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Anti-Semitism in William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice
By Jonathan DePrizio
January 07, 2004

Anti-semitism is one of the major themes in William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. One of the main characters, Shylock, is a Jew who is oppressed and discriminated against by many of the characters in the play. The anti-semitic plot of the work is typical of the time period in which the play-write lived. However, Shakespeare intends the play to be a satire, and delivers a message of toleration towards Judaism, through select actions and speeches throughout the play.

The conflict between Antonio, a Christian, and Shylock, the rich Jew, develops when Antonio borrows a large some of money from Shylock. During their initial discussion in Act 1 Scene 3, anti-semitism is an overriding theme. As a Jew, Shylock is permitted to charge interest, which Christians are forbidden from doing so according to the bible (Exodus 22:25). The usurer despises Antonio, who is also a lender, because, "He lends out money gratis and brings down // the rate of usance here with us in Venice...Cursed be my tribe if I forgive him!" (Shakespeare, 12). This example illustrates how the Christian is portrayed as morally superior to the Jew due to the restrictions placed on Christians by their unique holy scripture. Antonio also shows compassion, a virtue prized among Christians, towards the Jew when he says, "The Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows kind" in contrast to Bassanio's remark, "I like not fair terms and a villain's mind" (16). Though it may seem to be an anti-semitic and heartless remark, Shakespeare most likely meant Antonio's words to be a compliment to Shylock, as being a Christian was considered superior to being a Jew at the time the play was written.

Shylock's daughter, Jessica, is used as a device to express the superiority of Christians to Jews. While alone, she expresses regret over her father and her religion, saying:

Alack, what heinous sin is it in me // To be ashamed to be my father's child! // But though I am a daughter to his blood, // I am not to his manners. O Lorenzo, // If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife // Become a Christian, and thy loving wife. (25)

The primary sentiment expressed here, that, "I am not [daughter] to his manners," is that she does not resemble or act as a Jew. Jessica is portrayed as a good person throughout the play, and so it can be concluded that her abandonment of the Jewish religion signifies a sort of evolution from evil to purity, much like Antonio's remark about Shylock turning into a Christian when he showed kindness.

Jessica represents a Jew who, through renouncing Judaism and becoming Christian, becomes a better person. Contrarily, Shylock plays a Jew who, though showing compassion in small amounts, remains barbaric and primitive until forced to forsake his religion by the compassionate Christian, Antonio. Throughout the play, the usurer demonstrates at least three of the seven deadly sins. These sins, anger, gluttony, and greed, are attributed to his Jewish background (Rushman). Most prominent throughout the work is greed, demonstrated when Shylock claims, "I did dream of money-bags." Also obvious is anger, illustrated by Shylock's demand that a pound of flesh be taken from Antonio's body, and his refusal to show any compassion. Finally, the Jew displays gluttony through said refusal: he does not require the flesh to live, or even the money to maintain a comfortable lifestyle, but demands it out of want for more material goods and revenge.

Ironically, the scene in which Shylock pleads his case against Antonio is full of vices demonstrated by Christians, while the Jew is the one who receives most of the humiliation and insults. The primary fault in the first scene of Act 4 is that the "judge" is really Portia, lying to each character present by claiming to be a lawgiver. Moreover, the treatment of Shylock throughout the trial is unfair. From its commencement, Portia is biased against him, not only because she is engaged to Bassanio, who is friends with Antonio, but because Shylock is a Jew. Portia's first question upon entering is, "Which is the merchant here, and which is the Jew?" (68). Immediately, the usurer is identified as being a second-class citizen, identified not by occupation, but by religion. This trend continues throughout the trial, with remarks such as, "Then must the Jew be merciful," and "Why doth the Jew pause?" (68, 73). In contrast, Antonio is treated with respect by the court. Following the trial, Portia tells Antonio that, "I, delivering you, am satisfied, and therein do account myself well paid...I wish you well." The judge never said any such kind words to the Jew, and often treated him with disrespect. When discussing the execution of the bond, Portia says, "Have by some surgeon, Shylock, on your charge // To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to the death" (71). When Shylock protests, claiming, "I cannot find it; 't is not in the bond," Portia ignores his complaints and instead turns her attention to Antonio (71).

