“Shylock, the Eternally Misunderstood Jew"

Richard Weisberg, grand-dad to Owen and Wes, will discuss Shakespeare's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE and its most fascinating and disturbing character, Shylock. Long misunderstood, the Jewish moneylender is portrayed in overwhelmingly positive terms. The Bard, who knew no Jewish people, displays his humane genius in crafting a fully representative Jew, "more sinned against than sinning", whose loyalty to his family and tribe are displayed in opposition to the sloppy oath breaking of the Christian men in the play. We'll discuss this still larger-than-life Jew, who asks those only too ready to persecute him: "Hath not a Jew eyes?" Richard Weisberg is currently Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law and English Literature at the U. of Pittsburgh.