The true villain of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare is not a person, but an entire religion. In the city of Venice, Christianity was the dominant and main religion. Although they were Christians, the people were corrupt, greedy, and selfish, and their personal needs were far greater than those of another human being, such as the Jews. Prejudice against Jews existed greatly in Venetian society, but it also existed well before this period. The Merchant of Venice was written at a time (c. 1597) and in a culture in which prejudice against Jews was common and pervasive. In The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, the true villain portrayed is the entire Christian religion, where Christians exhibit an evil past, as prejudice against Jews dates back to the early days of Christianity, where prejudice against Jews also existed in The Merchant of Venice. of Venice, and where Christians lived a corrupt life and society that went against their Christian values. Jewish persecution dates back centuries to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. At the time, it was rumored that the Jews were responsible for sentencing Jesus to death. In the Bible, the Jewish people say: “The blood of Jesus.” His blood be upon us and upon our children. (Matthew XXVII. XXV) This passage shows the desire of the Jews to see Jesus crucified and killed. As a result, Christians began the tradition of blaming the Jewish community for the death of Jesus Christ. Christians began to cause chaos and disturbances in various Jewish services and synagogues. The rights of Jewish men and women have become less and less important. This prejudice against Jews was due to a corrupt life and society that went against their Christian values. In Kevin's essay This I Believe, he writes: "I believe that others have already defined much of who I am supposed to be, and I have spent a lot of time running away from that definition. I believe there comes a time in everyone's life where they need to speak out and challenge stereotypes and prejudices because it is easier for them to believe than the work it takes to discover the uniqueness of the individual. In this case, Christians define the Jews as evil and in a society much more separate from them, although both are human beings. The prejudices they produce, the infamous lifestyle, all factor into Christians being the true villains of The Merchant of Venice.