The religious reasons for this hatred also pushed them to believe that if a Jew converted to Christianity, as Shylock is forced to do in The Merchant of Venice, then all will be forgiven as the repentant Jew is now pure of heart. "...some Christians believed that the coming of the Kingdom of God was aided by converting the Jews to Christianity" (Hughes 5). ... The Merchant of Venice does not emphasize the superiority of any particular race, or religion: instead, it shows just how flawed all humans are through the story of a Jewish man his relations with Christians, who ostracize and persecute ...

• Word Count: 1256
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School