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Shakespeare and the Jews

Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
James Shapiro's Shakespeare and the Jews offers a pioneering exploration of Jewish representation in Elizabethan England, focusing on Shakespeare's complex portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. Shapiro investigates the era's cultural anxieties, from Christians disguised as Jews to ideas of relocating Jews to Ireland, revealing the period's deep-seated insecurities.

In a new preface, the author reflects on developments in understanding intolerance since the book's original 1996 publication.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers interested in Shakespeare, Elizabethan history, cultural studies, and Jewish history, as well as students and scholars seeking a nuanced view of literary and historical perspectives on intolerance.

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A new edition of the groundbreaking book that took full measure of how Jews were imagined in Shakespeare’s time.

James Shapiro's unvarnished look at how Jews were portrayed in Elizabethan England challenged scholars 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 failed to understand about intolerance when the book was first published.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

First published in 1996, James Shapiro's pathbreaking analysis of the portrayal of Jews in Elizabethan England challenged readers to recognise 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.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised as a groundbreaking study of Elizabethan anti-Semitism, the book is lauded for its intelligent analysis and cultural insights. Critics from the New York Times Book Review, Kirkus Reviews, and others highlight Shapiro's convincing exploration of audience anxieties and his contribution to understanding English identity and literature’s role in shaping cultural perceptions.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780231178679

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 08 March 2016

Country: United States

Imprint: Columbia University Press

Edition: twentieth anniversary edition

Illustration: 15 b&w illustrations

Contributors:

  • Preface by James Shapiro

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 320

About the Author

James Shapiro is the Larry Miller Professor of English at Columbia University and a governor of the Folger Shakespeare Library. He is the author of several books, including The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606 (2015) and 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare (2005).

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