How did the Christians treat the Jews in Shakespeare's time?

Answer 1

Christians in Europe had been habitually persecuting Jews for some centuries before Shakespeare's time. In England, all of the Jews had been expelled from the country some years before, so there were very few Jews, all of whom nominally belonged to the Church of England (as everyone did in England at that time). They were not generally mistreated for their Jewish background, unless you count being forced to adopt someone else's religion.

Forced conversions were fairly standard in Christendom at that time.

Many Christian people had vague recollections of anti-Jewish slanders, such as the accusation that they had "killed Jesus" or that Jews poisoned wells and used the blood of Christian babies to make matzohs, all of which was, of course, untrue. However, the ignorant and credulous are always with us.

Answer 2

Shakespeare was born approximately 1564 years after the birth of Christ. Christians and Jews were divided already at the time of the book of Acts (35AD), Jews persecuting Christians. See for example the stoning of Stephen Acts chapter 6.

The dividing factor is, Christians believe Jesus being the Messiah promised in Old Testament Scriptures, Jews consider this a blasphemy.

Answer 3

Christians have been around for about 20 centuries, and have been in virtually every part of the world. How they have treated Jews depends on which Christians, when and where. Even in the same country in the same time period, some Christians have been discriminatory or downright cruel, while other Christians have supported Jews' rights and welfare.

Answer 4

Shakespeare was a very religeous man. When Jesus was killed, it was said he was killed by a Jew. That is one of the reasons people hate Jews to this day. Since Shakespeare was very religeous, he thought that all Christians hated the Jews.

Hope this answers your question!

Answer 5

1400-1800 Spanish Expulsion- Not so good.

They were forced to convert or leave the country. Those who stayed were tottered and burned alive. Many went through conversion, but kept the Jewish faith secretly. They were called Marranos and lived in great danger.

Answer 6

That depends where and when. But in thousands of instances over the last 2,000 years, Christians have subjected Jews to special regulations and taxes, ostracism, attacks, blood-libels, expulsions from cities, districts and entire countries, Inquisition and torture, Crusades and massacres. It's a miracle that the Jews survived. See also:

Anti-Semitic attacks (a partiallist).

Answer 7

poorly,terribly