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A review by richardleis
The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
5.0
Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice is, by plot alone, thoroughly entertaining, but there are many complexities at work that make it meaningful and thought-provoking. It is also a play that is problematic for current readers, because of its stereotypes and racism. Shylock, for example, is the villain of the play, and the depiction of him is very upsetting as it depends on queasy stereotypes.
An argument can be made that Shakespeare was aware of these stereotypes and used them to also implicate the so-called heroes of the play: the Christians and the Christian merchants. There are some great lines that shine a sudden spotlight on their practices, related to commerce, mercy, and governance, that makes them just as villainous. As my professor pointed out, the line "Which is the merchant here and which is the Jew?" (IV.i.173) is an extraordinary one because it collapses the differences between Christians and Jews (and also people who lend money with interest and those that don't) and makes them indistinguishable.
And yet, the slurs continue, the villain gets his comeuppance (even if it is further complicated and complex.) For me, the most uncomfortable moments in the play were between Portia disguised as Doctor Balthazar and Shylock. Coming off the previously mentioned line and because, to me at least, she is the true hero of the play, it would seem she has some sympathy for him, but as she deploys her legal positioning, she can't help but to demean him further.
As I mentioned, I absolutely adore the character of Portia. While fully embedded in the gender roles and norms of the time, she repeatedly subverts them, refashioning the world around her to her desires.
There is an obvious question to be asked about the sexuality of Antonio, who I originally thought was going to be the main protagonist. He seems to be obviously in love with his best friend Bassanio. He repeatedly expresses this love, is depressed by this love, and gives Bassanio anything he wants, including the loan that starts the mess in the first place. There is also the remarkable ring giving at the end, which in my opinion suggests a kind of marriage, perhaps with Portia instigating it knowing full well what it means.
In summary, The Merchant of Venice is disturbing, entertaining, thought-provoking, and challenging. As modern readers we should frown at the biases of the past, but we should also recognize how these biases continue today. Perhaps we can even appreciate how Shakespeare may have been undermining those stereotypes at a time when they were rampant and widely held.
An argument can be made that Shakespeare was aware of these stereotypes and used them to also implicate the so-called heroes of the play: the Christians and the Christian merchants. There are some great lines that shine a sudden spotlight on their practices, related to commerce, mercy, and governance, that makes them just as villainous. As my professor pointed out, the line "Which is the merchant here and which is the Jew?" (IV.i.173) is an extraordinary one because it collapses the differences between Christians and Jews (and also people who lend money with interest and those that don't) and makes them indistinguishable.
And yet, the slurs continue, the villain gets his comeuppance (even if it is further complicated and complex.) For me, the most uncomfortable moments in the play were between Portia disguised as Doctor Balthazar and Shylock. Coming off the previously mentioned line and because, to me at least, she is the true hero of the play, it would seem she has some sympathy for him, but as she deploys her legal positioning, she can't help but to demean him further.
As I mentioned, I absolutely adore the character of Portia. While fully embedded in the gender roles and norms of the time, she repeatedly subverts them, refashioning the world around her to her desires.
There is an obvious question to be asked about the sexuality of Antonio, who I originally thought was going to be the main protagonist. He seems to be obviously in love with his best friend Bassanio. He repeatedly expresses this love, is depressed by this love, and gives Bassanio anything he wants, including the loan that starts the mess in the first place. There is also the remarkable ring giving at the end, which in my opinion suggests a kind of marriage, perhaps with Portia instigating it knowing full well what it means.
In summary, The Merchant of Venice is disturbing, entertaining, thought-provoking, and challenging. As modern readers we should frown at the biases of the past, but we should also recognize how these biases continue today. Perhaps we can even appreciate how Shakespeare may have been undermining those stereotypes at a time when they were rampant and widely held.