I read this book yesterday. I really liked it, but it made me realize how very anti-Judaism Shakespeare was. I also noticed this when I was reading Oliver Twist last summer. I also wonder if our culture's prejudices will be as apparent to future civilizations through our "classic" books.
Just a thought.
Anyways, it was very good, not as good as Macbeth, but better than Romeo and Juliet. I think I'm going to read King Lear next.
Shylock was a pretty nasty character, but Jessica was cool.
This is my favorite qoute from it:
Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? 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, shall we not revenge? The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard, but I will better the instruction.
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3 comments:
LOVE the quote... :) see ya!
That quote makes me wonder if Shakespeare didn't "get it" at least a little. It shows some compassion that a one dimensional writer, especially one of his time, wouldn't have.
Molly, This is Brett. I wrote a paper Junior year about Antisemitism in The Merchant of Venice. It wasn't exactly Shakespeare who was antisemitic but more the attitude of the times. The fear of Judaism stems from the act of circumcision which led Christians to think that Jews would kill babies. It's all pretty ridiculous.
Man that was a long comment, but I took a class on the historical upheavals going on while Shakespeare was around, so if you ever want to talk about stuff, especially Macbeth I'm all about it.
Later.
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