Jews on the Early English Stage

Ad Faciendam Similitudinem Dominici Sepulcri [The Service for Representing the Scene at the Lord’s Sepulchre], in Medieval Drama, ed. David Bevington (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1975):

Heu! Nequam gens Judaica,
quam dira frendet vesania.
Plebs execranda!

[Alas! Wretched Jewish people,
Whom an abominable insanity makes frenzied.
Despicable nation!] (7-9)

Ludus de Nativitate [The Christmas Play], in Medieval Drama (12th-early 13th c.), ed. David Bevington (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1975):

Archisynagogus cum suis Judaeis valde obstrepet auditis prophetiis, et dicat trudendo socium suum, movendo caput suum et totum corpus et percutiendo terram pede, baculo etiam imitando gestus Judaei in omnibus. [Let Archisynagogus with his Jews, having heard the prophecies, make an excessive clamor; and, shoving forward his comrade, agitating his head and his entire body and striking the ground with his foot, and imitating with his scepter the mannerisms of a Jew in all ways.] (78sd)

The Croxton Play of the Sacrament (ca. 1461), in Medieval Drama, ed. David Bevinton (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1975):

  Primus.  Anon to hym ther cam a Jewe,
With grete rychesse for the nonys, (17-18)

Here shall þe iiij Jewys pryk þer daggerys in iiij quarters. (468sd)

The Conversion of St. Paul, in Medieval Drama, ed. David Bevinton (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1975):

Here entrith Saul, goodly besene in the best wise like an aunterous knyth, thus saying:
  Saulus.  Most dowtyd man I am living upon the ground,
Goodly besene with many a riche garnement! (14sd-16)

The Historie of Iacob and Esau (London: Henrie Bynneman, 1568):

The partes and names of the Players who are to be consydered to be Hebrews and so should be apparailed with attire. (title page)

Christopher Marlowe, The Rich Iew of Malta (1590), ed. Thomas Heywood (London: John Beale for Nicholas Vavasour, 1633):

  [Machevil]  I come not, I,
To reade a lecture here in Britaine,
But to present the Tragedy of a Iew,
Who smiles to see how full his bags are cramb'd
Which mony was not got without my meanes. (Pr.28-32)

Enter Barabas in his Counting-house, with heapes of gold before him. (1.1.1sd)

Hugs his bags. (2.1.53sd)

William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice (1596-97), in The Riverside Shakespeare, 2nd ed., ed. G. Blakemore Evans (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997):

  Shy.  [Aside.]  How like a fawning publican he looks!
I hate him for he is a Christian,
But more for that in low simplicity
He lends out money gratis and brings down
The rate of usance here with us in Venice.
If I can catch him once upon the hip,
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
He hates our sacred nation, and he rails
Even there where merchants most do congregate
On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe,
If I forgive him! (1.3.41-52) 

George Chapman, The Blinde Begger of Alexandria (London: J. Roberts for William Iones, 1598):

Leon [i.e. Irus].  Now am I Leon The rich vsurer..
Sa.  Oh but he hath a great nose.
Ia.  Tis no matter for his nose, for he is rich.

John Webster, The Deuils Law-Case (London: Augustine Mathewes for Iohn Grismand, 1623):

Enter Romelio in the habit of a Iew.
  Rom.  Excellently well habited, why me thinks,
That I could play with mine owne shaddow now,
And be a rare Italienated Iew.