The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-02-04
THE
OF SHYLOCK
11,e S,,,lo.k al tlas Stage Not the Jevs
shakespeare Mcant-The Play Was
"A Plea for Justice.

In the stirring days Of old when
ships from every cline pioughed the
Adriatic and Venice Was the com.
mercial rendezvous of nations. a scene
WAS enacted within her gates that
has not ceased to stir tremendously
the PASSIONS Of men either to SYM
patby or scorn. profound
alton or iinplacabie hate. Within
almost any one of u many spacious
galleries Of the Rialto, OF almost any
day, could have been seen a man of
all alien ace competing with the
brain OF all countries for the almighty
ducat. Ills brilliant and emphatic
success, eliminating in Il p~rincely
fortune, show him To have been a
contestant worthy he steel Of any
foe. Yet, i question IL history dis
.ioSes a case in which q man was
80 universally w%ronged, go causcless-
~ abuaed, so terribly outraged as
was Shylock by the polite and Chris
tan" gentry Of Venice. tor trans
parent injustice, for immoral on
liscaNon Of property. for wanton
cruelty the court of Venice IS un-
approached and unarproachabie!
Wherefore? The answer may pc
given in "A single WORD Of three let
ters: Jew.
l hope to strip from the name OF
this son OF Abraham some OF the
shame snd dishonor hat have been
thrown upon it by a thOughtless, If
not spiteful. prejudice, and to show
that the Shyiock OF the stage is not
THE Jew
That Shakespeare drew ;
40 the public mind Shyiock is the
sum Of all yillainies," or, rs the
Duke Of Venice has characterized
him,
AN iDhuman wretch
Incapable ri pity, void M empty
From any dram OF mercy"
Tie stands forth
"a monster Of such hideous mien
As W be hated needs but to be
seem"
Whose, whole personality is made up
Of those two most ignoble OF human
impulSeS-Ay6rtce and Revenge.
81 far IS this from a just and fair
representation Of the true Shyiock,
he was a man Of honor and proOity.'
Who says he was a dog? Who says
he was an usurcr? His cnemy and
competitor on the Riaito, Antonio
But beyond the bare statement Of thi.
personal enemy and rival in trade
there s. not a scintillA Of evidence
that Ehylock was wen moderately
Over-reaching and usurious In hi.
dealings. And the truth OF Antonie's
charge is most improbable.
In h first place. Shyiock was
lew. He belonged to an alien = C
"to an accursed and hated people
who were at this time prescribed i,
England and tn many other lands
N were prosecuted in those Land
where tolerated. Nowhere were the,
allowed 70 acquire and possess rea
estate, nor were they permitted +
enter any trade or profession say
that OF money lending or the practic
Of medicine.
Says a careful and scholarly write
(E. n. Calish): 1T is one Of the crue
ironies OF history that the Jew.
driven from every other avenue Q
bread-winning. were forced 70 b
money lenders and then we're spa
wpon because they were money lend
erS. Kings used them q
sponges % squeeze gold from, when
ever caprice O necessity demanded
And their less noble debtors ofte
r~epudiafed their Indebtedness. It
\ fact that many OF the massacrt
instituted against the Jews were en
ply for the purpose OF wiping out til
evidence Of Indebtedness which the
held. The royal hypocTite, st. Lou
Of France. ordained that for the sa'
walton OF his own soul "a that {
his ancestors all Christians should I
released Of one-third Of their dob
to the Jews" Had there been, ther,
fore. the slightest suspicion that Sh,
lock was taking advantage OF (
wrOnging any citizen of the state I
would have Teen promptly dispatcl
cd and his Property c~onfiscated.
further cvidcEce OF the injustice AZ
falseness OF Antonio's charge lies
the fact that his own countryme
discredited II. Not to the few in col
ndential interviews, but upon the 40,
Of the Exchange, Antonio makes Il
direct and open charge again al
again.
He rails
EVcn there where merchants most
cOngregatc.'
Aud Yet. those Same merchants co
unue to do business with this .Yna