The Jewish outlook., 1908-04-24
garded Shylock as an intensely human

Mr.. Tree represents the character Of
Shylock in something's of the same light
for in highly interesting historicai
note to the program he writes:
''In spite of the hatred of the Jews
which was common in Shapespeare
day, the poet had the courage to give
the character that touch of humanity
which cOmpels the sympathy Of the
spectator and breaches the message of
wider Christianity. But
the genius of the poet, the gen.
i,ls of humanity that eigned in
him stood ever above his pri-
vate will, and so it happened
that in Shylock, in spite of all
his uncouth grimacings, the poet vim
dicates an unfortunate sect. which. for
mysterious purposes, has been bur-
dened by providence with the hate of
the rabble both high and low. and has
reciprocated this hate-not always by
love. But what do l say! The genius
of Shakespeare rises above the little
squabble of two religious sects. and
the drama shows us neither Jew nor
Christian exclusively, but oppressor
and oppressed and the mad. bitter ex-
ultation of the latter when they can
pay back to their naughty tOrmentOrs
with interest the shames they have
suffered. There is not the slightest
trace in this play of religious differ
ence. and Shakespeare shows us in
Shylock only a man whom nature bids
to hate his enemy, as in Antonio and
his friends the poet by no means de.
scribes the followers of that divine
teaching which commands us to love
our enemies If there is one quality
in which Shakespeare excels it is in
his wide impartiality. He makes Shy
lock neither wholly monster nor
wholly n martyr, but something of
each. To regard Shylock as wild
beast, devoid of humanity and of vir-
tue, or, on the other hand. as the apo.
theosis Of an usurer. would be an en-
ror into which Shakespeare woulI
scarcely have fallen.'
Mr.. Tree's acting of the part was
superb, dignified and pathetic to
degree. and one that could not fail to
enlist the sympathies of the public for
a deply-wronged man. For charac-
ter-actor like Mr.. Tree. who has por-
trayed many Jewish parts. it was GER
tain that he would at one time or an
other play Shylock, and now that he
has done so, he will find his host Of
Jewish admirers increase. His mount
ing of the piece was as complete as his
acting. and nothing finer has been
seen even at His Majesty's. The ghet-
to scene is realistic, and Jewish thea
ter-goers will doubtless flock to His
Majesty to see the Jews in the Ven
ice ghetto driving their bargains, or
proceeding to the synagogue, which
which characteristically has Mogen
David painted outside, and the can
delabra burning within to hear the
Kol Nidrei played by the orchestra
and selections of the Rev. Herman Da-
vid's composition of Mogen David
chanted by Jewish choristers.
In selecting the crowd for the Ven
ice ghetto scene, it would have been
more appropriate, however, if dark
types representing Italian Jews had
been selected, instead of men of dis
tinctly Polish-Jewish caste, whose ges-
ticulations and grimaces might easily
be dispensed with on the stage. This
observation does not, however, apply
to the Jewish girls, whose bright,
black eyes and raven locks might have
been transported from Italy itself