Talk:Rodrigo Lopez (physician)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
While Marlowe's Jew of Malta may have been a partial spur to Elizabethan public interest in anti-semitism, anyone who regards that play as a major influence on Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice has never seen or read Marlowe's play. Marlowe's Jew is a machiavel whose unmitigated glee in performing the most despicable acts transforms the whole play into a Borat-like sendup of antisemitism.
Shakespeare's Merchant, by contrast, actually addresses antisemitism. Although some may feel its "conclusion" is insufficiently condemnatory of antisemitism, in fact Shylock's hard-heartedness is provided substantial basis in the despicable acts of the Christians surrounding him. Marlowe's Jew, however, probably did inspire Shakespeare's creation of his only gleeful machiavel: Richard III. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.185.221.100 (talk) 17:53, 25 December 2007 (UTC)

