Jessica is a character that first appears in which play by William Shakespeare?

The first recorded instance of Jessica appearing in a play by William Shakespeare occurs in "The Merchant of Venice" (c. 1598), where Jessica is the daughter of the Jewish moneylender Shylock. It is believed that Shakespeare created this name by anglicizing the spelling of the biblical name Iscah, which means “vision” or “sight” in Hebrew. Iscah is a minor figure in the Bible's Old Testament, mentioned only briefly as a sister of Lot and niece of Abraham.

In "The Merchant of Venice", Jessica elopes with Lorenzo, a penniless Christian, and a chest of her father's money. She eventually ends up in Portia and Bassanio's household. Concerning everything that happens, she is viewed to have a minor but pivotal role. Her actions motivate Shylock's vengeful insistence on his "pound of flesh" from Antonio. Additionally, her relationships with Lorenzo and Shylock serves as a mirror and contrast to Portia's with Bassanio and with her father. Jessica's ultimate conversion to Christianity is the end of Shylock's line's adherence to the Jewish faith.