That Thespian Jew-Hater

[eumelia]

What is the world coming to, I ask you?
Is nothing "sacred" any longer?
Have we lost all sense of proportion when it comes to historical perspective?
Or just plain common sense?

The 14-year-old girls, whose actions were supported by their parents, The Independent said were protesting antisemitism in Shakespeare's portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. The exam questions they refused to answer were actually about The Tempest, a different work of Shakespeare's.
"Many Jewish people would not listen to Wagner on the same grounds," The Independent quoted school principal Rabbi Abraham Pinter as saying. "I do not see an exact comparison and I don't share their view, but their decision is something I respect," he said, adding "I think Shakespeare was reflecting the ethos of the time in his portrayal of Shylock. If he was alive today, he would probably be going on anti-war marches."

On the one hand, you have to admire the ingenuity of the girls' reason (though I suspect it was the parents who gave them the idea) to get Shakespeare out of their hair. On the other hand, what kind of education is these girls (and other kids in UK schools) are getting?!

This little article made me think how lucky it is that Cats is no longer showing on the West End anymore.

Via.

Comments

[apemanmaldonado.livejournal.com]

That is interesting. I've always wondered if The Merchant of Venice might not have been some kind of covert effort by Shakespeare to be sympathetic to Jews. I mean he did put one of his most memorable speeches in Shylock's mouth, "If you prick us, do we not bleed?" I mean that speech seems very sympathetic and reasonable when talking about the treatment of Jews. Not to mention Shylock being betrayed by his daughter, something just about anyone might sympathize with. Of course Shylock ends up being extremely vindictive and losing in the end but I think that may just have been Shakespeare having to give in to the feelings of his time as he needed to make money and having a Jew for a hero would be problematic.

On a funny side note, my Palestinian father-in-law once told me that Shakespeare was actually Arab, Shaykh Abeer, which might explain some anti-Semitism.

[apemanmaldonado.livejournal.com]

To clarify, I do not myself think Shakespeare was an Arab, just mention what my father-in-law said to me since I thought it was humorous. My father-in-law says all kind of unbelievable things.