Henry Irving (1838-1905) Dressed as Shylock

A Reversal of Traditional Roles

On November 1, 1879, Henry Irving put on a production of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice in a London theater; he played Shylock. Already renowned as an actor, Irving's performance drew large crowds because of his unique portrayal of Shylock. Instead of portraying him as a cruel, greedy, bloodthirsty Jew - as originally written in Shakespeare's play - Irving made Shylock a more benevolent character. Antonio, the Christian protagonist, was depicted as arrogant and drew the wrath of the audience. Nonetheless, the play was successful, and it toured the United States for twenty-one years, from 1883-1904.