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

[@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.”

[@taitsmith8521]

You wonder what was going through Shakespeare's mind ?!? It's called introspection. Looking at yourself through the eyes of others. AND ..... As much as you seem to sympathize with Shylok's character and the "plight of the oppressed Jew" trope, it's worth pointing out that Jews have been the oppressed and the oppressors at different points in history. The Jews committed the first genocide in history against the Canaanites ( But, you know, THOSE Canaanite people were just evil heathens ). Shylok's speech isn't intended to make you see things through the eyes of a Jew. The point ( and effect) is to put all people down on the same level. Debasement of any kind of societal status. To reduce us all to the basic aspects of being human, the evil and good in all of us, and that we have choice in which qualities of character we exercise in self by how we see the world. Every character in the story holds true to this, including Shylok, who is reduced to every negative stereotype.

[@iBishopEsquire]

I think it has to be acknowledged that there was a nasty kind of vengeance among the Jews in the middle ages. They were the bankers, the slavers, the tax farmers. And they cultivated a vicious supremacist attitude to rationalize this relationship with the peasants.

[@taitsmith8521]

@@iBishopEsquire I don't think things have actually changed that much. PC speech perhaps, but same attitudes and perspectives.

[@Laocoon283]

He's literally a vampire demon

[@iBishopEsquire]

@@Laocoon283 What?

[@Jalcolm1]

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.

[@Amir_Uber_eats_no1]

This man gave me more examples then our English teacher

[@weepingwillow-ud6xl]

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.

[@kimjohnston7797]

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.

[@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

[@deeks86]

I appreciated you're comment I've been fascinated by the Merchant of Venice ever since it was introduced to me. And I agree with many of your Sentiments. I think this video was rushed a bit too. I crave a deeper moral, thematic analysis of this story. I had a college professor who told me that Shakespeare was antisemitic but after reading it and watching the film with AL Pacino I could help but get the sense that Shylocks monologue was one of the most crucial aspects of the story, at least for me it was the most memorable and poignant. It's a very almost humanistic way of looking at the situation, a call to a shared humanity regardless of heritage or creed. The fact that he gives these lines to Shylock indicates to me that Shakespeare seemed to be intending to shed light on the ridiculousness of hating others for those reasons. And at the same time demonstrating that if we treat people poorly they are likely to want to seek revenge in whatever ways are available to them. Even though Portia speaks of forgiveness, her ruling is arguably unfair to Shylock given the full breadth of his background. But what does she know of it, all she sees is a "Jew" trying to cut a pound of flesh from her husband's friend. She also has her own history of being robbed of her own autonomy by her father and perhaps that makes her willing to rule so harshly against Shylock. I'm most likely missing some things here but I find it fun to think about.

[@johnk8174]

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

[@DrAidan]

Thank you. I'm glad that you are finding them helpful.

[@aritghosh6568]

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

[@satyamtomar7424]

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.

[@kateelliott9932]

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

[@micatge1694]

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

[@DrAidan]

micat ge that’s great to hear. Thank you!

[@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!

[@insertyourfeelingshere8106]

Jews have historically been marginalized for not being Christian, albeit today they are more marginalized for not being Islamic. Although I'm not Jewish, I have heard from a lot of practicing jews that they are isolated from the broader society. Being forced to counter this by forming tight nit Jewish communities If you scroll through this very comment section you'll find at least 3 antisemitic remarks out of 39 comments

[@Shilo111]

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

[@benmosesyi]

not really, shylock speach kinda saves it all

[@-__________abhinavtariyal_5999]

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

[@Karan-hq1oj]

Why to write "i am from india 🇮🇳" In youtube comments... I don't see any other nationalities do it

[@ericaltonen1714]

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

[@weepingwillow-ud6xl]

Who's the man? You's the man.

[@Skiriwowi]

well, there was a time where christians were actually persecuted, they still are in some parts

[@Flybabyfish]

Christianity is illegal in communist countries. So they would be referred to the Christian

[@edmckay8001]

Christians have the power of the sword. Who's first?

[@alfredocaputto6926]

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

[@stigcc]

The conservative IS a liberal. He conserves nothing

[@petehill8885]

I wonder how the play is now interpreted/received post holocaust?

