The Merchant of Venice
Ratings151
Average rating3.8
Summary: This play centers on the conflict between the Christian merchant Antonio and the Jewish money lender Shylock. When Antonio has trouble paying back a loan that he took from Shylock in order to help his friend woo a woman, Shylock takes drastic action to settle the debt. The play, however, leaves the audience questioning who the real “bad guy” in this situation is.
This play deals with relevant issues such as racial and religious discrimination and the destructive nature of hatred.
How shalt thou hope for mercy, rend'ring none?
It seemed as if Shakespeare had abandoned the play after writing two-thirds of it. Busy schedule, writing another masterpiece, or was it difficult to find a suitable resolution to end this great work?
The stakes were getting higher and I wondered how this genius was going to play this out. He chose to end it in a hilarious way. Well, I am not angry, but a little disappointed.
Shylock, Portia and Launcelot Gobbo had the best act and spoke poetically.
It was the first time I'd read his work in English; I'd read three other plays before, and it's really something else. It was a bit challenging at first, but I really enjoyed it.
Definitely suffered through this one. Will probably hit up The Taming of the Shrew next, but i feel like i need a good tragic palette cleanser after this.
Aunque tiene elementos claramente trasnochados como mujeres disfrazadas de hombres y ni sus maridos las distingen, tambien tiene elementos muy interesantes.
En particular hay varias historias contadas en paralelo. Una historia de odio, una de amistad, una de amor (o varias), otra de libertad, de relaciones fraternales.
Las grandes preguntas de la vida, en formato comedia sin aparentes ambiciones. Este Shakespeare tenia algo especial.
Por cierto, mucha gente se queja de sus parrafos anti-judios. Si, la historia de odio pone a un judio como el malo y lo caracteriza como envidioso y tacaño. Si esto hiere su sensibilidad, no lea este libro.
This book was quite confusing, well maybe because Shakespeare wrote it. Literally, anything that he writes takes twice as long to read before you can comprehend something as simple as “I love you”. Well the merchant of venice was not the best of the best either. from the blurb, i expected it to have more drama, more excitement. Especially for an AP book, I was dissatisfied with the level of boredom I've accumulated. I wouldn;t recommend it, but for anyone taking AP next year, expect to read it. I can honestly say though that it does tackle very interesting ideas and morals of society. THE END. LOL.
‘'I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is? If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.''