Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-12-01
LECTURE0N SHYLOCK
ADDRESS BY DR.. kRAUsKoPF BEFORE
THE JEFFERSON LITERARY CIRCLE.
The Gifted Rabbi Discusses shakespesro's
Character Of tho "Unhistoric jew"
Before Large Audience.

The lecture OF DR.. John Krauskopf, of
Philadelphia, at the Academy Of Music
last night, was one of the leading events
Of the season in Hebrew society. The adj
dress was under the auspicies of jefferson
Literary and Social Circle, and as the sub
| iect, "Shylock, the Unhlstoric jew" is
one of unusal interest, quite a large
audience assembled 70 hear the distin-
guIshed speaker. The orchestra floor was
well-6lled. and the crowd present EN-
bTaced not only citizens of the orators
sect, bat large number of persons from
| other denominations, who had read with
interest Shakespeare's magnificent drama
The Merchant of Venice"
TIE ORATOR PRESENTED.
Mr.. Sol. Bloomberg presented Rabbi Ca
liscb TO the audience and the latter, in
complimentary language, introduced DR.
krauskopf, who Immediately commenced
his lecture.
The speaker FIRST gave running sketch
| OF the plot upon which the play is founded
and then said:
Many have been the Cuesses as 10 Shakes
peare's intention in writing the Merchant
OF Venice. One critic finds as its funda-
| mental theme the doctrine of the per-
niclOus power Of gold. Another sees
there the giorihcatlon of pure, disinter-
| ested friendship. Yet another discovers
there the lesson Of the superiority OF the
paternal instinct, or of revenge over
money-getting greed. Another still is OF
nothing surer than that Shakespeare IN
! tended it be popular proseiy tizing
| tract to teach the superiority of the
| Christian over the jew. Another COM
pletely reverses this latter theory
| he sees there viudlcation OF
the jew and powerful appeal
for religious tolerance. According to
| Heine "Shylock Is, with the exception
| Of Portia, the most respectable person IN
the whole play" In this view he has OF late
been followed by many Shakespearean
| scholars. l remember having read quite
| number of essays under headings, OF IN
which phrases abOunded, such as these
''Shylock, the Jewed "Shylock, the more
sinned against than SHINING" and the like.
Il look on ShylUck," says the studious
| actor Irving. "as the type of prosecuted
| race; almost the only gentleman IN the
play, and the most Iil-used."
STRIKING SUPERIORITY IN CHARACTER.
Whatever our opinion be Of this last
| mentioned theory, admit we must that
Shakespeare throws out strong hints that
make such o theory plausible. The
striking superiority IN character of Shy
| lock over Barabbas, in Marlowe's jew Of
Malta" which was written and played ia
| Shakspeares own time, indicates, il no
| thing else. conscious effort on the part
of the latter author to place the Jew in
less bideous light before the world. not as
a saint, but neither as a devil.
There are stronger hints than this. 10 is
| certainly true that as keen logical rea-
soner Shakespeare invariably gives Shylock
| the advantage. At times he makes him
| fairly crush mis- antagonists with "a mass OF
| unanswerable arguments. undeniable TACT,
| wltherng sarcasm. When in the end he
| has him defeated, It is not by law that he
has it done, but by the perversion Of law
Continuing, DIR. Krauskopf said
1t IS also true that Shakespeare makes
| the Jew lay bare many weakness of the
| Christian. which, as a Christian himself,
| he certainly would have avoided had he
| intended his play for proselytlzing tract
| or had be been satisfied with all the Chris
| tian practices Of his day. When Shylccks
enemies suspicion his motives Shakes
peare is instantly ready tor them with
| this reioinder:
| so, Father Abram, what these Christians are,
| Whose own hard dealings teaches them suspect
| The thoughts Of others"
SYMPATHY FOR sHYLocK.
II is also certainly clear that when the
play is carefully read or properly presented
on the stage, Shakespeare invariably wins
| the reader's or hearers sympathy for Shy
| lock. Heine tells US that at the time he
| witnessed a performance of this play at
| the Drury Lane of London, he heard an
| English maiden sobbing at the end of the
| trial scene and repeatedly saying, The
poor man Is wronged." Heine and
! Irving are right. excepting Portla, he ls
| certainly the most respectable person ofall
| in that play Snylock is far from perfect,
4 20 Cr far n 10 nt q
| is grasping, but what a scrambling after
money we detect among the Others, what
eaoer hunt after heiresses, what greed
after the Jews money, what shameful de-
sertion from q friend by all the Venetian
Christian merchants for the sake Of 5000
| ducats! No such extenuatlng excuses Tor
creed can be found for them as exist for
| the Jew. The Jew of those days had to be
prasping. His very existence depended on
his ready money wherewith TO quiet tho
religious scruples of bis prosecutors. 1t
was the onlv reason that he was at all tole-
rated. He was q convenient and protita-
bic spoil for those in power. As long as
be had monev to lend 10 spend
tbrifts. or property for pillage and contis-
cation he could count upon some degree
of safety. Since, as desplsed and accursed
alien. he had, till recent times. no right in
European countries TO institute legal pro-
ceedines against a Christian for non-pay-
ment OF debt-a fact OF which Shakespeare
seems to have been unconscious-he was
forced to ask exorbitant interest to make
sure of some return. And when brought
IN court by his prosecutors the kind of
LEGAL iustice that was rendered him there
nav be seen IN the absurd decision in the
trial scene of this play.
REyENGRFUL BUT PITY SHOWN HIM.
"Shylock is revengeful, said the Rabbi
- 10 70 for
mercy his soul knows no Christian
nity.f But what pity had Christians shown
his race during al the centuries when they
bonuded the Jews from land to land, de-
MED them the baTest human rights,
treated them as outcasts and vagabonds.
isolated them from decent society,
barred schools and othce against
them, forced them to, follow t9e meanesI
callings. robbed and pIlaged, tortured
and burnt them, and all for the great crime
az having been born Jews? What pity had
Shylock experienced at the hands of Chris
tians from the day he first learned, by pain
ful lesson, that he was Jew TO the day when
they publicly spat upon his beard ana
gaberdine, and kicked him from thelr
doors, hooted him with the SHOUTS OK
misbeliever," cut-throat," dog
What mercy did the Christian show. him
when to his complaint OF unjust treat
mept. when to his offer of friendship, he
fnne back the insult that be should not
look for better treatment in the future,
nor think of him otherwise than as his
enemy? What mercy did Christians show |
when they violated the sanclty OF his !
home. robbed him of his only child, en- |
tieed her from the religion of her fathers, |
pubIicly mocked at his grief--nowhere |
word OF sympathy. no sigh but OF his |
own breathing, no tear but OF his. own |
shedding'? is it surprising that, when a |
chance for getting satisfaction for the out; |
raves committed on his fortune, faith, and |
family affection, his passion for revenge |
sbouid Get the better of that patient suf- |
feTanee which, as be had said, was the |
badge of his tribe. should conquer even |
his creed for money, that he should INSIST 1
unon his cruel right. and that he should |
justify his frmnessT
JEWISH Law AND GENERAL HISTORY.
Shakespeare trespassed against Jewish |
law and General History. Ia making Shy /
lock a strict religious jew he erred IN /
making him OF the same time eager for the /
nonnd of flesh, when the biblical prohibl- I
ZION against cutting flesh from living |
beinps' given already in the time OF Noah /
and scrupulously guarded during thou; /
Il Il