Page:The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis II 1921 3-4.djvu/101

 national traits interwoven with personal traits'. Brandes in his fine criticism regards Shylock from the same standpoint: 'Shakespeare has seized upon and reproduced racial characteristics and emphasized what is peculiarly Jewish in Shylock's culture'.

It is impossible to agree with these interpretations, for when Shylock's character traits are examined according to psycho-analytic conceptions, it will be found that they are not specifically Jewish, but universal, and that the same traits may exist in all men and women. Analysis of Shylock's character is able to show, first, that it is not particularly Jewish and secondly, that his love for money and his hate and revenge spring from the same unconscious sources, in other words they are merely the outward projections of strong anal-erotic tendencies. These anal-erotic impulses pulses are the same in all men and as a result of racial repression any individual may show an outburst of the same strong characteristics as Shylock and react as he has done. These character traits have been precipitated into the unconscious of all mankind from the experience of previous generations and it is only the moral code of culture and civilization which keeps them suppressed. Under proper conditions these egoistic and anal-erotic components emerge and dominate the personality and thus become manifest either as an instinct for the possession of money or a stubborn wish for revenge.

A few of the Shakespearean critics have possessed sufficient insight into Shylock's character to refer to the anal-erotic components in a vague manner, but without, however, clearly understanding them. Giles for instance cites the feeling of power and omnipotence in Shylock and states: 'His energy is restricted to one mode of power, the power of money. To have potency he must have money'. Heine, with his remarkable insight, clearly saw the ambivalent tendencies of Shylock's character, the love of money and revenge and the love for his daughter. He states: 'Shylock does indeed love money, but there are things which he loves still more, among them his daughter ("Jessica, my girl") Although he curses her in his rage and would see her dead at his feet with the jewels in her ears and the ducats in her coffin, he loves her more than ducats or jewels'.