Oxfordian scholars Earl Showerman and Michael Delahoyde will give presentations on Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice in Seattle, Washington on Monday, March 12 and Tuesday, March 13.
“Shylock in Shakespeare’s Venice—A different perspective” features Dr. Earl Showerman, an expert on Shakespeare’s medical knowledge and on references to Greek drama in Shakespeare’s plays. Monday, March 12, 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.: Discussion program, University of Washington Seattle Campus, HUB 214. Admission: Free. Refreshments served afterwards. Dr. Showerman’s presentation asks, “What if the model for Shylock was a real person whose life was described in Venetian Inquisition Records and whose profile is remarkably similar to Shakespeare’s moneylender?”
Tuesday, March 13, 7:00 p.m.: Presentation, Folio-The Seattle Athenaeum, 314 Marion Street, Seattle, WA 98104. “Shakespeare’s Shylock—How did the author of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ know so much about Venetian Jews?” features Dr. Michael Delahoyde of Washington State University as well as Dr. Showerman. Admission: $10 at the door. Complimentary wine reception follows. The Athenaeum’s website states:
Two Shakespearean scholars discuss their findings about Venice and its Jewish population. Earl Showerman, M.D., has studied Venice and its Jewish residents for many years, and will discuss evidence that a certain Gaspar Ribiero, who was a convicted Portuguese Marrano (a forced convert to Christianity), could have been the inspiration for Shylock. He is joined by Michael Delahoyde, Ph.D., who teaches at WSU and is an expert on the settings for Shakespeare’s plays, particularly those in Italy.
One of the abiding scholarly questions about this play is how Shakespeare, who never visited Italy, could have gained such detailed knowledge of Venice. One theory is that he learned this lore from travelers and actors at the Mermaid Tavern. Another, which these two scholars favor, is that the Earl of Oxford, who did visit Venice, is really the author of “Shakespeare’s” plays. The plot thickens!
Joella Werlin organized the two events. The University of Washington event is sponsored by the Access Student Resource Group. The two events are timely because the Seattle Shakespeare Company will present a production of Merchant of Venice March 20 to April 15, in which a woman plays Shylock.
If you would like to organize an event in your area, contact the SOF Speakers Bureau by emailing info@shakespeareoxfordfellowship.org.
[posted March 9, 2018]
