What should we make of what seems to be disdain for the "other," those not of polite Venetian society? I feel that the best way to understand the hatred and wariness towards the “other” is best illustrated in the old saying “when in Rome.” In the time of The Merchant of Venice, the population of Jews was very small and the popular thought at the time was they were the killer of Jesus, the son of God. Most Venetians at the time would have never actually seen a Jew in their entire lifetime, meaning the only judgments they can make about the Jewish people are based from things they hear. One of the only books in print at the time was the bible and even then few owned it, most would have been read the bible by the bible’s owner who would likely portray Jews as literally selling Jesus out. So as a Venetian in the setting of The Merchant of Venice your perceptions of Jews would be hatred and fear but it would be natural. Humanity needs a scapegoat in order for society to flourish.
In staging the play, should we let these notions go as written, showing deference to Shakespeare? Should we rework them, making them less offensive to modern sensibilities?
I find the notion of editing Shakespeare’s work to make it less offensive no better than Hitler’s cronies burning books. The world is a hard place, especially back in the Elizabethan times and editing it will only make us forget and repeat those horrible mistakes. Turning a blind eye to the sad truth of things is just offensive in more ways in one. Also what makes it so improbable that Shylock is a bad person? There can be bad Jews just as there can be Good Jew’s. Preservation of the offensive and horrible is just as important as preserving the good, if there is no more Mein Kompf in the book shelves people are likely to forget and repeat.