisted a person is or may seem, the motivations behind their actions indicate that they innately have a modicum of humanity and conscience and therefore can be empathetic and pitied. The passage begins with Shylock's simple question about his relative's progress in finding his daughter, presumably because he is concerned about her well-being. Shylock states: “So Tubal! What news from Genoa? Have you found my daughter?" (3.1.75-76). However, the response he receives from Tubal seems to bother him and instead of responding rationally, he seems to love his money and valuables rather than his daughter. For example, he answers: “Why there, there, there, there! A missing diamond cost me two thousand ducats in Frankford... Two thousand ducats at that, and other precious, precious jewels. I would rather have my daughter dead at my feet, and jewels in her ear” (3.1.79-83). Shylock places great emphasis on the amount that was stolen from him; his repetition of “two thousand ducats” and “jewels” borders on obsessive madness. This tone is very different from the tone of a few moments before, when he enthusiastically... in the center of the card... even though they had been explicitly told that they would have to keep the rings forever. There is a clear division drawn between Shylock and the members of Venetian society, what they value, he does not and vice versa. Shylock is portrayed as maligned by many modern readers, however, he is different from other villains because he is not innately evil. , but rather his evil nature emerges from his interactions with society. From this we can see Shylock's underlying motivations. Maybe Shylock has overstepped his bounds and maybe not. This, however, is simply an arbitrary opinion. What is important is that Shylock is not exactly what he is at first glance. He is not a cranky Jew who breeds hatred and disgust in anyone he ventures into. Rather, he is simply a man, excluded from society and bullied for being different, seeking revenge on a society that has hurt him for so long.