The Merchant Of VeniceWritten between 1596 and 1598, The Merchant of Venice is both an ... more
early Shakespearean comedy and one of the Bard's problem plays. A work in which good triumphs over evil, yet the dramatic tension often remains unresolved and the wo...
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Advantages: Great story; fine acting from main characters Disadvantages: Modern viewers may find Anti-Semitism disturbing
***This opinion reveals major details about the film's plot, but they can be avoided.***
The time
Mid to late 16th century. There is tension between the Jews and the Christians. The Jews can lend money and demand interest; the Christians cannot.
The place
Venice, place of barges, canals and far more water than modern viewers will be used to; also home to a gaggle of bare-breasted prostitutes who appear occasionally
The players
Antonio, the merchant after whom the play and film are named: Jeremy Irons
His protégé, Bassanio: Joseph Fiennes
Bassanio's friend Gratiano: Kris Marshall
Lorenzo, another member of Bassanio's retinue: Charlie Cox
Shylock, a Jewish moneylender: played magnificently by Al Pacino
Portia, Bassanio's love interest: Lynn Collins
Nerissa, Portia's maid: Heather Goldenhersh
Jessica, Shylock's daughter ...
Advantages: Shakespeare's timeless genius. Disadvantages: A difficult read for some.
King Lear claims to be a man 'more sinned against than sinning' and in 'The Merchant of Venice' we meet Shylock the Jewish money lender who fits that description perfectly.
The decadent adventurer, Bassanio, has lost the money his friend, Antonio has lent him and has the cheek to borrow more. Antonio is forced to borrow off Shylock in order to make the loan. The condition Shylock stipulates is a pound of flesh should the loan not be repaid when agreed. It's an odd choice but the Christians are pretty nasty to him so he is very bitter.
Off Bassanio goes in search of a rich wife again and does very well.
He meets Portia who is loaded and all he has to do is pass a guess-the-casket test to win her heart. She fancies him so she cheats the test with a poem in which all the rhymes end in 'ed' and therefore point him to the lead ...
Advantages: great characters, interesting plot, a story that invites your interpretation Disadvantages: none, although one may struggle with language initially
It's customary for students to hate the books forced upon them but, whether it be me, this book or something else entirely, it is simply not so with the Merchant of Venice. I had never read Shakespeare prior to this book, except a quick, heavily simplified teaching of The Tempest at the beginning of secondary school; and yet, even so, I was captured from the first page: "In sooth, I know not why I am so sad". There's so many glorious quotes throughout and following this one that I am having to fully restrain myself not to blurt them out haphazardly.
The pulling feature of this book is, of course, Shylock. He's a character of pure duality and this is perhaps why we, as a modern society, have been able to twist and turn him into a character of sympathy rather than the comic villain that was arguably intended by Shakespeare. We simply ...
METRODOME DISTRIBUTION; DELUXE VIDEO SERVICE - METRODOME
Release date
30/01/2006
No of Discs
2
Catalogue No
MTD 5242
Barcode
5055002552427
Writer
William Shakespeare
Author
William Shakespeare
Languages
Main Language
English
DVD Description
A stage adaptation of William Shakespeare's 'Othello' and 'Merchant Of Venice' which like so many Shakespeare comedies, features a complicated web of characters who distract themselves with inventive ways to capture their heart's desire, and their exuberance usually results in some delightful trouble. THE MERCHANT OF VENICE finds Antonio, a merchant, trying to help his friend Bassanio to come up with the money to visit and court Portia, a wealthy heiress. They borrow money from the vengeful Shylock, who agrees to lend the money with no interest. The catch is, if the debt is not re-paid, he will have instead a pound of Antonio's flesh. Things go fine with the romance between Bassanio and Portia, but disaster with Antonio's business means he cannot repay the debt. This version of the film promises to be superior, as director Trevor Nunn was a longtime director of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
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