The Last Days of Shylock
Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice has traditionally been viewed as an antisemitic play as the antagonist of the story, Shylock, is a stereotype of a greedy, jealous, and vengeful Jewish merchant. The Last Days of Shylock by Ludwig Lewisohn redeems Shakespeare’s “villain,” allowing us to see the events of the play through Shylock’s eyes. Arthur Szyk, a Jewish illustrator and activist artist partnered with Lewisohn to illustrate his novel.