Nathan the Wise

The setting of the time of the Crusades presents a collision of three religions and their associated cultures—Christian, Jewish, and Muslim—in the Holy Land, the area surrounding Jerusalem. The Crusades consisted of bitter wars fought over control of this Holy Land, which is a site of historical and spiritual importance to all three religions. Given the conflict-ridden setting, it is all the more remarkable that Nathan the Wise concentrates on the spirit of tolerance for other cultures and religions.

The play does not overlook the conflicts that lay between the three religions, often centered around painful stereotypes, such as when Nathan, as a wealthy Jew, is implied to be one of “the greatest misers” (53) or when the Patriarch, a leading representative of the Christian church, is described as “fat” and surrounded by “pomp” (97). However, its lead characters all connect with others across religious-cultural divides. Nathan and Al-Hafi are dear friends, for example, despite belonging to different religions. Likewise, Saladin spares the Templar’s life despite the fact that the Templar is not only a Christian but also a Crusader and thus ostensibly an enemy. Most significantly, Nathan overlooked the fact that

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