The Denver Jewish news. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1915-1925, 1920-07-07
THE JEW ON THE MODERN ENG
LISH STAGE
BY JOSEPH NATHAN KANE

| How has the Jew been treated on the
modern English stage? Has he beer
fairly or unfairly depicted? Has he
been represented as "A hypocritical, mis-
erly Barabas, usurious. sclleming Shy,
lock. thieving. scoundrelly Svengali
/ or has he been given the benefit of the
doubt and been shown in his truer
better light? The weight of evidence
proves the latter. altho the ma jority of
| iIl-informed people would point to the
above names as proof of the fact that
the Jew has been maltreatcd upon the
stage.
In order to avoid confusion in
thought. it is necessary to define two
terms, namely: modern" and stage"
which are to be used thruout this essay.
Modern. according to Webstcr's. means
long past" and refers to the last hun
dred years. The word stage here re-
fers 10 the dramatic stage and not to
the vaudeville. where the jew is con
tlnuauy rlulculeu.
Contrasts serve to print facts more
indelibly upon our minds. BY review
ing briefly plays of three hundred years
ago and more, the tendency to regard
the Jew in n more favorable manner
can easily be seen because the stage
simply reflects the ideas, the prejudices,
and the characteristics of the people.
Seventeenth century plays obviously
We're written from a viewpoint q 'fer-
ent than that of the twentieth en-
fury.
Christopher Marlowe's Jew of Nal
Ia" admittedly paints the Jew Barabas
as II miscr. cgoist, and trickster who
constantly looks after his own affairs
in the guise of protecting the interests
of his co-religiOnists in Malta. Tie is
IA eovetous wretch that would for
lucrc's sake have sold his soul
''rhe Merchant of Venice" of Shakes
peare again parallels the grievances Of
the times. Shylock. one of the best
known characters in the history IF
literature. is considered as Il sinister,
passionate and crafty Jew. Il man fit
to be "spat upon in the Rialto." His
daughter Jcssica is unfaithful and
treaclerous to the extent of robbins
her own father ana running off with
Lorenzo, man of Christian belief
Tubal. one of the lesser Jewish char
aeters, is also talked of as "A person
with more trust in money than in hu-
manity. BY losing both his daughter
and his property, shylock pays the pen
atty for being a Jew.
Third and last of the Fathers of
Jewish Characters" is "Fagin'' of Dick
ems "Oliver Twist" According to
Alexander Kohut's article in the
Charles Dickens anniversary number of
the Review of Philadelphia Fagin,
like Shylock. is synonym of villainy.
of unscruplOusness and however far re-
moved both may be from the reality,
the dramatic appeal of the story in
which they are framed in lifc-Sizc por
traiture will always adversely influence
the public mind"
Turning from the earlier stage where
the jew has been severely criticized, let
us examine in more detail the plays of
the modern theatre in which the Jew
is shown to advantage.
April u. 1909. saw the opening night
in the Gaiety Theatre in New York City
of play entitled THE House Next
door" by j. Hartley Manners. Here the
home life of Jewish family is dem
onstratcd to he superior to that of
their neighboring Christian family. The
Christian Sir John Cotswald's children
marry into the Jewish family because
they looked beyond the narrow bars Of
prejudice and perceived siie finer quail
tiles of man and woman. Finally, Sir
John becomes aware of the fact that
Mr.. jacobson has done him invaluable
service in enabling his son to attend
college. and in saving him from bank
iuptcy. At last he breaks asunder the
bonds of restraint and becomes true
friend of the Jacobson family.
Another comparison of this sort is
seen in the "Smouldering Flame" re-
written by William J.. Rowland from
the original Deborah" Albert, the
young son of the village mayor, against
his own will is forced to break his
pledge to the Jewish Deborah and to
marry the parsons daughter. Timex
pcctedly passing the church at the mo-
ment when the marriage service is
being completed Deborah curses Albert
for his infidclity. Several years later
nnb,r,I I, COMMAS ,lpon AlIprt's child who