This article is a comparison of a number of translations into German, Hebrew and Yiddish of what is perhaps the most famous passage in The Merchant of Venice: Shylock's speech in act III, scene i. Shylock's "speech," is, of course, a part of a dialogue. However, the passage in which Shylock asserts the humanity of the Jews, declaring that they have eyes, hands, dimensions and emotions, has become such a famous part of the play that it can be thought of as a monologue. The author refers to this passage as "Shylock's Speech." In this comparison, he chooses to concentrate on three issues that inform the choices of German, Hebrew, and Yiddish translators: the representation of Jews as a "nation"; the declaration that they have bodies and souls equal to those of Gentiles; and the expression of their eagerness, and ability, to take revenge. In Shakespeare's play, Shylock's speech is a declaration of complete similarity between Jews and Gentiles in terms of national existence, physical appearance, emotional reaction, and social behaviour. Such equality is undercut in German, as well as in Yiddish and Hebrew translations of the play, providing various modifications of Shakespeare's text.