The Jews' Tragedy
Encyclopedia
The Jews' Tragedy is an early Caroline era stage play by William Heminges
. Written in 1626
but apparently never acted in its own era, the drama was the most intensive and detailed attempt to portray Jews onstage in English Renaissance theatre
.
Earlier plays — The Three Ladies of London
, The Jew of Malta
, The Merchant of Venice
and others — had depicted Jews with varying degrees of antipathy or sympathy, though they featured a single Jewish character, or a few at most. No dramatist before Heminges attempted to present a full cast of Jewish characters or to depict Jewish society. The prevailing anti-Semitism
in England at the time makes it unsurprising that the work was not staged — and somewhat surprising that it was ever written.
Though never produced before an audience, Heminges's drama was published in 1662
, under the title The Jewes Tragedy, or their fatal and final overthrow by Vespasian and Titus his son, agreeable to the authentick and famous History of Josephus.
Like Heminges's other surviving play The Fatal Contract
, The Jews' Tragedy was heavily influenced by the works of Shakespeare
. The Jews' Tragedy is the earliest play to quote Hamlet's famous soliloquy, "To be or not to be."
(During the Restoration
, John Crowne
wrote a two-part drama on the same subject, titled The Destruction of Jerusalem, acted in 1677
. Crowne's play satirized the Puritans
as Pharisees
; it was a popular success.)
The Jews' Tragedy was given a reading, a "performance with scripts," at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
in 1998, directed by Graham Watts.
William Heminges
William Heminges , also Hemminges, Heminge, and other variants, was a playwright and theatrical figure of the Caroline period. He was the ninth child and third son of John Heminges, the actor and colleague of William Shakespeare.William Heminges was christened on October 3, 1602, in the parish of...
. Written in 1626
1626 in literature
The year 1626 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*Izaak Walton marries Rachel Floud.*John Beaumont is made a baronet.-New books:*Francis Bacon - The New Atlantis*Robert Fludd - Philosophia Sacra...
but apparently never acted in its own era, the drama was the most intensive and detailed attempt to portray Jews onstage in English Renaissance theatre
English Renaissance theatre
English Renaissance theatre, also known as early modern English theatre, refers to the theatre of England, largely based in London, which occurred between the Reformation and the closure of the theatres in 1642...
.
Earlier plays — The Three Ladies of London
The Three Ladies of London
The Three Ladies of London is an Elizabethan era stage play, first published in 1584. It is unusual and noteworthy as a philo-Semitic response to the prevailing anti-Semitism of Elizabethan drama and the larger contemporaneous English society....
, The Jew of Malta
The Jew of Malta
The Jew of Malta is a play by Christopher Marlowe, probably written in 1589 or 1590. Its plot is an original story of religious conflict, intrigue, and revenge, set against a backdrop of the struggle for supremacy between Spain and the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean that takes place on the...
, The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
and others — had depicted Jews with varying degrees of antipathy or sympathy, though they featured a single Jewish character, or a few at most. No dramatist before Heminges attempted to present a full cast of Jewish characters or to depict Jewish society. The prevailing anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
in England at the time makes it unsurprising that the work was not staged — and somewhat surprising that it was ever written.
Though never produced before an audience, Heminges's drama was published in 1662
1662 in literature
The year 1662 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*September 29 - Samuel Pepys sees the King's Company production of A Midsummer Night's Dream...
, under the title The Jewes Tragedy, or their fatal and final overthrow by Vespasian and Titus his son, agreeable to the authentick and famous History of Josephus.
Like Heminges's other surviving play The Fatal Contract
The Fatal Contract
The Fatal Contract: A French Tragedy is a Caroline era stage play, written by William Heminges. The play has been regarded as one of the most extreme of the revenge tragedies or "tragedies of blood," like The Spanish Tragedy and Titus Andronicus, that constitute a distinctive sub-genre of English...
, The Jews' Tragedy was heavily influenced by the works of Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
. The Jews' Tragedy is the earliest play to quote Hamlet's famous soliloquy, "To be or not to be."
(During the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
, John Crowne
John Crowne
John Crowne was a British dramatist and a native of Nova Scotia.His father "Colonel" William Crowne, accompanied the earl of Arundel on a diplomatic mission to Vienna in 1637, and wrote an account of his journey...
wrote a two-part drama on the same subject, titled The Destruction of Jerusalem, acted in 1677
1677 in literature
The year 1677 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:* Roger Morrice begins his Entring Book.* Francis North's A Philosophical Essay of Music published....
. Crowne's play satirized the Puritans
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
as Pharisees
Pharisees
The Pharisees were at various times a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews during the Second Temple period beginning under the Hasmonean dynasty in the wake of...
; it was a popular success.)
The Jews' Tragedy was given a reading, a "performance with scripts," at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Shakespeare's Globe
Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse in the London Borough of Southwark, located on the south bank of the River Thames, but destroyed by fire in 1613, rebuilt 1614 then demolished in 1644. The modern reconstruction is an academic best guess, based...
in 1998, directed by Graham Watts.