lest we forget how antisemitic Shakespeare and England were ( )

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare is centered around a Christian named Antonio. At the beginning of the drama, Antonio is depressed due to an unknown cause; he says, “I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano; A stage, where every man must play a part, And mine a sad one” (Act I, Scene I). Later we learn that Bassanio, a young nobleman-Antonio’s dear friend, desires to pursue an unmarried women. To do so, Bassanio has to travel to Belmont and needs to borrow money from his wealthy friend Antonio. Of course, Antonio also desires for Bassanio to pursue this fair lady, so he borrows money from a Jew since all his own wealth is at sea. Shylock, the Jew, agrees to lend Antonio the needed amount of money if he will agree to the bond; Shylock says, “If you repay me not on such a day, In such a place, such sum, or sums, as are Express‘d in the condition, let the forfeit Be nominated for an equal pound Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken In what part of your body pleaseth me” (Act I, Scene III). Eventually, Bassanio marries Portia, the fair lady, and she dresses as a young judge to save Antonio from the bond with Shylock.
This drama is filled with romance, tragedy, and comedy: Portia marries Bassanio, Antonio almost gets his life taken from him, and Portia and her servant Nerissa dress as men and trick their husbands into getting the rings they gave them. The Merchant of Venice keeps my interest every time I turn a page. I enjoyed that the plot flowed smoothly and didn’t creep along too slowly. This was a good play. It deserves four stars!
I recommend that everyone should explore at least one of Shakespeare’s works; the Merchant of Venice is one of his great works. Anybody that enjoys an interesting story line should read this drama. Even though it was difficult to follow at times due to Shakespeare’s dialogue, everybody should give The Merchant of Venice a try. ( )

The Merchant of Venice is an excellent play full of moral questions, religious arguments, and financial downfall. Antonio, the main character of the play is a lonely merchant who has all his investments out at sea. Antonio wants to be part of the “in crowd” and desires to have his youth again so he has become best friends with a young noble named Bassanio. Bassanio spends his money very freely and has to constantly borrow from Antonio. When Bassanio finds the love of his life he comes to Antonio once again to borrow money to win Portia’s love. The only problem is all Antonio’s investments are lost at the moment so they borrow from the Jew Shylock. From here the play goes into a suspenseful drama between religious feuds, to love, to life or death situations.
Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice is chalked full of dramatic scenes, from Shylock fighting for his rights as a human, “I am a Jew: hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is?...” (Act III, scene I), to Antonio almost getting a pound of flesh shaved off of his body for Bassanio, “ Why, this bond is forfeit; And lawfully by this the Jew may claim a pound of flesh, to be by him cut off nearest the merchants heart… Why then, thus it is: You must prepare your bosom for his knife” (Act IV, Scene I).
The Merchant of Venice will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. I recommend that everyone see this play at least once. The Merchant of Venice gets a rating of four stars from me and two thumbs up. ( )