Ernst Lubitsch's To Be Or Not T Be

The phenomenon of the Jew being stereotypically characterized to fit the mold of evil or somehow devilish has been an occurrence that has transpired again and again throughout time, even in early biblical times of the Byzantine empire. Although the holocaust and concurrent events in Germany and western Europe were not the first time that Jews have experienced mass discrimination and expulsion based on both their religious and ethnic identity, the holocaust remains a poignant memory in many people minds of the unfair treatment of Jews. In the midst of World War I, and subsequently, the holocaust, the film To Be or Not T be, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, came out on March 6, 1942, as a comedy that made fun of the Nazi’s in Poland using a Polish acting troupe as the backbone of the Plot.

The main work referenced in the plot is Hamlet, as it is the play being performed by the Polish acting troupe at the beginning of the movie, however this particular Shakespearean work is not the only Shakespeare work referenced in the plot. Although less explicitly than Hamlet in reference, the Shakespeare play of The Merchant of Venice becomes an important reference utilized by Ernst Lubistch in his movie to articulate the role of the Jew during this particular time. In using the Merchant of Venice, and in particular the character of Shylock, as a reference in his movie, Lubistch is able to create a portrait of the Jew as seen through not only the character of Greenburg and his role in the film but also more generally of the fate of Jews during the Nazi