Where Did Shylock Get His Name?

In a speech in Des Moines, Iowa last Thursday, Donald Trump raised a rumpus by referring to unscrupulous bankers as “shylocks.” Before pondering the propriety of his doing so, however, I found myself wondering what made Shakespeare choose “Shylock” for the name of the Jewish moneylender of The Merchant of Venice. It’s hardly a Jewish name, nor was it one in the late 1590s when he wrote the play. In fact, it wasn’t an actual name at all. What gave Shakespeare the idea for it? Read Full Article »