The Merchant Of Venice By William Shakespeare

Book Review of The Merchant Of Venice By William Shakespeare

This is the fifth play I’ve read in my return to Shakespeare after numerous years, and it my favorite thus far . I found it’s several interwoven plots to be fascinating and well done. Shakespeare’s psychological insight into the human character is impressive and therefore the passion involved grabbed me directly . I didn’t find as many “quotable” lines during this play as some others, but I did have my favorites, a few I cite below. Ironically the most character isn't Antonio, the merchant of Venice. Rather, it's Shylock, the Jewish money lender. While i feel there's no way one would consider Shylock a pleasant fellow. I came away believing that he was more wronged than anyone within the play whom he harmed. He is presented as a nasty and greedy money lender. No doubt that portrait played well during a time of rampant anti-Semitism, but I came away with great sympathy for him. Even Antonio, the merchant, is simply horrible in his judgment of Shylock, far supported his race and religion than money lending practices. 

The plot of the play is a set of complex and simple conduct I enjoyed that. Where does it actually begin, is it in Bassanio’s desire to win the hand of Portia, the rich an youthful descendant, or in Antonio’s abomination of Jews and lenders? I guess both are the setting that makes it all work. In any case Bassiano, Antonio’s friend, needs to adopt ducats in order to have the plutocrat he needs to seek Portia’s hand. Antonio is impeccably willing to advance the plutocrat to him, but has all his capital tied up in his business. Since Bassanio has no collateral, Antonio goes to Shylock to adopt plutocrat Shylock hates Antonio because of the latter’s treatment of him and his station toward him, so, he excerpts a contract in which were Antonio not to repay the debt on the designated day,also Shylock gets a pound of Antonio’s meat. Obviously an odd, perverse demand, but Shylock is deeply paining from the verbal abuse he has entered from Antonio.

The Bassanio / Portia story is wonderful. Her father had died but left a very strange will. He has three “caskets” one of gold, one of silver and the last of lead. One of them has a portrait of Portia in it. Any appropriate suitor may come forward and pick one of the caskets. Her father has left strange clues for the suitors. If the suitor doesn’t guess correctly and opens an empty casket, then he must leave without a single word and must never marry for the rest of his life. If he opens the casket with the portrait, then he marries Portia. She has nothing to say about it. 

A third plot line is a love affair between Lorenzo, a friend of Bassanio, and Jessica, Shylock’s These son two have no problem with the Christian/ Jewish union, and Jessica indeed steals a great deal of her father’s wealth to elope with Lorenzo. In the end, of course, Bassanio wins Portia, Lorenzo and Jessica escape, but Antonio can’t pay his debt on time and Shylock demands his pound of meat in the court of law. In the courtroom Portia gives 0 “ quality of mercy” speech, one of the well- known Shakespeare speeches which is excerpted. ,Still I was much more moved by Shylock’s defense of himself against the prejudices of Antonio and others.

While I don’t like Shylock’s bitterness and sense of vengeance, I can understand it for exactly the reasons he gives and I've sympathy for Shylock than for the difficulty that Antonio got into. My other favorite lines in the play are in no way special poetry and have nearly nothing that advances the plot. I love the lines for their own sake and how they important relate to my own life. My partner Sally, and I eat our main about lunch 2 PM in the autumn We generally do the mess in two or three courses, served serially and we visit. Our mess frequently takes two hours, the luxury of being retired. This is some of the stylish time we've each day to talk. To talk of everything; world events we’ve been hearing on National Public Radio all day, the rearmost soccer news out of England, we ’ve gotten, and frequently mannas discussion of the mannas of our lives. I suppose those long exchanges over our rare among the in top most powers our lives. 

This is so for Lorenzo, but is a bit more eager. He has given her some indication of the depth of his love for her and she wants to tell him her view of their love. She wants to tell him now. He says, no. It should be done over dinner… and I just loved the sentiment. This is the exchange I so enjoyed: The Merchant of Venice is a wonderful read. Touching, challenging, insightful and fascinating; just a delightful read.

Reviewer: Kanishka Dsouza, Roll No 13

Bibliography https://ebookcentral.proquest.com 

Plagiarism report

https://smallseotools.com/view-report/aea6706fad96e0dd2d55f685fb9b1aab

📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙📙