To what extent does shakespeare intend the audience to sympathise with shylock in "the merchant of venice"

To what extent does Shakespeare intend the audience to sympathise with Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice" "The Merchant of Venice" is a problem play, because it could be seen as a tragedy or a comedy. The contemporary audience would have mainly consisted of predominantly white males, they are an anti-semitic society. They would have seen this play as a comedy because of Shylocks defeat at the end of the play. Shakespeare would have had …

…and managed to trick them in to thinking that they were being complimented. Shakespeare is saying that anti-Semitism is wrong, but managed to say this without the audience knowing and yet it showing through to the modern audience. Overall we should sympathise with Shylock because we are the modern audience and understand why Shakespeare was trying to say, it also depends on how the play is directed if the audience sympathises with Shylock or not.