The Washington times., 1905-05-28
JEW SEEN
IN PART OF SFYLOCK
Jacob Adler Speaks His Lines in Yddish-CrtcS BAY IL 5
Great Performance-Aetor Man OF
Forcefu Personality.

audience and saw the old army offi-
GERS. covered with gold and lace. and the
court officers and ministers, in evening
dress the very men who so lately had
banished me, hardly knew whether
spoke my lines or not, At the first ops
portunity l summoned my doctor ana
told him It was impossible for me 10
continue my part. l was burning up
with fever My tongue was parched;
my mouth dry. And how he enabled me
to finish the play I never knew.
New York IN 1890 was much the same
as 1t is today. There was then as now
| keen appreciation OF what is good.
And when MIR. Adler came and saw and
determined to conquer, it was not long
before he began to taste the fruits OF
| honest labor well performed. The good
people of the lower East Side saw in
| him a clever exponent of their pest
| loved characters and quickly made him
| fee; their appreciation. And so 1t hap
| pened that the Russian refugee soon
came to live in his own handsome nome
in upper New York and virtually dfc-
| tated his own terms in everything con-
nected with his professional business.
| His Conception of Shylock.
Mr.. Adler's conception of the part of
is a proud dignifled old chap. None OF
your cringing. whipped ours. II you
please He is as erect In his bearing
as Antonio and his merry friends. and
makes you feel his Importance through
out the play.
4 Il cannot believe" he says, that
Shakespeare meant TO represent in Shy
, lock anything but a type. He wished
to contrast the Christians and the Jews.
and to do so he must take the most
| prominent-if not the only-type OF
Jewish character known at the time.
/ OF course shylock was a money lender.
: The Jews were not allowed to buy and
sell and there was nothing left TO do.
Money in hand was easily seized. and
when one is continually on the Qui vive.
never knowing where one will be sent
at moments notice, and utterly at the
II caprice OF these in power. 1t Is wise &c
have ones possessions in a convenient
5 place for instant departure
Incarnation of Revenge.
= 1.-THE Jewish character Is naturally
irevengefui and this is forcibly brought
2 out by Shakespeare. Shylock is the in
= : carnation of the spirit of revenge. bu
i it is a revenge for house and race and
: not for self.
Take tho story:
e Whatever Shylock Is he Is made 81
a by his enemies. He Is spit upon, ridi
i cuied, that he tries to rend. Remembe
Y where he says: The villainy YOU teacl
n me I will execute and it shall go hard
r but I$sgiIl better the instruction
: Here is the key to Shyiock'E eharac
/, ter He Is a profound, earnest nature
holding the Venetian spendthrifts il
I ID
a him for aid and a bond is suggested b.
: his friend there is no thought OF exact
s ing the penalty but of humbling hi
+ enemy. To compel the grand gentlemal
e TO bow to the despised cur-this Is re
}. Venge worth while.
d but now comes a loss and q grea
e one. His daughter, Jessica, runs ava
T with another spendthrift Christian an
e takes with her her mothers famou
II jewels. Word comes Of the profiigac
= of this child and his rage is dashed Int
a fury as he can think of no revenge.
u "The Jew Will Be Avenged"
n But suggests Tubai. other me
n have luck. Antony hath argos
Is cast away
"And here the plot is completed. No
le will have my bond. Now 1 can II
Il venge both my house and my race @
the hated Christian. Now l Will VIII,
,e my knife. and beware, oh. Christian
n. for If there be justice in Venice (whic
Is 1 dare not hope). the Jew will /
a avenged, and fully
t. After I left the speaker I recalle
IS. with what emphasis he brought out u
h words "the Jew will be avenged"
re was not Shylock for any personal spi.
IS. but the Jew-the race. Side by side
d. all ages the conflict has gone o
Race has struggled against race. and Il
great problem of retaliation and 70
giveness have surged about blind ju
Il tice. But after an interview with th
a. new Shyiock. one is apt to feel that q
at lady's scales were for once badly ba
ne anced.