Shylock is a fictional character in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.
In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who lends money to his Christian rival, Antonio, setting the bond at a pound of Antonio's flesh. When a bankrupt Antonio defaults on the loan, Shylock demands the pound of flesh, as revenge for Antonio having previously insulted and spat on him. Meanwhile, his daughter, Jessica, elopes with Antonio's friend Lorenzo ...
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Shylock is a fictional character in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.
In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who lends money to his Christian rival, Antonio, setting the bond at a pound of Antonio's flesh. When a bankrupt Antonio defaults on the loan, Shylock demands the pound of flesh, as revenge for Antonio having previously insulted and spat on him. Meanwhile, his daughter, Jessica, elopes with Antonio's friend Lorenzo and becomes a Christian, further fuelling Shylock's rage.
During Shakespeare's day, money lending was one of the popular careers among Jews, since they were forbidden to charge interest to fellow Jews; Christians also followed Old Testament laws condemning usury charged to fellow Gentiles. Jews were also banned from owning farm land or prevented from entering guilds and therefore this was one of the only professions open to them in Christian society. In the 16th century, Christians regarded usury as a sin. However, Shylock's profession as a...
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