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The History Of Other In Renaissance Time

The History of Other in Renaissance Time

In this paper, I will deal with the concept of anti-semitism and its reflection in The Jew of Malta. In order to achieve this I believe it is necessary to make a brief introduction to the history of Jews in England. However, since it requires a long study and is out of the focus of this paper, I will speak only about the major turning points in the Jews history in England.
The presence of Jews in England can be traced back to an early period in history. In 1920, Jews were banished from England between the reign of Edward I and the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. However, in 16th century the Jew is to be known as a covert figure whose identity is shaped by money-lending and anxiety producing. In his essay Shakespeare and the Jew, James Shaphiro has transformed the discussion of Anglo-Jewish history and Jews in Renaissance drama. He puts out such a question; “how and why were the English so obsessed with Jews in the 16th and 17th centuries?” According to Shaphiro; “The Elizabethan obsession with Jews is far out of proportion with their actual presence and role in late 16th century English social and political life” (Shaphiro 76). In the middle ages in England it was easy to know who was a Jew or an English. However, by 17th century race complicated the status of both Englishness and Jewishness. Jews played an important role in determining the economic condition of the country. As Shaphiro also points out; Jews complicated social, economic, political and religious discourses and turned other questions into Jewish question as well. The myth of the Jews originated in medieval England however, we still see their references throughout every section of English literature. In the light of this information, I will demonstrate how these cultural negotiations between English and Jews are projected in Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta.
On reading The Jew of Malta, one can see the materialism as a primary issue...