In this paper, we examine Shakespeare’s sixteenth-century play, The Merchant of Venice. Anti-Semitism is a key theme in this play. The well-known central character, Shylock, is a Jewish man ridiculed and victimized because of his identity. Much literary research has been donecarried out on the anti-Semitism of the play, and many social studies have compared anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, but scarcely any research brings a Shakespearean play from the sixteenth century into the context of twenty-first century Islamophobia. There are a number of similarities between the manner in which Shylock is ostracized and the current victimization that Muslim communities are facing in Europe, and more specifically the UK. With this in mind, we explore contextual and thematic elements of this play and argue that it is possible to apply the way Shylock is unfairly victimized on stage because of his identity as a Jew to the treatment of some Muslims receive today. In particular, the treatment he facesShylock receives shares stark similarities with the types, impacts and consequences of Islamophobic hate crime today. Key words: Islamophobia, Anti-Semitism, Shakespeare, Hate Crime, Muslims, Jews, Merchant of Venice