The Merchant of Venice

by William Shakespeare Narrated by Randal Schaffer

Overview

“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.”

Bassanio is a man in love, but he does not have much money to his name, and thus is unable to woo the rich heiress Portia. His friend Antonio suggests that they borrow money from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender who has had many dealings with Antonio in the past. Shylock, being of Antonio's ability to repay, agrees to grant the loan with a difficult condition. If the loan is not repaid in full by the agreed date, Shylock will take a pound of Antonio's flesh.

The loan is not paid in time, and what follows is a dramatic courtroom scene in which Shylock's demands are met with legal intricacies that turn the tables on him. The lengthy legal discussion ends up with lives and fortunes on the line, and through the opposition's knowledge of in-depth legal rules and policies, the result of the trial is not what anyone expects. Depending on the critical lens with which this text is approached, Shylock or Antonio can each be portrayed as the villain or hero from a certain point of view.

The Merchant of Venice is often read and analyzed for its portrayal of Judaism and antisemitism, its spin on the common courtroom drama, and for Shakespeare's signature witty writing and observations about humanity. It is a play that, like many of Shakespeare's works, can be read and interpreted in many ways, and leaves the final judgments of the characters to the audience to decide.

Editorial Reviews

Seattle Book Review

"This translation is easy to read, but retains the iambic pentameter and flow of an original Shakespeare. Overall, very well done."

From the Publisher

Gorgeous new Shakespeare paperbacks.” 
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—Marjorie Garber, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of English and Visual and Environmental Studies, Harvard University 

FEB/MAR 03 - AudioFile

Two worlds contrast in this problematic Shakespearean opus--sordid, mercantile Venice, where the usurer Shylock exacts a pound of flesh for collateral, and the magic island of the virtuous, clever Portia, whose father has set a fairy tale challenge for her suitors. The play is nearly impossible to perform in its original character--not only because of its manifest anti-Semitism, but because, with the exception of Portia, the good guys are no more pleasant than the villain. Nonetheless, the so-called comedy enjoys frequent revivals. In this CBC production, part of its Stratford Festival series, the producers have opted to give it no character whatsoever. While the production is meticulous, the acting is bland. The performers do little to clearly interpret the Elizabethan diction for listeners--again with the exception of Portia (Lucy Peacock), and her companion, Nerissa (Sarah Dodd). Y.R. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176460469
Publisher:	Spotify Audiobooks
Publication date:	03/30/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged

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