The Merchant of Venice: Write a diary entry in the perspective of Shylock after he finds out his daughter, Jessica, has run away with Lorenzo, a Christian.
Date: June 15, 1596
I write this with trembling hands, for I am blinded by waves of fury and betrayal. The news has struck me like a dagger to my very heart, a wound that shall surely fester and poison me to my core. My own daughter, my precious Jessica, has run off in the cover of the night, stealing from my chest a plentiful fortune, but far heavier upon me is the theft of my love and trust.
Yet, as if my heart could suffer no greater torment, I learn that the man who beguiled my daughter and aided in her escape is none other than Lorenzo, a Christian! Must I be forever destined to bear the yoke of such heathens? How can it be that my own flesh and blood has been ensnared and corrupted by the promise of mercy that drips from a beguiling Christian tongue? By a hypocrite who calls his own God pure and weeps not for the deceit he has wrought?
My pain is insufferable, but the more immediate burn of shame spread throughout the city. Those who once respected me, those who once bowed politely as I walked past, call me now by the vilest slur: "Jew." They ask me what profit has been gained in my loss, what value shall bear fruit from my sorrowed coin. Such cruel mockery! To taunt the betrayed father with calculating glee in his darkest hour, do they know no bounds? Even the gentle Antonio, with whom I walked upon the Rialto, shared news of my woe as fodder for revelry and delight.
The streets of Venice have turned against me, but I shall not cower before their scorn. I shall seek retribution in some manner; this I have sworn before the heavens. As any father would and should, I demand the acknowledgment of my justice. Even if the eyes of the law will not see my cause, I have no doubt that God himself will let no agony go unrequited.
But my heart is heavy with more than just anger and humiliation. This night of betrayal has put a divide between a father and his daughter that I fear may never be closed. I mourn for the girl lost to me, the child I once cradled and doted upon. Jessica, my sweet Jessica, will be forever tainted in my memory now. The vile mask of treachery has been pinned upon her visage, and our bond forever severed. Who will bear the burden of her guilt? What will remain of this once-harmonious abode but whispers of her falsehoods?
From this day onward, there will only be darkness in my life. A gaping void left by her deceit will weigh upon my heart and my soul, testing that which constrains me. But vengeance shall be mine, in some measure, someday. This betrayal shall not be forgotten, nor shall it be left unavenged. The God of Abraham guides the righteous on the path to salvation, and I shall pray for his guidance in these days of fury, grief and longing for justice.