I've recently attended a couple of outdoor Shakespeare productions including "The Tempest" at Tynemouth Priory and "The Merchant of Venice" at Blackfriars. I've never read or studied this play but thought I knew the story. Shylock is often a name given to any money grabbing thug. The story ... Read review
"Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, ... more
passions?" Shylock's impassioned plea in the middle of The Merchant of Venice is one of its most dramatic moments. After the Holocaust, the play has become a battleground for those who argue that the play represents Shakespeare's ultimate statement against ignorance and anti-Semitism in favour of a liberal vision of tolerance and multiculturalism. Other critics have pointed out that the play is, after all, a comedy that ultimately pokes fun at a 16th-century Jew. In fact, the bare outline of the plot suggests that the play is far more complex than either of these characterisations. Bassanio, a feckless young Venetian, asks his wealthy friend, the merchant Antonio, for money to finance a trip to woo the beautiful Portia in Belmont. Reluctant to refuse his friend (to whom he professes intense love), Antonio borrows the money from the Jewish moneylender. If he reneges on the deal, Shylock jokingly demands a pound of his flesh. When all Antonio's ships are lost at sea, Shylock calls in his debt, and the love and laughter of the first scenes of the play threaten to give way to death and tragedy. The final climactic courtroom scene, complete with a cross-dressed Portia, a knife-wielding Shylock, and the debate on "the quality of mercy" is one of the great dramatic moments in Shakespeare. The controversial subject matter of the play ensures that it continues to repel, divide but also fascinate its many audiences. --Jerry Brotton
Postage & Packaging:refer to website Availability:Check Site.
Advantages: When properly acted shows up racism in society Disadvantages: Sometimes a little simplistic
...play but thought I knew the story. Shylock is often a name given to any money grabbing thug. The story I thought was good bloke has a cash flow crisis, borrows money from a loan shark, who then set vicious forfeiture claims which he then tries to enforce when the good bloke has a bit of a hard time, but luckily the law sorts out the problem and the good bloke wins and the bad bloke gets his just deserts. That's what I thought....
This ... ...get "Merchant" and "Taming of The Shrew". I love outdoor theatre. We got some take away pizza's , several bottl3es of Grolsch , got a bench , sat under a tree and the rain held off. The atmosphere and production were excellent.
But back to the play , this is what it is really about , so read and learn. By the way, Drusilla has written an excellent op on this play so check that out as well as it has a more detailed ... more
I've recently attended a couple of outdoor Shakespeare productions including "The Tempest" at Tynemouth Priory and "The Merchant of Venice" at Blackfriars. I've never read or studied this play but thought I knew the story. Shylock is often a name given to any money grabbing thug. The story I thought was good bloke has a cash flow crisis, borrows money from a loan shark, who then set vicious forfeiture claims which he then tries to enforce when the good bloke has a bit of a hard time, but luckily the law sorts out the problem and the good bloke wins and the bad bloke gets his just deserts. That's what I thought....
This production is now an annual event at Blackfriars in Newcastle, last year we had "The Tempest" and "As You Like It" this year we get "Merchant" and "Taming of The Shrew". I love outdoor theatre. We got some take away pizza's , several bottl3es of Grolsch , got a bench , sat under a tree and the rain held off. The atmosphere and production were excellent.
But back to the play , this is what it is really about , so read and learn. By the way, Drusilla has written an excellent op on this play so check that out as well as it has a more detailed synopsis of the plot., but for the second time back to the play.
The central two characters are Antonio a Christian merchant and Shylock a Jewish many lender. These two have a history... Shylock lends money and charges interest, which Antonio doesn't approve of and has publicly insulted Shylock and by lending potential clients money has damaged Shylock's business. Naturally there is no love lost between them. Antonio has a mate , the "hero" of the piece , Bassanio, who needs 3000 ducats to woo a rich woman , Portia. Unfortunately Antonio has a cash flow problem as all his money ids tied up in three merchant ships due back two months hence. Now I don't know about you by Bassanio seems a bit of a waster, can't afford his lifestyle so goes to his mat for a rather large sub.
