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Merchant of Venice

By William Shakespeare

(142)

| Paperback | 9780774037631

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Book Description

An international team of scholars offers: - modernised, easily accessible texts - ample but unobtrusive academic guidance - attention to the theatrical qualities of each play and its stage history - informative illustrations, including reconstructions of early performances The Merchant of Venice hasContinue

Critics

Shakespeare & Shylock

Joan Marcus Al Pacino as Shylock and Lily Rabe as Portia in the Shakespeare in the Park production of The Merchant of Venice, New York City, 2010 1. On the streets of Warsaw and Kraków, alongside carved wooden figurines of Saint Nicholas and potbelli ... (read full critics)

published on Thu, 30 Sep 2010

2 Reviews

1 person find this helpful

Wonderful as usual

I don't know if I'll ever write a comment about one of Shakespeare's books saying "Oh dear, this work is not brilliant at all, Shakespeare is not a damn genius and the plot is horrible". That's impossible. Time ago I decided to read the whole Shakespeare's bibliography and going on I just can't help ... (continue)

I don't know if I'll ever write a comment about one of Shakespeare's books saying "Oh dear, this work is not brilliant at all, Shakespeare is not a damn genius and the plot is horrible". That's impossible. Time ago I decided to read the whole Shakespeare's bibliography and going on I just can't help myself from loving more and more his works! Every time he manages to surprise me with a fascinating story, and "The Merchant of Venice" isn't any worse.

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Alice [love a device against all solitude] said on Oct 16, 2011 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

1 person find this helpful

"The Merchant of Venice" is proof positive that even Shakespeare can misfire. Yes, he's at the height of his powers and gives voice to some great speeches, most notably, the famous "the quality of mercy is not strained" defense. However, perhaps it's my modern sensibilities interfering with my enjo ... (continue)

"The Merchant of Venice" is proof positive that even Shakespeare can misfire. Yes, he's at the height of his powers and gives voice to some great speeches, most notably, the famous "the quality of mercy is not strained" defense. However, perhaps it's my modern sensibilities interfering with my enjoyment of classic literature, but I found the Bard's portrayal of Shylock completely reprehensible. (Yes, he's the villain, but his villainy is attributed to his heritage as a Jew.)
I know that times have changed and I'm sensitive to the fact that, pretty much up until the Holocaust, anti-semitism was a fairly wide-spread prejudice and that Shakespeare (like Dickens) couldn't be blamed for contemporary societal perceptions. However, a modern reader may find this distasteful to the point of distraction, detracting from the overall quality of this work.
Is it a good play? Yes, it's technically quite good. But reader beware, the rampant anti-semitism may leave you angry and disgusted.

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guaddess said on Oct 21, 2007 | Add your feedback