Step 1 : Introduction to the question "The word Shylock refers to a 'ruthless moneylender'. It is named after a fictional character created by William Shakespeare. In which work by Shakespeare does this character appear?"
...Shakespeare's play 'The Merchant of Venice' features a moneylender named Shylock. When a merchant, Antonio, wants a loan from Shylock, he puts a condition that if Antonio fails to repay the loan, then Antonio has to give him a pound of his flesh. Thus, Shylock is a word which refers to a ruthless moneylender or a loan shark who charges exorbitant interest for lending money. Also the phrase 'pound of flesh', (which means a debt which is ruthlessly extracted), has its origins from this play.
