Jewish Questions in <i>The Three Ladies of London</i>

Abstract

In the history of portraying Jews on the early modern stage, critics frequently cite Robert Wilson’s &lt;em&gt;The Three Ladies of London &lt;/em&gt;as an anomaly. The play’s first modern editor, H.S.D. Mithal, went so far as to describe Gerontus as ‘a character sui generis’, quite unlike Marlowe’s porridge-poisoning Machiavel, Shakespeare’s knife-whetting usurer, and the devilish doctor in&lt;em&gt; Selimus&lt;/em&gt;. This essay explores the questions raised by Wilson’s portrayal of Gerontus, paying particular attention to their critical and theatrical implications. What was understood by the term ‘Jew’ and how might Elizabethan audiences have recognized Gerontus as a Jew? Is the play really an anomaly of early modern theatre history?

Marlowe and Shakespeare Cross Borders: Malta and Venice in the Early Modern World

“…According to Roth, Malta bore a 'Semitic imprint' from the days of the pre-Christian Phoenician traders. 12 As a result of Malta's proximity to both the Christian and the Muslim worlds, Jewish traders 'found in this entrepot of Mediterranean commerce a useful center for their activities'. 13 The Jews were, paradoxically, both persecuted and powerful.…”