Cynthia Smurthwaite will review The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare will be reviewed by Cynthia Smurthwaite
On Zoom.
https://templeisraelottawa.zoom.us/j/84148690758
Her review will focus on two aspects of the text: the deeply biased portrayal of Shylock and the ironic fact that he somehow emerges as the play's most sympathetic character. By the time Shakespeare wrote the play, there had officially been no Jewish presence in England for 300 years. Shylock's character was based on stereotypes based on willful misunderstanding of the Jewish experience in medieval England. The play's Christian characters however, constitute a rogue's gallery of cruelty and dysfunction.
Everyone welcome. No pre-registration required