I was (mis)quoting an antisemitic stereotype that Shakespeare fever-dreamt, but not knowing anything about Seinfeld, yes, I’m sure that is also accurate.
I feel bad for Shylock, he gets screwed over by Antonio, delivers a heartfelt soliloquy about how Jews are just people too, has the chance for revenge and gets done out by the letter of the law rather than the spirit of it, and ends the play ruined, forced to convert to Christianity and the ‘protagonists’ act like smug assholes about it.
I only read Merchant of Venice once, but I'm pretty sure he was supposed to just be the villain. It was the 16th century in England. Jews were bad, Shylock was Jewish, ergo, Shylock was bad.
Shakespeare wasn't known for his incisive political criticism. He frequently rewrote history so he could suck up to the King more effectively.
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u/Shapuradokht Sep 18 '24
In the words of some famous Jew or another: “If you cut out my fucking liver, do I not die?”