Henry Irving as Shylock = tragic badass

[huinare]

Awesome photo, from 1879 no less.

...I am totally working on what I'm supposed to be working on, really.

Comments

[aliana1.livejournal.com]

How sinister! And yet...soulful? I'm always fascinated by portrayals of characters like Shylock and Othello, and how they've evolved over time.

[huinare.livejournal.com]

How sinister! And yet...soulful?

That's a great way of putting it.
Henry Irving was pretty much the pioneer in "dudes, Shylock is actually really tragic and stuff." I'm given to understand he took it a bit far, but I think people like him who are able to sympathetically re-envision characters ultimately do everyone a favor.