Shylock and the Merchant of

Venice

Through their control of cultural institutions such as

museums, under the Reich Chamber of Culture the
Nazis created new opportunities to disseminate antiJewish propaganda.
Most notably, performances of a show entitled Der
ewige Jude (The Eternal Jew) attracted 412,300
visitors, more than 5,000 per day, during its run at
the Bavarian Theater in Munich from November 1937
to January 1938.

The Nazis also associated Jews with "degenerate art,"

the subject of a companion exhibition seen by two
million people from 1937-39.

William the
Conqueror in 1066
was the first one
who brought Jews
to England. During
this time period,
Jews were
experiencing
pogroms in Europe
and being blamed
for the kidnapping
of Christian
children.

The Jewish community of merchants and money lenders

formed an uneasy relationship with the English crown and
people. Medieval Jews were considered to be the king's
property, and received certain protection, despite ruthless
exploitation of their finances by the crown. However, their
religious beliefs created suspicion that resulted in frequent
persecution.

One of the main charges leveled

against the Jews was that they
were participating in Blood Libel
sacrifices of Christian children,
seen here in this medieval
woodcutting.

Golem of Prague, the creation of

life, and Jewish mysticism.

This is a cartoon that appeared in

the mainstream Arabic press in
2012 referencing the Blood Libel
myth. Even today, this
propaganda has power to
influence others.

Edward I expelled the Jews from

England in 1290. At that time, it
is estimated that there were
about 3,000 Jews in England, but
they did contribute a great deal
to the economy since they were
usurers (money-lenders).

USURY: A sin
"Give to the one who asks you, and
do not turn away from the one who
wants to borrow from you."
Matthew 5:42

"And if you lend to those from whom

you expect repayment, what credit is
that to you? Even sinners lend to
sinners, expecting to be repaid in
full. But love your enemies, do good
to them, and lend to them without
expecting to get anything back. Then
your reward will be great, and you
will be children of the Most High,
because he is kind to the ungrateful
and wicked."
Luke 6:34-35

When Shakespeare is born in

1564, there are no Jews left in
England.

In 1594, Dr. Roderigo Lopez, a

Jewish Portuguese doctor serving
Queen Elizabeth was accused of
trying to poison her and so the
subsequent trial and hanging of
the Jewish doctor caused a huge
deal in London at the time that
Shakespeare was writing the play.
The question then becomeswas
Shakespeare Anti-Semitic? You
draw the conclusion from the
play

In 1655, under the rule of Oliver Cromwell, a group of

Jews were found living in England and secretly practicing
their faith. They were allowed to remain in the country,
but it wasnt until the 1800s that there were official laws
passed allowing Jews to live in the country.

Was
Shakespeare
Anti-Semitic?

Portia

Prince of Arragon

Prince of Morocco

The Marriage

Bassanio

Launcelot
Jessica & Lorenzo

The Bond

Nerissa & Gratiano