Professor David Peimer
The Merchant of Venice in Film, Part 1
Summary
Professor David Peimer discusses how the image of Shylock, and therefore the image of the Jew, is portrayed in “The Merchant of Venice” in all of its various film productions through history. Part 1 of 2.
Professor David Peimer
David Peimer is a Professor of Literature, Film and Theatre in the UK. He has worked for the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, New York University (Global Division) and was a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University. Born in South Africa, David has won numerous awards for playwriting and directing in New York, UK, Berlin, EU Parliament (Brussels), Athens, Budapest, Zululand and more. He has most recently directed Dame Janet Suzman in his own play, Joanna’s Story, at London Jewish Book Week. He has published widely with books including: Armed Response: Plays from South Africa, the digital book, Theatre in the Camps. He is on the board of the Pinter Centre (London), and has been involved with the Mandela Foundation, Vaclav Havel Foundation and directed a range of plays at Mr Havel’s Prague theatre.
As I was saying, I don’t think, well the Jews were banned for 300 years. And so over Shakespeare’s time, I doubt he would have met a Jew. Perhaps seen in the street or somewhere, but they were not allowed to live there. So it’s his imagination pushing through to understand the Other.
Yeah, I mean, Jessica he loses, ‘cause Jessica runs off with a Christian and steals a whole lot of his money, and that’s it, is it?
That’s a very interesting question. I don’t think so. And, want to call him Abraham, Isaac, or Joseph? I think Shakespeare would’ve wanted to get away from a name that was literally from the bible, and find something else, because of possible, because the bible is still used, the Old Testament, obviously he’s still using in Christian times, and the Jews are banned. I don’t know, I’m purely speculating. We can’t know the mind of the writer.