Shylock

[ shahy-lok ]

noun

1. a relentless and revengeful moneylender in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice.
2. a hard-hearted moneylender.

verb (used without object)

1. (lowercase) to lend money at extortionate rates of interest.

Shylock

/ ˈʃaɪˌlɒk /

noun

1. a heartless or demanding creditor

Shylock

1. The merciless moneylender in The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare . He demands a pound of flesh (see also pound of flesh ) from the title character of the play after the merchant defaults on his debt.

Notes

Shylock is a Jew (see also Jews ), and there has long been controversy over whether Shakespeare's portrayal of Shylock contributes to prejudice against Jews. Shylock is a cruel miser and eventually is heavily fined and disgraced, but he maintains his dignity. At one point in the play, he makes a famous, eloquent assertion that his desire for revenge is the same desire that a Christian would feel in his place. “I am a Jew,” says Shylock. “Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?”

Other Words From

• Shy·locki·an adjective
• Shylock·y adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Shylock¹

C19: after Shylock, the name of the heartless usurer in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (1596)

Example Sentences

He played Shylock in a 2005 production of “The Merchant of Venice” and Gremio in “The Taming of the Shrew,” among many other roles.

From Seattle Times

What a powerful time, then, to encounter Shakespeare’s Shylock in Patrick Page’s solo-show investigation of evil, “All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain.”

From New York Times

Bell said the cartoon was spiked after a phone call from the paper suggested it may reference Shakespeare's Shylock's "pound of flesh" line.

From BBC

British actor Tracy-Ann Oberman, who is Jewish and currently playing Jewish character Shylock in a production of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, wrote about representation in a post on Instagram this week.

From BBC

The stereotype of the large Jewish nose in particular has persisted in through centuries, from Shakespeare’s Shylock to Nazi propaganda.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• bank
• banker