Shylock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shylock |
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Shylock after the trial
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| Created by | William Shakespeare |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Moneylender |
| Children | Jessica |
| Religion | Judaism |
Shylock is a very important character in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice. He is the main "bad guy" or antagonist in the story. Shylock is a Jewish moneylender. This means he lends money to people and charges interest.
In the play, Shylock makes a deal with a merchant named Antonio. Antonio needs money, so Shylock lends it to him. But there's a strange condition: if Antonio cannot pay back the money on time, he must give Shylock a "pound of his flesh" from near his heart.
Antonio had been very mean to Shylock before. He had insulted him and even spat on him in the market. This made Shylock very angry and helps explain why he wanted such a harsh deal.
Meanwhile, Shylock's daughter, Jessica, falls in love with Lorenzo, who is a friend of Antonio. Jessica decides to leave her father and become a Christian. This makes Shylock even angrier and sadder.
When Antonio cannot pay back the money, Shylock goes to court. He demands his pound of flesh. But in court, Shylock loses his case. Antonio is set free. Shylock is then accused of trying to seriously harm Antonio. As a result, he is forced to give away half of his money and property. He is also made to change his religion to Christianity.
Shylock has a very famous speech in the play. It starts with the line, "Hath not a Jew eyes?" Many famous actors have played Shylock, including Laurence Olivier.
Shylock in History
In Shakespeare's time, there were not many Jewish people living legally in England. This was because King Edward I of England had expelled them in 1290. But the idea of Jewish people as moneylenders was still common from the Middle Ages.
Historically, lending money was often done by Jewish people. This was partly because Christians were not allowed to charge interest on loans. This practice was called usury.
Images for kids
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Shylock After the Trial by John Gilbert (late 19th century)
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Henry Irving as Shylock in a late 19th century performance
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1911 Italian-French film.
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Shylock and Jessica by Maurycy Gottlieb
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Shylock and Portia (1835) by Thomas Sully
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Front cover of The Kingdom of Shylock (1917), an antisemitic pamphlet authored by Australian MP Frank Anstey
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See also
In Spanish: Shylock para niños
