Select annotated bibliography entry
Kaplan, M. Lindsay. “Jessica’s Mother: Medieval Constructions of Jewish Race and Gender in The Merchant of Venice.” Shakespeare Quarterly 58, no. 1 (2007): 1-30.
Examines the connections between medieval and early modern English ideas about Jewish racial identity, with specific reference to Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice and the character of Leah. The article focuses on gendered representations of the Jewish race and how the figure of the Jewish woman interfaced with Christian ideas about necessary racial inferiority and necessary conversion. The work is of interest to studies in English literature, Jewish studies, and Shakespeare.