Antonio, rather stupidly, says he hasn't got the money , but he'll go to THE JEW (the racism is appalling , but it does point out man's intolerance to fellow man), to borrow the money, as he has truckloads of money coming back with his merchant ships. So Antonio approaches Shylock, who looks a bit menacing , but is very conciliatory to Antonio, and asks to let bygones be bygones and offers to lend the money interest free. Antonio has none of this and makes it clear that he is only doing business with THE JEW because there is absolutely no other option, and eventually Shylock comes up with , almost as a joke, the "pound of flesh" should the loan not be repaid on the due day. In my opinion Shylock was extremely amenable , and tried to be helpful as possible and had this thrown back in his face by the RIGHTEOUS CHRISTIAN Antonio.
Anyway Bassanio goes off , and gets off with Portia, Antonio's boats sink, and therefore he can't pay the loan back, so Shylock , who is quite rightly more that a little p***ed off at the treatment he has received from Antonio, so goes to court to press his claim.. The judge is extremely racist again describing Shylock as unhuman (well he is a Jew), but realises that Shylock has a fair claim. However, Portia comes in disguised as a man / doctor finds a loophole in the agreement, which then use to turn the whole thing around, and because Shylock is deemed to have threatened Antonio's life, all of his possessions become forfeit to Antonio and the State. A little simplistic and unrealistic, and Shylock is , at one point in the proceedings offered 6000 ducats in recompense to drop his original claim, which he , pig headedly , refuses, but the fact of the matter is that Shylock a Jew, is well and truly stitched up by the rich white righteous Christians who make up the rest of the society he lives in.
It's sad that very often parallel situations occur in today's society , and in this play Shakespeare was pointing out how intolerant man can be to fellow man. Unfortunately a big part of the audience tend to grasp the wrong end of the stick.
Thanks for reading, and get a copy of this play and read it, or better still go and see it. You may be surprised , and maybe a little disturbed.
Advantages: A lot of hidden meaning, very well written Disadvantages: Quite a silly story
One of the reasons no one reads Shakespeare anymore is because it can often be very hard to get to grips with the language. But having studied and seen several of Shakespeare’s plays I now look upon this as being a sort of puzzle I must unravel. This process is both enjoyable and rewarding, and for me, sparked off a love for Shakespeare’s wonderful plays.
This particular play is one I am currently studying for GCSE coursework, and is most famous ... ...not bleed?” The story, in my opinion, is a little silly. It is about two men: Antonio, a Christian and Shylock, a Jew. Because of the difference in beliefs and clashing ideas on the money-lending business, the men have an on-going feud, and for years Shylock has been subjected to both physical and verbal abuse from the Christians.
But there came a time when Antonio needed Shylocks help. His good friend Bassanio needed 3000 ducats so that he may ...
drusilla 09.04.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Merchant of Venice - William Shakespeare
Advantages: Extremely well written, funny. Disadvantages: Anti-semetic elements
The Merchant of Venice is probably Shakespeares most controversial play, this is principally because of the usurious money-lender Shylock. Shylock, a Jew, is depicted as bloodthirsty, unmerciful and murderous. Many therefore regard this play as anti-semitic. This view has been countered by a sympathetic reading of the play, which regards Shylock as simply of product of his environment, who is clearly treated with disdain in the early part of the ... ...of the argument you fall on, one fact is almost undeniable and that is the brilliance of Shakespeares wit and wondrous creativity.
The Merchant of Venice revolves around the story of Bassanio, suitor to Portia, a lady of Belmont. Bassanio wishes to make a vist to her, however first he must find a merchant fleet in order to do so. Because Bassanio's good friend Antonio has no merchant fleet to offer him, Bassanio is forced to make a deal with Shylock. ...
hijameswilhelm 19.09.2008
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Merchant of Venice - William Shakespeare
Advantages: Shakespeare's timeless genius. Disadvantages: A difficult read for some.
