The Jew is a comedy written by playwright Richard Cumberland and first presented at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London on 8 May 1794.

"[1] A decade later, in writing The Jew, Cumberland sought to create a positive image of a Jewish man that would counteract centuries of anti-Semitic portraits.

The tremendous success of the initial production prompted Cumberland to later write, "The benevolence of the audience assisted me in rescuing a forlorn and persecuted character, which till then had only been brought upon the stage for the unmanly purpose of being made a spectacle of contempt, and a butt for ridicule.

When he realises that Charles is the son of "Don Carlos", a soldier who once rescued him from an angry mob in Cádiz, Spain, he decides to give Frederick the money to help his friend, and secretly invests money in Eliza's name to demonstrate to Sir Stephen that Eliza is a worthy wife for his son.

Charles, however, is stubbornly proud and, when he learns that Frederick has secretly married his sister, he challenges his friend to a duel.