Encyclopedia of Jewish History and Culture Online

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Shylock
(3,917 words)

Shylock is the name of the Jewish moneylender in William Shakespeare’s (1564–1616) comedy The Merchant of Venice, probably written in 1596/1597. The character combines anti-Jewish stereotypes of the European Middle Ages and the early modern era but is at the same time depicted in a complex fashion. Accordingly, it has been interpreted in diverse ways. In the 18th century at the latest, Shylock became…

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Schülting, Sabine, “Shylock”, in: Encyclopedia of Jewish History and Culture Online, Original German Language Edition: Enzyklopädie Jüdischer Geschichte und Kultur. Im Auftrag der Sächsischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig herausgegeben von Dan Diner. © J.B. Metzler, Stuttgart/Springer-Verlag GmbH Deutschland 2011–2017. Consulted online on 07 December 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2468-8894_ejhc_COM_0809>
First published online: 2017
First print edition: 20221116



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