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| The Merchant of Venice (The New Cambridge Shakespeare)
Paperback
Edition: Updated
Author: William Shakespeare
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Release Date: 2003-05-05
ISBN-10: 0521532515
ISBN-13: 9780521532518
List Price: $16.99
Average Customer Rating:
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Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com
Charles Edelman focuses on the play's sexual politics and recent scholarship devoted to the position of Jews in Shakespeare's time in this new edition. He surveys the international scope of theatrical interpretations of The Merchant in the 1980s and 1990s as well as different ways of tackling the troubling figure of Shylock. First Edition Hb (1988): 0-521-22156-0 First Edition Pb (1988): 0-521-29371-5
Great Edition
| Customer Rating: | | I really recommend this edition of "The Merchant of Venice" -- in fact, all of the New Cambridge Shakespeare. They are easily readable editions, and the extensive frontmatter -- introduction, commentary, background to the play, performance history -- are all wonderful, and add a lot to the experience. I recently purchased this edition of "The Merchant of Venice" along with the Arkangel CD of the play, and listened along while reading. It was a wonderful way to approach the play. And when I saw the recent production here in New York with F. Murray Abraham in the role of Shylock, I was very well prepared. Having read and listened to the play before seeing it made the whole experience much deeper. |
The Dangers of Revenge.
| Customer Rating:  | | More than anything, this play of Shakespeare's points out that revenge is a dangerous action that can very well lead to destruction. (Hollywood never seems to be able to figure this out.) Moving on, we meet Antonio. While there is no proof, it explains a lot if he is gay, and in love with Bassanio. He seems sad and is it a coincident that Bassanio desires to win the love of Portia (a woman)? Well, Antonio (perhaps out of what love he can give a dear friend) goes with Bassanio to a lender named Shylock. (Bassanio can not exactly look like a beggar if he is going to ask Portia to marry him.) We later learn that Shylock is a widower. Shylock and Antonio don't like each other. Nevertheless Shylock lends money upon condition that if Antonio can't pay, he gets a pound of Antonio's flesh. Bassanio naturally knows they should take their business elsewhere. But Antonio agrees to the dangerous deal. (Could it be that Antonio losing his love interest to Portia makes him unfearful of death?) Well, we soon meet Portia herself. Like other romances, this play too has its flaws. Portia is a sort of prisoner. Following the will of her dead father, she can only marry if a suitor chooses the correct of 3 caskets. This is nothing short of absurd. (Especially considering that Shylock's daughter Jessica runs off with a man her father does not approve of. And Jessica's father is very much alive!) But it does seem that when romance is involved, people are willing to accept absurd elements. To make a long story short, Bassanio chooses the right casket, and the 2 can happily be together. Moving back to the main plot, Shylock's daughter Jessica runs off with Lorenzo. As in other romances (including Shakespeare's) the young lovers run off with disrepsect towards involved parents. Shylock is of course sad about his daughter making off with part of his money to marry a man he does not approve of. (Typical Romance formula.) Though interestingly, Shakespeare adds one below the belt action. Shylock is a widower. Jessica stole and traded a ring that was a gift from Shylock's dead wife to him. Shylock is not as simple as people make him out to be. He is the villain of the story, but he is MUCH closer to Macbeth (who has a conscience) than Richard III (who is a psychopath). The truth of the matter is that Shakespeare may give in to some extent to the bigotries of a time, but he also reminds the audience that they are bigoted against human beings. Something is wrong with a person who could laugh at Jessica stealing a precious gift to Shylock from his dead wife. But moving on, things start to look black for Antonio. Shylock is delighted at the thought of being able to kill Anotnio legally. But here is the crux of the situation that most people overlook. ANTONIO HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WRONGS SHYLOCK HAS SUFFERED! Antonio had nothing to do with Jessica stealing Shylock's money and running off with Lorenzo! To be sure, Antonio had some contempt for Shylock, but the feeling was mutual. In the desire for revenge, people often forget who has done them wrong. (But Hollywood will probably never understand this.) Moving on, there is the trial scene. Portia (being far from a mere romantic like Juliet, Imogen, Thaisa, Mariana, Perditia etc) resolves herself to save the best friend of her new husband. She disguises herself as a man and acts as a lawyer. It is interesting that Antonio never seems to fight Shylock's wrath. (Again, this may prove the theory that Antonio was gay, decided to do the right thing for Bassanio, and lost the will to live.) We probably have not forgotten the wrongs that Shylock has suffered, but his actions here are unacceptable. He declines the offer for 6,000 ducats (to release Antonio). Now Antonio's debt was 3,000. And the extra 3,000 would have pretty much replenished what Jessica stole. And when he says that not even 10 X the amount (30,000 ducats) will save Antonio, that is the last straw. Any sympathy we would have had for him is now gone. His revenge proves his undoing as Portia points out that if he can't get his pound of flesh without spilling blood, his lands and goods are forfiet to the state. Antonio himself then pleads for Shylock to retain half his wealth upon condition he convert and become a Christian. And Shylock realizes that 1/2 his wealth is better than nothing. And in the context of the times, we can see that Shylock will perhaps mend his ways. Shakespeare ends the play with the triumph of young lovers. All in all, it's a great play that emphasizes the dangers of revenge. |
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