October 19th, 2012 → 5:52 am @ Lea // No Comments

“If you prick us, do we not bleed? 
If you tickle us, do we not laugh? 
If you poison us, do we not die?” – Merchant of Venice

This is just a small excerpt from the much longer speech by Shylock about being a Jew.  What is fascinating to me is that I just learned, last night, of the reference to witches in this that contemporaries of Shakespeare’s time likely understood, but we today miss.  In the 16th century one test of a witch was whether she bled or not when you pricked her (it was assumed that she did not), so Shylock is saying here, hey, Jews are not witches!  We bleed too!  Just like you.