[@hywel4605]

/did shakespeare write the play?

[@DrAidan]

Hywel 4 In my opinion he did write all of this play. There are a few of the plays where other writers are thought to have contributed material (like Titus Andronicus, Pericles, The Two Noble Kinsmen, Henry VIII and Timon of Athens. Scholars also suggest that Thomas Middleton wrote some of the lines in Macbeth. The major works are all thought to be Shakespeare’s work, including The Merchant of Venice.

[@hywel4605]

have you read the book and documentary: 'anonymous?'

[@DrAidan]

Hywel 4 No: I’ve only seen the film Anonymous.

[@johnmcclellan8423]

Usury is an terrible sin.

[@nostrodelaantares8416]

Based

[@stigcc]

Muslims agree

[@devinfraserashpole4753]

According to who?

[@stigcc]

@@devinfraserashpole4753 According to all laws ever written?

[@devinfraserashpole4753]

@@stigcc Which laws? Usury is practiced daily today. This sounds like anti-Semitism.

[@toddunctious614]

Shakespeare was clearly aware of what is written in the Torah. "For the Lord your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you." (Deuteronomy, Chapter 15 Verse 6). People have long been aware of the practice of predatory money lending. Hence why this ethnic group has been expelled from nations and states 109 times, including England in 1290 by Edward 1. * Of course this is no longer true because the people who control the media, publishing, academia and most politicians have convinced us of this. However, it might be worth finding out who owns the Federal Reserve of the USA, the central bank of all central banks, and the Bank of International Settlements and The IMF just to be sure. *(Side note: At the time of writing The Merchant of Venice they were still banished and were only reintroduced by Oliver Cromwell, in the mid seventeen century, about 40 years before the formation of The Bank of England)

[@simohayha7301]

You should understand the word Semitism.

[@nonevering]

everything is antisemitic for these people even 600 year old tales

[@CameraPunk5049]

Based Shakespeare

[@taitsmith8521]

What happened with the Jester? I couldn't understand what his involvement was. It was this anticlimactic cliffhanger for me. I thought that at the very end he would contribute to the story or reveal something, but he's just there. I feel like I missed something...

[@Laocoon283]

He's just a clown. Comic relief.

"Anti-semestism is a trick" as stated by their own people. It's a non word.

[@soulstice99]

Convincing argument.

[@pikiwiki]

another hr. good on ya, mate

[@DrAidan]

Thank you. Glad you liked it.

[@TomyOtis]

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

[@sophieblue6289]

Very pragmatic video

[@benadedoja6897]

love u

[@howiryadoon]

Jews, Is it anti Semetic to call a friend "a Shylock" when they don't share their cocaine or are tight with money? I think no, because it is referring to the character, but if you guys find it offensive I will stop :)

[@stigcc]

Is it racist to call a friend a N because he is violent?

[@jeanpull1]

That is hilarious! You must be from Britain. I'm a Jew, and my mates take the piss all the time, I love it. I also take the piss out of them for various things (race, religion, etc...), we all have a laugh about these things. Over the top sensitivity is spreading to other western countries from America. Make banter great again!

[@swkoppable]

I m not but if i were u i would be very proud at lesat i know who i am 😇

[@oneoctavelow]

Just imagine yourself being called 'The Palestinian' ... Oh the scandal !

[@merrylderrickson3147]

anti-semitism..... or fairly exploring the nature of foreign usurists in Italy at the time? anti-semitism as the basis for the character (and your argument) is presposterous, maybe not quite as bad, but it would be like suggesting it is anti-caucasian and offensive to white(?) people to write on the nature of african slavers around the same time.

[@stigcc]

You are surrounded by anti white propaganda every day but do not see it, like a fish that do not notice the water

[@devinfraserashpole4753]

How is it preposterous?

[@merrylderrickson3147]

it's preposterous because to classify one's religion as the basis for another's financially motivated grievance is a non-starter at best and a gross intentional mischaracterization at worst.

[@badmother3641]

@@merrylderrickson3147 grow up

[@Happy_HIbiscus]

hate😥😥😥😥