The trial ends with Shylock, manipulated to become the defendant, at the mercy of Antonio. Portia, though not a judge and from a foreign land, claims to know the law of Venice well, stating:

Tarry, Jew: // The law hath yet another hold on you. // It is enacted in the laws of Venice, // If it be proved against an alien // That by direct or indrect attempts // He seek the life of any citizen, // The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive // Shall seize one half his goods; the other half // Comes to the privy coffer of the state; // And the offender's life lies in the mercy Of the Duke only, 'gainst all other voice. (73-74)

Portia then continues to declare, "Though has contrived against the very life of the defendant...beg mercy of the duke" (74). Each individual present is under the assumption that she is a judge, and therefore does not question her decoration. However, her very statement is biased. First, she says that, "...If it be proved against an alien..." when Shylock is a citizen of Venice; either Shylock is considered an alien because of his religion, or is being unjustly treated. Moreover, Portia gives Shylock no opportunity to defend himself against the charges, and uses the previous hearing over usury to determine his guilt. This grave manipulation of law makes it clear that it was never the intention of the "judge" to deliver justice, but instead to punish Shylock.

The anti-semitism expressed in The Merchant of Venice is typical of the time period in which the play was written. The history of Jews in England is bleak and full of oppression and hatred. Nearly four centuries before Shakespeare wrote this play, all English Jews were forced to wear yellow badges in public, identifying their religion, much like in Nazi Germany (Stirling, 5). Several decades later, all Jews were expelled from England (9). As a result, "...Shakespeare had probably never met a Jew because Jews had been expelled three and one-half centuries before he lived..." (Stirling, Introduction). Consequently, it is likely that the stereotypes presented throughout the satire are developed from second-hand knowledge about Judaism and propaganda developed to maintain a hatred of Jews in England, and not from any direct interaction with Jewish people.

Though the play appears to be anti-semitic in nature, Shakespeare clearly intends his work to be a satire against the hatred of Jews, and to encourage the toleration of Semitic people. The play-write uses Shylock's speech in Scene 1 of Act 3 to show the humanity of Jews while maintaining an anti-semitic slant, as would be required by the political system of that time period. Shylock declares that,

I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? (42)

Shakespeare, in order to maintain a sense of conformity with the anti-semitic views of the time period, must use remarks of equality sparingly, and always include accompanying talk of revenge or hatred. However, the majority of this speech calls for equality, and Shakespeare presents elementary yet persuasive arguments.

Another example of Shakespeare's message of tolerance appears when Shylock is defending his actions to the Duke. His defense is used as a medium by the play-write to show the faults in Christian society and the similarities Jews have with Christians. Upon being asked if he expects mercy, Shylock replies:

What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong? // You have among you as many a purchased slave, // Which, like your asses and your dogs and mules, // You use in abject and in slavish parts, // Because you bought them: shall I say to you, // let them be free, marry them to your heirs?...You will answer // "The slaves are ours." (65-66)

The trial itself is also a prominent part of the satire, showing that Christians, though claiming to be superior and more godly than Jews, are manipulative, lying, and untrustworthy. As a result of Shylock's unfair treatment, the audience feels compassionate for him by the end of the play. Hazlitt writes:

[W]e pity him, and think him hardly dealt with by his judges. In all his answers and retorts upon his adversaries, he has the best not only of the argument but of the question, reasoning on their own principles and practice.

Clearly, Shylock is a character towards whom a reader will feel sympathy. Shakespeare intentionally creates this pity in order to decrease hatred towards Jews and increase understanding and love.

Shakespeare lived in a time when Jews were considered to be sub-human, and were the target of ridicule throughout Europe. Recognizing that Christian society was not perfect, and that Jews shared many characteristics with Christians, he wrote The Merchant of Venice not as an anti-semitic play intended to endorse the oppression of the Jewish people, but rather as a subtle satire. He demonstrates that the hatred of Jews corrupts Christians, and attempts to create sympathy for Shylock, the semitic lender.


Works Cited
Dennis, Robert. Shakespeare Electronic Conference. 19 Dec. 1996.

Gross, John. A Legend and Its Legacy. New York: Touchstone. 1994.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. Boston: National Publishing Company. 2000.

Hazlitt, William. Characters of Shakespear's Plays. http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/criticism/hazlittw_charsp/charsp_ch23.html 1817.

Ludovici, Anthony. The Jews, and the Jews in England. Boswell Publishing Company. 1938. http://www.revilo-oliver.com/Writers/Ludovici/The_Jews_in_England_part2.html (January 3, 2004)

Rushman, William E. "The Seven Deadly Sins" http://www.rushman.org/seven/ 2000. (January 5, 2004)

Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. New York: Dover Publications. 1995.

Stirling, Grant. "Shakespeare and Anti-Semitism: The Question of Shylock" Feb. 1997 http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7221/ (January 5, 2004).