...of Venice' we meet Shylock the Jewish money lender who fits that description perfectly.
The decadent adventurer, Bassanio, has lost the money his friend, Antonio has lent him and has the cheek to borrow more. Antonio is forced to borrow off Shylock in order to make the loan. The condition Shylock stipulates is a pound of flesh should the loan not be repaid when agreed. It's an odd choice but the Christians are pretty nasty to him so he is very bitter. ... ...fancies him so she cheats the test with a poem in which all the rhymes end in 'ed' and therefore point him to the lead casket. Bassanio and Antonio pair up with Portia and her servant, Nerissa.
Dressed as a lawyer and clerk, the two ladies con the court and defend Antonio by offering Shylock the famous opportunity to be merciful. He wants to know what can compell him to be so and Portia says, 'Mercy is not strain'd. It droppeth as the gentle rain ...
FlameDruid 12.09.2004
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Merchant of Venice - William Shakespeare
Advantages: A light enjoyable read if you have low expectations Disadvantages: You will find it hard to become attached to the very dull and weak characters.
...undertone of normality and leave the reader/viewer with a very poignant message. I began reading 'The Merchant of Venice' with high expectations (which was possibly a bad move) and was left feeling bitter when I reached the conclusion. I found the first half to be satisfactory but after the scene involving Antonio's trial I felt very let down and this feeling was heightened after the play reached its very undramatic ending.
Many people believe the ... ...outwitting her male counterparts... until the final scene. Here we witness Portia, along with many of the others, betray all their characters have been made to be in favour of a swift and happy ending. I found this to be wholly unsatisfactory.
If you are looking for a light comedy that will keep yourself and audiences reasonably entertained then 'The Merchant of Venice' may be for you. However if you are looking for a coherent story with lifelike ...
mcsteveo 08.06.2004
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Merchant of Venice - William Shakespeare
Advantages: great characters, interesting plot, a story that invites your interpretation Disadvantages: none, although one may struggle with language initially
...customary for students to hate the books forced upon them but, whether it be me, this book or something else entirely, it is simply not so with the Merchant of Venice. I had never read Shakespeare prior to this book, except a quick, heavily simplified teaching of The Tempest at the beginning of secondary school; and yet, even so, I was captured from the first page: "In sooth, I know not why I am so sad". There's so many glorious quotes throughout ... ...blurt them out haphazardly.
The pulling feature of this book is, of course, Shylock. He's a character of pure duality and this is perhaps why we, as a modern society, have been able to twist and turn him into a character of sympathy rather than the comic villain that was arguably intended by Shakespeare. We simply cannot look past the character of Shylock and the ferocious prejudice exhibited by the Christian characters of the play - each time a ...
mmmblah 01.06.2008
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Merchant of Venice - William Shakespeare
Would you read it again?
Story
Characters
Readability
Similar reviews »
Reviews which might be of interest for "The Merchant of Venice - William Shakespeare"
Advantages: Something in here for everyone Disadvantages: Not as wide a range as the men's solilquies
of the soliloquies delivered by female characters in the plays of WilliamShakespeare. Ihaven't even mentioned Cleopatra, or Portia from 'The Merchant of Venice' (although I have now). The best advice I can offer to those of you interested in using some of Shakespeare's female soliloquies, be it as audition pieces or for an essay you may be writing is, dig a little further than just going for the obvious ones. With a little bit of research you will find a rich vein of resources to work from. ...
Similar products and search queries by other users »
The Shakespeare, The Merchant Shakespeare, The of Shakespeare, The Venice Shakespeare, The William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Shakespeare, The Merchant Venice Shakespeare, The Merchant William Shakespeare, The of Venice Shakespeare, The of William Shakespeare, The Venice William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare, The Merchant of William Shakespeare, The Merchant Venice William Shakespeare, The of Venice William Shakespeare
Are you the manufacturer / provider of The Merchant of Venice - William Shakespeare? Click here
