Note to Much Ado About Nothing, 2.3.263: "if I do not love her, I am a Jew"


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Much Ado About Nothing,
Act 2, Scene 3, line 255.
Christian belief was that the Jews repaid the love of Jesus with hate. In saying "if I do not love her, I am a Jew" Benedick is saying that he will answer love with love.

—I wish I could make a case that Shakespeare was free of the prejudices of his time, but I can't.