Text

The merchant of Venice

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Features one of Shakespeares most popular comedies, but it remains deeply controversial. Here, the text may well seem anti-Semitic; yet repeatedly, in performance, it has revealed a contrasting nature. Shylock, though vanquished in the law-court, often triumphs in the theatre Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, M.A., Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of English, University of Sussex.

The Wordsworth Classics Shakespeare Series presents a newly-edited sequence of William Shakespeares works. The textual editing takes account of recent scholarship while giving the material a careful reappraisal. The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeares most popular comedies, but it remains deeply controversial.

The text may seem anti-Semitic; yet repeatedly, in performance, it has revealed a contrasting nature. Shylock, though vanquished in the law-court, often triumphs in the theatre. In his intensity he can dominate the play, challenging abrasively its romantic and lyrical affirmations. What results is a bitter-sweet drama. Though The Merchant of Venice offers some of the traditional pleasures of romantic comedy, it also exposes the operations of prejudice. Thus Shakespeare remains our contemporary.

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Detail Information

Series Title

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Call Number

823 SHA m

Publisher

London : Wordsworth Classics., 2000

Collation

128 p. ; 20 cm

Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

9781840224313

Classification

800

Content Type

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Media Type

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Carrier Type

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Edition

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Subject(s)

Drama in English
English fiction literature
Independent
Romantic Comedy

Specific Detail Info

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Statement of Responsibility

William Shakespeare

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