I believe that Shylock is the villain of the play because of the deal he made with Antonio. Antonio is obviously the protagonist in the novel, and Shylock wishes to take a piece of his flesh, and anyone that is wanting to harm the protagonist is a villain. Although he has a rightful reason to wager this deal, he is still devilish in the act of showing his want for blood. He is also classified as the villain because of his greed for money. Shylock's love for money ultimately causes his daughter to leave him because he values it above her. Anyone who values an object above a human is a villain in my mind.