Can the audience believe Shylock when he says he would offer the hand of friendship to Antonio, in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice?

In Shakespeare's play, The Merchant of
Venice, the audience should not believe Shylock's
expression of friendship in his shaking of Antonio's
hand.

There is no question that there is "bad blood"
between Antonio and Shylock. And Antonio would not be with Shylock to borrow money if he
had his own money to give to Bassiano.

Shylock's "aside" in
Act One, scene three, makes this crystal
clear.

SHYLOCK:
(Aside)

How like a fawning publican he looks! I hate him for
he is a Christian: But more, for that, in low simplicity, He lends out money gratis, and
brings down The rate of usance here with us in Venice.(40) If I can catch him once upon
the hip, I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him. He hates our sacred nation; and
he rails, Even there where merchants most do congregate, On me, my bargains, and my
well-won thrift,(45) Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe If I forgive
him!

As Shylock speaks so only the
audience can hear him ("aside"), the audience learns how Shylock really feels about
Antonio.

First Shylock says he hates Antonio because he is
a Christian. The other reason the money lender hates him is because Antonio lends money
to those in need without charging interest ("gratis"). This infuriates Shylock because
when Antonio makes a loan without charging interest, the interest rates in town go down,
and in essence, Shylock makes less money. He is a greedy man, and in his opinion,
Antonio takes the food out of his mouth in doing
so.

Shylock also admits that if he could beat Antonio just
one time, he would be able to exact his revenge for the "harm" he feels Antonio has
visited upon him. He accuses Antonio for hating Shylock because he is a Jew, and says
that Antonio criticizes Shylock in public for charging interest—the way Shylock makes
his money. Shylock closes his aside by saying that his tribe would be cursed before
Shylock would forgive him.

With all of this in mind, the
audience would do best to ignore Shylock's empty gesture of friendship: the man does not
know the meaning of the word.