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Our Price: $6.99
Product Details
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| Shipping Weight: |
0.50 |
| Author(s): |
William Shakespeare, Tessa Krailing |
| Vendor: |
BARRON'S |
| Publisher: |
Barron's Educational Series |
| Published: |
01 April, 1985 |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0812035704 |
| Store Code: |
3828 |
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Genre: Plays; Study Guides; Moneylenders; Drama; Cliff's/ Monarch / Barron's Book Notes; Shakespeare, William,; Shakespeare; Outlines, syllabi, etc; Book Notes; Criticism and interpretation; Drama / Shakespeare; Merchant of Venice; Shakespeare, William; 1564-1616; Italy; Jews;
Average Review: 3.5 stars
Review: Another Shakespeare Classic : I read the "Merchant of Venice" after reading "Romeo and Juliet", another of Shakespeare's masterpieces, and I thoroughly enjoyed the play. The "Merchant of Venice" is an excellent play that explores moral and ethical issues of what is right or wrong, good or bad, vice or virtue. It teaches that ultimately good will win over evil, love over hate. Shakespeare powerfully brings out the characters in his play in a compelling and unforgettable way. Portia is shown to be the perfect woman, full of wisdom and wit, loving with all her soul, and submitting with all her heart to Bassanio. Antonio was a kind and generous man who often helped people who were indebted to Shylock, the greed moneylender, to repay their debts. Antonio offers to go into debt for a loan to enable his friend Bassanio to have enough money to impress Portia, a woman he wishes to court and marry. The cruel Shylock demands a pound of his flesh if Antonio cannot pay back the loan. Antonio fails to pay the loan on time and it is only the clever and witty Portia who saves Antonio by pointing out in court that the agreement with Shylock requires him to take exactly one pound of flesh and that no blood has to be shed. Among the various interesting sub-plots was where various Portia's suitors had to choose between three caskets. According to her late father's will, Portia's suitor must choose the correct of three caskets that contained Portia's picture (gold, silver, and lead), and then, if correct, he may marry Portia. The Moroccan prince arrives to woo Portia and learns that if he chooses the wrong chest, he must swear to never ask any woman to marry him. The Moroccan prince chooses a chest to open and he incorrectly chooses the gold one. The Prince of Aragon arrives and chooses the silver chest, also the wrong one. Bassanio, whom Portia loved, correctly chooses the lead casket and wins Portia's hand in marriage. The one aspect of this play that mars an otherwise perfect play is the characterisation of Shylock, the Jew to be a caricature of Jewish usury and greed versus Christian mercy and kindness.
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