Shylock’s impassioned speech is in anger against the Christians around him who have treated hun differently because of his religious preferences. Shylock argues that he has as much feelings as any Christian does, so he should be treated on the same level. Likewise, he believes that justice and revenge should not be doled out based on someone’s religious background. (“If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example?” 3.1.57-58)
	The basic theme of the two speeches can be found in line 55 of Shylock’s speech: “And if you/ Wrong us shall we not revenge?” In other words, Shylock and Emilia both think that people in their respective demographic groups have a right to act how they please, in order to take revenge on those that oppress them. This sentiment is echoed in line 98 of Emilia’s speech: “And have we not affections, /Desire for sport, and frailty, as men have?” Emilia believes it is Desdemona’s right to cheat on Othello if he cheats on her first; and Shylock thinks it is his right to exact revenge on the Christians who treated him unfairly because he is of a different religion. 
	Shylock’s words find a fitting place in Emilia’s mouth because during this time period Jews often found as much oppression from Christians as women found from men. Men believed that women were inferior because they were “the weaker sex,” having less physical and moral strength. If a man cheated, it would be blamed on the woman--if on anyone--because supposedly the woman was not fulfilling her husband’s needs. If a woman cheated, she was still blamed, because her cheating was attributed to her weaker moral nature. 
	In a similar light, Jews were oppressed because Christians saw themselves as superior to anyone with a different religion. Since Christians thought the only way to heaven was through their own faith, then naturally they saw anyone from another religion as morally weaker. Therefore, in legal and business matters, a Christian would see it as his moral duty to persecute anyone deemed morally inferior. The helplessness of both women and Jews in these matters was exacerbated by the fact that the ruling class of the time period consisted primarily of Christian men. Since Jews and women were in the minority, then they had a hard time maintaining their rights in general. 
Furthermore, since the Bible was seen as the book of ultimate moral authority during this time period, both women and Jews were out of luck. The first book of the Bible blames women right away for the evils of the world, based on the story of Adam and Eve. And the New Testament undermines the tenets of the Jewish religion by admonishing every good Christian to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This basic difference between Christianity and Judaism was enough to cause great inequalities for Jewish people living in predominantly Christian areas. 