Nathan the Wise

“He came, no one knows from where, / He went, and no one knows where to.”

In the initial scenes of the play, the Templar is characterized as a mysterious figure. He seemed to miraculously appear to save Recha from the house fire, and then left the scene without a trace. Particularly in Recha’s mind, this turns the Templar into a larger-than-life, even supernatural figure.

“[L]et her at least enjoy a dream / Where Christian, Jew, and Muslim can unite.”

Recha’s desire to meet the Templar is remarkable, given the setting and context of the play. The action takes place in Jerusalem, at the time of the Crusades, when Christians and Muslims battled for control of Jerusalem. The Jews of Israel lived in the midst of this conflict. Recha’s desire to meet the Templar and thank him for saving her life is noble and pure, and it has nothing to do with religious dogma or conflict, in Daja’s eyes. Thus, he expresses hope that Recha could experience an atmosphere of tolerance.

“For the tide / Which flows in high each morning by midday / Has flowed away.”

Al-Hafi, Saladin’s treasurer, speaks metaphorically to Nathan about the sultan’s poor financial management. The great wealth of Saladin is like a flood or tide, he implies, arriving but then quickly leaving because of poor choices and inattention.