JESSICA

the daughter of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. Jessica, who is a secondary character, chooses a Christian husband and her consequent rejection of her Jewish father and faith place her in contrast to Portia, who is subservient to the wishes of her now-dead father. Jessica's theft of what would have been her dowry is sometimes seen by modern audiences as a questionable act and further evidence of the play's anti-Semitism. Shakespeare evidently meant her to be a symbol of love's triumph over greed.