First published in 1996, James Shapiro's pathbreaking analysis of the portrayal of Jews in Elizabethan England challenged readers to recognize the significance of Jewish questions in Shakespeare's day. From accounts of Christians masquerading as Jews to fantasies of settling foreign Jews in Ireland, Shapiro's work delves deeply into the cultural insecurities of Elizabethans while illuminating Shakespeare's portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. In a new preface, Shapiro reflects upon what he has learned about intolerance since the first publication of Shakespeare and the Jews.

This book opens a new perspective in the debate surrounding the real identity of William Shakespeare, an issue that has been dividing the literary world for more than 300 years. It offers here the result of long-investigation on the uncontroversial evidence of the Jewish origin of Shakespeare, a discovery that allows to understand the permanent necessity for the poet to reconciliate the Jewish identity of his father with the catholic identity of his mother.

Amelia Bassano Lanier is proved to be a strong candidate for authorship of Shakespeare's plays: Hudson looks at the fascinating life of this woman, believed by many to be the dark lady of the sonnets, and presents the case that she may have written Shakespeare's plays.

This book explores responses to The Merchant of Venice by Jewish writers, critics, theater artists, thinkers, religious leaders and institutions.

Uncover the history and complexity of Shakespeare's portrayal of Jews in this insightful and thought-provoking book. Gerald Friedlander explores the cultural and historical contexts that informed Shakespeare's writing, and considers the impact of these works on subsequent generations. An essential read for anyone interested in literary criticism or Jewish studies. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.