Holocaust and stereotypes

[Terrance F. Flaherty]

FrodeauxB at aol.com wrote:

> In his new (somewhat) and much ballyhooed treatise on Shakespeare, Harold
> Bloom discusses the impact of the character of Shylock on the
> European/American psyche vis a vis Jews. He doesn't subscribe to the theory
> Bill was an anti-Semite, at least any more than anyone else of his times.
> Bloom also recognizes that the character was influenced by the people's
> opinion of Jews, like a synergy thing. Anyway, his theme that Shakespeare
> "created" our concept of human beings through his characters includes the
> creation not only of Jews but also of "the Jew" by Shylock. By the way, why
> did Bill have Shylock convert at the end? Seems out of character for Shylock,
> but maybe he didn't really convert, eh? If so, what does that tell us about
> the Jewish people? But, we digress from TRP, don't we now?

"till the conversion of the jews."
            --Marvell

In my  reading of the play, Shylock and his daughter Jessica are converts to
Christian hypocrisy.
There is simply no evidence that Shakespeare was anti-Semitic. Not more not less
than any one else, implies that he was--to post Holocaust 20th century views and
values-- anti-Semitic like everyone else. Nonsense! Where is the proof.

Blooms hyperbole speaks for itself. The notion that even Shakespeare can have
such an impact on humanity is absurd.

Terrance