'Anti-Semitism' in The Merchant of Venice: Key Theme Analysis

Studying The Merchant of Venice? Dr Aidan, PhD in Shakespeare Studies, has created 7 videos that offer - a brief overview of the play, theme analysis, key character analysis, and key scene analysis.

HOW POWERFUL IS THE WORD 'JEW' IN SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS?

Quick, relaxed, and informative, The Complete Guide to Shakespeare aims to make the plays accessible to everyone.

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[antmagor]

The racist themes in the play cannot be denied. And then I remember shylocks monologue where he’s so beautifully and eloquently expresses the struggle of being a Jew in anti-semitic Europe, it genuinely brings a tear to My eye every time I hear it, just pure poetry. And for Shakespeare’s time pretty progressive. It does make you wonder what was going through Shakespeare’s head when he wrote that play. I mean to have these blatant anti-semitic tropes and then a beautifully complex three dimensional character like Shylock Expressing The Jewish experience in Europe, and in many ways a plea for equality. “
“I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases,
heal'd by the same means, warm'd and cool'd by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is?
If you prick us, do we not bleed? If
you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?
And if you wrong us, do we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.”

[Jalcolm]

Shakespeare was fascinated by the outsider (he himself was an outsider) who says to his oppressor “you made me what I am “ Caliban says this to Prospero in The Tempest. Shakespeare cannot rescue Shylock from History, but he can, and does, give him a voice. 2, 000 years later, we should all grow up.

[kimjohnston]

I watched and read it at school, I never thought of Shylock as a “Jew” but as a person that is wronged and vengeful. But the speech he made is so powerful that you can understand his frustration and his difficulties. He is also just a man like any other. I think that’s where Shakespeare excelled, in showing the humanity and duality in everyone. No one is innocent no one is sinless and everyone has flaws. One feels hurt for Shylock but he takes it too far. Life is messy people are complicated and the devil lays traps for us all no matter who you are. I don’t think we should judge everything with our modern disdain at anything remotely prejudicial. We should examine it in its time and leave it there. Like an old painting or a work of art.

[Darro-Dracronzer_]

This man gave me more examples then our English teacher

[weepingwillow-udxl]

There's such a thing as a 'pop-up Globe Theatre' hope that comes with pop-up kitchen, but only if it's traditional medieval food & beer.

[vladof_putler]

I am Hindu. Here, we read about the chapter and I pointed it to me about how anti semetic it is. She said they are supporters of Hitler jokingly. Most of the class who knew about Jews were upset.

[johnk]

This whole series is very helpful to me; thank you.

[satyamtomar]

I'm from india 🇮🇳
I read this play in my class 12th text book and found that how Christian Missionary school Glorify there religion and spread hearted about Jews.

[aritghosh]

I read merchant of Venice it is there and extensively taught in Christian missionary schools in there syllabus it is there.

[micatge]

Thank you very much for this Video 😊 it really helps me for school 😊

[kateelliott]

Terrific stuff, Dr Aidan! Well worth a watch...

[princeandrey]

I like his analysis of the "love scene, " i.e. "In such a night..." but his conclusion baffles me. As a birth Jew who practices neither Judaism or any other religion, I don't experience such a "divide, " to which commentator alludes, and I've been alive for a long time. Perhaps if I were a practising Jew, I might; but there, the divide is not full of rancor and fury as it was during the Elizabethan era--though there were scarcely any Jews in Elizabethan English, all having been expelled four-hundred years or so earlier. Of course there is a recrudescence of anti-Semitism among many of the right-wing conspiracy theorists, but in general Jews are accepted more or less casually at this point. Obviously, though, this can always change!

[simohayha]

You should understand the word Semitism.

[alfredocaputto]

The Jew ends up being the Christian. Such as the liberal might just be a conservative

[shkodranalbi]

I loved your analysis through 10 important quotes. But here you're rushing it a bit, in my humble opinion. You draw your conclusions before analysing. It is much more complex than that, as I'm sure you can appreciate.
There is a divide, it's very clear, as it was in reality. And you even feel sorry for Shylock at times, because they all seem to be against him. Shylock is different, but Shylock wants to be different. He hates the Christians with passion. And this is part of a long tradition, not all based on discrimination and persecution, which came much later.
Shakespeare sympathises often with 'the other', as he does with Othello, who is an outsider because of his skin colour. What makes Shylock hateful, to Shakespeare, are usury and blind hate, not his customs and race. However, Shakespeare explains why Shylock's like that; why his heart has been hardened; it is due to insults he receives. He even tries to sympathise with him, within the realms of truth and authenticity...
The term 'anti-semitism' is first used in the 19th century, by Wilhelm Marr and it 'was meant to be a racial term. Shakespeare uses the term 'the jews' in accordance with St John's gospel (71 one times in this gospel too) but not as racial (St John is of the same race), but as a group who are viscously opposed to Jesus (and later his legacy). Currently, the term 'anti-semitic' has almost lost its meaning due to misuse. Now 'an anti-semite' is 'anybody who dares to criticise anyone with Jewish background', whether it be Soros or Israeli politicians or Albert Bourla. It's ridiculous. So, Shakespeare is absolutely bang on the money there, as usual. He was trying to explain, basically, the concept of debt, and money on loan, and how it enslaves you. The only thing is, that this being a comedy, and England being still at some degree a Christian country, Shylock is completely defeated in the play. Today, Shylock (meaning your local banker, who practises legitimised debt to enslave- and there is nothing racial or cultural about it) wins everytime and throws all the Antonios and Bassanos in jail, after he has taken a pound or two off their flesh

[-__________abhinavtariyal_]

Im from India🇮🇳
and i also found this discrimnation towards jew in this book but our Christian school make it compulsory

[Shilo]

@dr.aiden does this mean shakespeare has done wrong by writing the play ?

[ericaltonen]

when has a christian ever been offended by 'the...'?

[nonevering]

everything is antisemitic for these people even 600 year old tales

[TomyOtis]

I was and is how things are. Great Play. Love Tommy The Greek.