| Shylock | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Shylock |
|
First Appearance |
The Merchant of Venice |
|
Created by |
William Shakespeare |
Origin[]
In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who lends money to his Christian rival, Antonio, setting the security 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. She also takes money and jewels from Shylock.
Later in the play, Portia disguises herself as a man and then assumes the role of a lawyer, Balthazar, whereby she saves the life of Antonio in court. In the court scene, Portia finds a technicality in the bond, as it does not allow for the removal of blood, thereby outwitting the Jewish moneylender Shylock and saving Antonio from giving the pound of flesh demanded when everyone else, including the Duke presiding as judge, fails.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Antonio from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Stage Appearances[]
Play:
- The Merchant of Venice (1596-1598)
- Shylock (1889)
- The Lady of Belmont (1924)
Opera:
- Jessika (1905)
- The Merchant of Venice (1922)
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- The Merchant of Venice (1914)
- The Merchant of Venice (1916)
- The Merchant of Venice (1923)
Notes[]
- In Shakespeare's time, no Jews had been legally present in England for several hundred years (since the Edict of Expulsion in 1290). However, stereotypes of Jews as money lenders remained. Historically, money lending had been a fairly common occupation among Jews, in part because Christians were not permitted to practise usury – then considered to mean charging interest of any kind on loans.