The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-13

basis of the large liberation which belongs to
this drama, amidst It's seeming intolerance
Let us take as an illustration Of this idea
the character Of Antonio, one Of the noblest
and most beautiful Shakespeare ever drew.
This devoted friend, this kindly gentleman.
this t1nselfish benefactor, this
"Unwearied spirit in doing courtesies,"-
can habitually insult and outrage fellow
man because he Is Of n different creed. Can it
be possible That Shakespeare was without
motive when he made this man, SO lovable
and noble in all other respects, act so I'M
worthily and without shame? Here Is GER
tainly O. lesson of charity-can it be that it
was not meant? Antonio Is not less to be
pitied for his prejudices than the Jew for his
"Tbe honored Christian Is as intolerant as the
despsed jew" Yet how could this lesson
have been taught, this picture drawn Of the
subsection of our higher and better natures to
conventional circumstances, had Shylock not
been Jew, and u Jew despised and perse-
cuted for opinions sake2 We grant our COM
passion to Antonio for his ignorant injustice,
resulting from extraneous circumstances. Is
the jew himself not to be measured by the
same rule? We think that was ShaSepcares
intention. This play teaches to our
mind, the largest liberation and
the noblcst charity, and we can not see
how these lessons could have been impressed
had the character of Shylock been other than
it is But that he Is the character depicted In
the Times criticism we utterly deny. That Is
Barabas, Marlowe's "Jew Of Malta one Of
the most popular plays Of Shakespeare's day,
the atrocity OF which he saw and avoided.
That drama has been contrasted with the
Merchant Of Venice, by Charles Lamb, who
says: "Marlowes Jew does not approach SO
near TO Shakespeare as his Edward IL Shy
lock- In the midst of his savage purpose, is q
man. His motions, feelings, resentments, have
something human in them. If you wrong US,
shall we not wrong ? Barabas is mere mon
ster, brought in with large painted nose to
please the rabble He kills In sport-poisons
whole nunneres -invents Internal machines,
etc" The Jew of Malta" was written
essentially upon ON intolerant principle.
Tho Merchant Of Venice" whilst 1t seized
on the popular preiudices for dramatic
purposes, had the intention, as we have clearly
shown, of making those prejudices not less
hateful than the reaction of cruelty and re-
venge Of which they were the cause. AS to
the historical accuracy of this portraiture of
the Jew, we will content ourselves with the
testimony of DR.. Ulrici. "He is the well
struck image of the Jewish character in gen
eral, Of the fallen member Of q race dispersed
over the whole earth. and enduring long cen
turtles Of persecution. Their tlrmness had be-
come obstinacy: their quickness Of intellect,
craft, their love Of possessions n revolving
avarice. Nothing had kept it's rank in their
universal decay but the unconquerable
obstinacy. the dry mummery-Ike tenacity
of the Jewish nature. SO appears Shylock-
u pitiable ruin Of n great and magnificent
by-past time-the glmmering ash spark Of o
faded splendour which can no longer warm or
preserve, but can yet burn or destroy. We
are as little able to deny him our sympathy
as we can withhold our disgust against his
modes Of thinking and acting" This is that
Jew Of history that persecution made, 1t is
the jew OF Shakespeare and the Jew Mr.. Bar
rett portrayed, but he is far from the
abiect creature pictured In the Times
for certainly Shylock can be despised by none
who can appreciate the intellectual strength
which makes him rise superior to all his
questioners. Shakespeare could hardly have
made Daniel Deronda Of Sbylock aside
from mere questions Of art since that Is
development Of several centuries later and O.
character that did not exist until the nine
teenth century. Certainly Barrett would have
made q most ineffable ass of himself had he
attamptad the Hmodificatinn ~