Toleration in Shakespeare and Bacon

IES PEDRO FLORIANI Philosophy and Citizenship 1st Bacharelato, 2012/13

TOLERATION IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND W. Shakespeare and F. Bacon

In 16th century England, many people suffered social exclusion and death for their beliefs.

Protestants were prosecuted by Mary Tudor, Elizabeth’s half sister, and Catholics were prosecuted by Edward VI, Elizabeth’s half brother.

Elizabeth herself is said to have been tolerant but she also prosecuted and killed many Catholics ─and Jews were prosecuted and killed by all.

But, conversely, toleration is an important topic in English philosophy, from Renaissance to the Enlightment.

Sir Thomas More says in his novel Utopia (1516) that different religions should be tolerated.

And toleration of Jews is a central subject in two books from Queen Elizabeth’s time: The Merchant of Venice, by W. Shakespeare,

and New Atlantis, by Sir Francis Bacon.

The Merchant of Venice

Antonio meets Shylock, the Jew, in the streets of Venice and spits on his gaberdine.

He hates Jewish people because they charge interest when they lend money.

Bassanio needs money to marry Portia and asks Antonio for help.

Antonio has nothing because he has bought four ships which are presently at sea. So he decides to borrow from Shylock, thinking that he will be able to pay him when the ships come back.

Shylock is still deeply offended, but he lends him the money.

He will not charge any interest: He only wants to cut a pound of Antonio’s flesh if he does not pay within three months.

Antonio has bad luck: his ships are wrecked and he looses all his money.

Portia, who is now Bassanio’s wife, is very rich and comes to help him.

But the time has elapsed and Shylock wants to have his bond: he wants to cut off Antonio’s heart.

They are before the Duke of Venice.

The Duke asks Shylock why does he not want the money.

He answers that he would rather have his revenge on Antonio.

In the very last moment, Antonio gets unexpected help and tables are turned: Shylock is humiliated, his money confiscated and he is forced to become a Christian.

New Atlantis In his 1624 novel, New Atlantis, the English philosopher Sir Francis Bacon described a lost island, called Bensalem, where people lived in perfect happiness.

There were two reasons for this:

Laws were just and Science produced machines and methods to solve people’s problems.

The last pages of the book are a description of the scientific advances.

In the paragraphs dedicated to the laws of Bensalem, Bacon criticizes European habits of the time. For instance, he suggests that Jewish people’s attitude might be caused by how we behave towards them.

It has been said that Shakespeare might have exaggerated to make the audience feel pity for the Jew. Compare these two texts. The first one is from Bacon’s New Atlantis, and it shows a Jew who is kind because Christians are kind to them:

By that time six or seven days were spent, I was fallen into straight acquaintance with a merchant of that city, whose name was Joabin. He was a Jew and circumcised: for they have some few stirps of Jews yet remaining among them, whom they leave to their own religion.

Which they may the better do, because they are of a far differing disposition from the Jews in other parts. For whereas they hate the name of Christ; and have a secret inbred rancour against the people among whom they live: these (contrariwise) give unto our Saviour many high attributes, and love the nation of Bensalem extremely.

The second one is from Shakespeare’s Merchant, a very famous monologue where Shylock explains what he wants Antonio’s flesh for: Jews are just like Christians and, since Christians are cruel and revengeful, it is no wonder that Jews are the same.

Shakespeare might be trying to make Jews more human to his audience, and criticizing us for our racism:

To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge.

He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is?

If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?

If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.

If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility?

Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge.

The villany you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.

Time to think Now you have read some opinions and learned some facts, try to answer a few questions: Do you know any historical or literary events where Jews were involved? Search some information on these: Jewish expulsion from Spain (1492) Thomas More’s Utopia (1516) J. Locke’s Letter concerning toleration (1689) Nazi Holocaust (1942) Establishment of the State of Israel (1948) Recognition of the State of Palestine (2012)

What do you think of The Merchant of Venice?

Is Shakespeare against the Jews?

Is he trying to make us sympathise with them?

What is your opinion about the Middle Eastern conflict? Do you think that all nations are equal before the UNO? IES PEDRO FLORIANI - REDONDELA - 2012/13 DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY - DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH