Stereotypes about the Jewish
After the expulsion of the Jews, most citizens of England had looked down on Jews because they were moneylenders which was seen as a sin to a prominently Catholic country. In addition to this, most of the population believed in stereotypes of the Jews that went around. Some of these stereotypes include:
- long, hooked noses and dark-hued complexions
- worship the devil
- have magical powers that they obtained by making a deal with the devil
- closely associated with witches
- responsible for spreading the Bubonic Plague or Black Death among Christians
Trial of Rodrigo Lopez
- Rodrigo Lopez, the personal physician of Queen Elizabeth, was a converted Portuguese Jew who was also a marrano.
- In 1594, he was convicted of scheming to poison the Queen and was executed as a traitor even though there was no solid evidence against him.
Jews in 16th Century Plays
Christopher Marlowe's The Jew of Malta (1589)
William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice (1597)
- Main character was a Jew named Barabas who was portrayed as greedy, cunning, and murderous.
- Barabas perfectly fit the stereotypes about Jews that Elizabethan play watchers loved to hate!
William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice (1597)
- Main character was a Jewish merchant named Shylock who was seen as flawed, but also very complex and greatly human.
- Shylock argues that Jews and Christians share a mutual humanity even though Jews are harassed for being different.