“Nathan the Wise,” recently performed at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) by Radical Readers, is a play that promotes acceptance in a divided world through various themes. It was written by German philosopher Gotthold Ephraim Lessing in 1779 and was first performed in 1783, after his death. Radical Readers, in collaboration with the Center for Interfaith Engagement at EMU, performed a reading of the play in the Black Box Theater on Saturday, Oct. 28. The director, EMU alum Makayla Baker Paxton, shared that she thought the reading went very well. She plans for Radical Readers to engage in many more performances in Harrisonburg in order to make a difference through “radical theatrical texts.”
The play follows Nathan, a wealthy and respected Jewish merchant, in Jerusalem during the Crusades as he touches the hearts and minds of people from various religious groups to see beyond religion and value each other as individuals.
One major theme in the play is religious tolerance and accepting people as they are. When Nathan meets the sultan, who wishes to gain money from the merchant but feels he must test his character first, the sultan asks Nathan to convince him which of their religions is best. In response, Nathan tells a story of a special ring that was rumored to grant the love of man and God to its holder. The ring was passed down through generations from fathers to their favorite sons. One father, however, cannot choose between his three sons and promises each of them the ring separately. On his deathbed, he has two copies made and gives all three sons an identical ring. With each son believing his brothers to be lying about having the ring from their father, they go to court. The judge suggests that the true holder is the one who is loved by man and God, per the legend, and the sons realize that none of them can honestly claim that title. Therefore, either none of them had the correct ring, or they had to work for that love; the ring did not grant it automatically.
Nathan then ties the story back to their situation, claiming that the Abrahamic religions share many aspects, but they have their own distinct histories that grew apart after their separation. He asks, “Can we separate history from faith, the faith in which we were raised? The faith that comforted us as children? So do I have the right to demand that you disown your forefathers so mine can be vindicated?”
The play also emphasizes openness to changing one’s mind. At the beginning of the story, Nathan’s daughter is trapped in her burning home, and a Templar knight saves her. Later, she wishes to thank him, but he refuses to enter the home of a Jew. He meets with Nathan outside, and Nathan explains, “My people were chosen to serve our God, not to conquer those who wouldn’t follow. You and I didn’t choose our people, but we can choose to be friends.” With that small gesture of kindness, the Christian knight agrees to befriend the Jewish merchant, and he eventually decides he wishes to marry Nathan’s daughter.
Finally, the play places great value on family and the relationships forged through familial connections. It acknowledges that relationships can be chaotic and not always as they seem at first. It also shows how much people gain by getting to know each other and thinking of each other as family above other labels, such as Christian, Muslim, Jew, merchant, sultan, or knight. They are automatically more trusting and willing to listen when they instead consider each other fathers, daughters, siblings, uncles, aunts, nieces, and nephews. If students are interested in participating with Radical Readers, they can email Makayla Baker Paxton at rocktownradicalreaders@gmail.com. She is planning to set up a Facebook page and perhaps an Instagram for the group as well.
