Did Wikipedia remove the word "antisemitism" from the Shylock article?

Yes. "antisemitism" appeared 1 times in this article's opening at its peak. Today the opening has none; the body has 16. We saved the article's opening paragraph at 6 moments between 2005 and 2025, and the counts come from those saved copies.

When did the Shylock article stop using the word "antisemitism"?

The word appeared 1 times in the opening at its peak in 2005. It is absent from today's opening, the part search engines quote and AI systems train on, checked against the live article on 2026-08-02.

How can I verify what Wikipedia's Shylock article used to say?

Each snapshot on this page links the Wikipedia revision it came from, so you can open their own history and compare. We also keep our own copy of the text, which stays readable if the article changes again.

What did Wikipedia remove from the Shylock article?

The opening as it read in 2005

Shylock is a character in Shakespeare 's The Merchant of Venice .¹ He is Jewish , a central part of the plot, and Shakespeare's use of this character has raised questions over anti-semitism . A moneylender during a time (the late 16th century ) in which Jews, despised as " usurers " in Christian communities for charging interest on loans, were relegated to ghettos , Shylock has a (perhaps understandable) grudge against all Christians, particularly a rival merchant, Antonio. When Antonio comes to him for a loan to finance his friend Bassanio's wedding, Shylock proposes as his bond a pound of flesh cut from Antonio's body should he default. Antonio agrees, thinking it a joke. When the ships carrying Antonio's investments sink, however, Shylock is adamant he should receive the flesh as agreed, even though it would kill Antonio. Further embittered by his daughter Jessica's elopement with Lorenzo, a Christian and friend of Antonio's, Shylock becomes obsessed with receiving his bond. Called before the royal court, Shylock ignores all pleas for mercy and is about to cut Antonio when the judge (actually Bassanio's fiancée Portia in disguise) stops him, saying that if he sheds one drop of Antonio's blood, which was not explicitly stated as owed in the bond, he will lose all his property and his life. Suddenly pleading for mercy, he agrees to give up his wealth—one half to the state, the other to Portia and Bassanio—and become a Christian.²

This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 17357169.

The opening as it stood in 2010 8 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear

Shylock After the Trial by John Gilbert (late 19th century) Shylock is a fictional character in Shakespeare 's The Merchant of Venice .

Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 370726387.

The opening as it stood in 2015

Shylock After the Trial by John Gilbert (late 19th century) Shylock is a fictional character in Shakespeare 's play, The Merchant of Venice . A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal antagonist. His defeat and conversion to Christianity forms the climax of the story. Typically played as a villain until the nineteenth century, Shylock has been increasingly portrayed as a semi-tragic figure whose vengeful acts arise from his victimisation.

Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 668103863.

The opening as it stood in 2020 2 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear

A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal antagonist. His defeat and conversion to Christianity form the climax of the story.

Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 961960913.

The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023

Character in Shakespeare's “The Merchant of Venice” This article is about the literary character. Fictional character Shylock ( / ʃ aɪ ˈ l ɒ k / ) is a fictional character in William Shakespeare 's play The Merchant of Venice ( c. 1600). A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal antagonist. His defeat and conversion to Christianity form the climax of the story. Shylock's characterisation is composed of stereotypes, for instance greediness and vengefulness, although there were no practising Jews who lived in England during Shakespeare's time. Jews were expelled from the country in 1290 by Edward I in the Edict of Expulsion ; this was not reversed until the Cromwell Era .

Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1174671897.

The opening as it stood in 2025

Character in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" This article is about the literary character. Fictional character Shylock ( / ʃ aɪ ˈ l ɒ k / ) is a fictional character in William Shakespeare 's play The Merchant of Venice ( c. 1600). A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal villain. His defeat and forced conversion to Christianity form the climax of the story. Shylock's characterisation is composed of stereotypes, for instance greediness and vengefulness, although there were no legally practising Jews who lived in England during Shakespeare's time. Jews were expelled from the country in 1290 by Edward I in the Edict of Expulsion ; this was not reversed until the mid-17th century (the Cromwell Era ).

Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1296384819. This is our newest snapshot; the live article may have moved again since.

Shylock

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