How Do You Solve a Problem Like Shylock?
Thanks, Shakespeare. You created a character in your play The Merchant of Venice named Shylock, a Jew who makes a loan to the titular merchant. It's doubtful you knew any Jews personally when you wrote the play around 1600 since they were all expelled from England in 1290. So you got lazy, using horrible antisemitic stereotypes common in plays from your day to create Shylock. In fact, you borrowed Shylock's demand of "a pound of flesh" from a play you probably saw four years earlier called "The Orator." Not your best move.
Yet you wrote a beautiful speech in Merchant where Shylock defends his humanity when on trial for a trumped-up murder charge: "Does not a Jew have eyes? ...If you prick us, do we not bleed?" To portray a Jew as human was revolutionary for your time, so good job, you are redeemed a little bit. Maybe. But then, you wrote him a "happy" ending where he has to become Christian in order to have his freedom. Fail.
But, whatever. Right? Your ugly treatment of a Jew should have died with you in your day, but it turns out a lot of your writing is timeless and brilliant...and it's still around. So is antisemitism, unfortunately.
So, Bill, when we decided to produce this musical, we knew the character of Shylock in Something Rotten was written with love in an attempt to redeem your treatment and find some healing humor. I had a good conversation with some Jewish parents and students about how to best portray the problematic Shylock, especially with rising antisemitism around the globe and the horrific events of October 7. We decided Shylock, the only Jewish character in the play, could be educational since he reflects the historically accurate detail that a Jew could not work in Renaissance London. If we removed or edited Shylock in this musical, it would not only break copyright laws, but it would erase a Jewish presence. There are plenty of those attempts around. Additionallly, we agreed that he should be portrayed by a Jewish actor, ideally who could bring a relentless charm. It turned out, during auditions, Seth Korn brought that in spades. Finally, we didn't want his Jewishness to be a source of laughs that may inadvertently fuel continued antisemitism.
We took a page of your book, Shakesy. Like you, were inspired by our contemporaries, but we created a Shylock who is a mensch, like a character in Seinfeld or our uncle who lives in New York. Still an archetype, but not a harmful stereotype.
To put it plainly, Master Shakespeare, mayhap this humble musical doth find favour in thine eyes, and grant thee pleasure this fair night.
--Jeff Knoedler
