"Of Hagar's Offspring": Leah's possible Christianity in The Merchant of Venice

Perhaps an overlooked missing mother in Shakespeare's work is Leah, the deceased wife of Shylock and mother of Jessica in Merchant of Venice. The only mention of her in the text comes when Jessica sells a ring given from Leah to Shylock, an act that helps cement Jessica's abandonment of he...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ANQ (Lexington, Ky.) Ky.), 2018-10, Vol.31 (4), p.218-222
Main Author: Craig, Clinton
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
British & Irish literature
Characters (Roles)
Christianity
Cultural identity
Drama
English literature
Jewish people
Judaism
Literary criticism
Literary devices
Mothers
Negotiation
Religious identity
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
Theater
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:Perhaps an overlooked missing mother in Shakespeare's work is Leah, the deceased wife of Shylock and mother of Jessica in Merchant of Venice. The only mention of her in the text comes when Jessica sells a ring given from Leah to Shylock, an act that helps cement Jessica's abandonment of her father's Jewish culture. However, it is Leah's placement in this pivotal moment of identity shift for both Jessica and Shylock that affords Leah so much power in the play. After establishing precedent for attributing influence to the off-stage mother figure in Shakespeare's plays and analyzing dialog, Craig rereads the play in light of the conjecture that she could have been Christian. ability and rage become poignant. Leah's possible Christianity bolsters her presence in the play, affecting the actions of her family as they negotiate a Venice that is unwelcoming of Judaism.
ISSN:0895-769X
1940-3364
DOI:10.1080/0895769X.2018.1433015