Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice: Shylock
Facilitated by Rabbi Stein; Offered by EdX and Harvard University
This event already happened:
Sunday, November 15, 2020
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*this is a Weekly event
9:00AM - 10:00AM
Location: Online Class via Zoom
Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice: Shylock
Dr. Stephen Greenblat
In the first act of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, the Jewish moneylender Shylock proposes a “merry sport” to the merchant Antonio: he will lend Antonio the money he needs if Antonio agrees to let Shylock take a pound of his flesh should he default. Shylock calls this contract a “merry bond,” and Shakespeare’s First Folio calls the play a comedy. But what does Shylock want from the bond, and how merry does the play ultimately prove?
In this course, Harvard professor Stephen Greenblatt guides learners through an in-depth exploration of the character of Shylock. You’ll learn about Jewish history in Europe, how early audiences might have responded to the play, and the history of the play’s production through the twenty-first century.
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