gardensardency 's review for:

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

4.25

challenging dark fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Interesting read. For an Elizabethan audience Shylock is definitely framed as a villain, but from a modern perspective you may wonder who the actual villain is.  Also, usury laws existed in England where lending was seen as charity, in Venice usury laws did not exist, lending was business. Antonio’s claim for why he dislikes Shylock only works because the play was written by an English man for an English audience. With this in mind I would say that he’s just grasping at straws.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship

You see this as soon as you start reading 1.3. Everything is going fine between Shylock and Bassanio until he shows up in the scene. Personally I found Shylock to be a product of circumstance instead. Imagine having to deal with several Antonios throughout your whole life. People have limits. It also raises the question: can love and financial need coexist or are they mutually exclusive? Another thing: Antonio has not only bailed Bassanio out of his financial troubles, but has also shouldered the debts of others who owe Shylock, clearly he plays the martyr and he suffers the most from it.