The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 19.0070 Wednesday, 6 February 2008
[1] From: Larry Weiss <
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Date: Monday, 04 Feb 2008 23:02:12 -0500
Subj: Re: SHK 19.0062 Untouchable Shakespeare
[2] From: Phyllis Gorfain <
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Date: Tuesday, 05 Feb 2008 07:09:00 -0500
Subj: Re: SHK 19.0062 Untouchable Shakespeare
[3] From: David Richman <
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Date: Tuesday, 5 Feb 2008 09:32:21 -0500
Subj: Re: SHK 19.0062 Untouchable Shakespeare
[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Larry Weiss <
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Date: Monday, 04 Feb 2008 23:02:12 -0500
Subject: 19.0062 Untouchable Shakespeare
Comment: Re: SHK 19.0062 Untouchable Shakespeare
I am not aware that there is a widespread idea that "to read, teach or
perform the Merchant is an act of Anti-Semitism per se."
The closest I have seen is a chapter in Ron Rosenbaum's book "The
Shakespeare Wars," which takes issue with the modern tendency to
prettify or justify Shylock. Rosenbaum thesis is that the play is
unredeemably anti-Semitic and no sympathetic portrayal of Shylock can
alter that. But even Rosenbaum does not argue that the play should not
be read or taught, or even performed. On the contrary, he sums up his
position by saying that "I don't believe that Merchant should be banned
or never shown. I'm just not sure of the rationale for showing it rather
than reading it."
[2]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Phyllis Gorfain <
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Date: Tuesday, 05 Feb 2008 07:09:00 -0500
Subject: 19.0062 Untouchable Shakespeare
Comment: Re: SHK 19.0062 Untouchable Shakespeare
>....I'm trying to substantiate whether the pointed reaction
>I have encountered from older Americans, that to read,
>teach or perform the Merchant is an act of Anti-Semitism
>per se., is either widespread or influencing curricula....
Carol, here are some references you might find helpful:
Ralph Cohen, "Unpalability in the Web of The Merchant of Venice." The
Upstart Crow 19 (1992): 2-10.
Gayle Gaskill, "Making The Merchant of Venice Palatable for U.S.
Audiences." The Merchant of Venice: New Critical Essays. Eds. John Mahon
and Ellen Macleod Mahon. New York and London: Routledge, 2002. 375-86.
Marion D. Perret. "Shakespeare and Anti-Semitism: Two Television
Versions of The Merchant of Venice." Mosaic: A Journal for the
Interdisciplinary Study of Literature 16.1 (Winter-Spring 1983): 145-163.
Gerald Hammond. "The Merchant of Venice and the Jewish Question."
Studies in Language and Literature 8 (Dec. 1998): 1-21.
Lisa Freinkel. "'The Merchant of Venice: 'Modern' anti-Semitism and the
veil of allegory," Shakespeare and Modernity: early modern to millenium.
Ed. Hugh Grady. London and NY: Routledge. 2000. 122-41.
Charles Edelman. The Merchant of Venice. Shakespeare In Production. New
York: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Best,
Phyllis Gorfain
Oberlin College
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From: David Richman <
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Date: Tuesday, 5 Feb 2008 09:32:21 -0500
Subject: 19.0062 Untouchable Shakespeare
Comment: Re: SHK 19.0062 Untouchable Shakespeare
I haven't encountered the "Don't teach or perform MV because it is
anti-Semitic." Even those who believe the play to be anti-Semitic
believe the play must be taught and performed so one can confront the
anti-Semitism directly. It would be interesting to do a Lexis search on
accounts of recent productions and how they have been received. The last
time I did such searches, when I directed MV in 2001, I didn't find
directives to avoid teaching or performing the play. I don't yet know if
the situation has changed since 2001. David Richman
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