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Amazon.co.uk Review
"Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions,
senses, affections, passions?" Shylock's impassioned plea in the
middle of The Merchant of Venice is one of its most dramatic
moments. After the Holocaust, the play has become a battleground
for those who argue that the play represents Shakespeare's ultimate
statement against ignorance and anti-Semitism in favour of a
liberal vision of tolerance and multiculturalism. Other critics
have pointed out that the play is, after all, a comedy that
ultimately pokes fun at a 16th-century Jew. In fact, the bare
outline of the plot suggests that the play is far more complex than
either of these characterisations. Bassanio, a feckless young
Venetian, asks his wealthy friend, the merchant Antonio, for money
to finance a trip to woo the beautiful Portia in Belmont. Reluctant
to refuse his friend (to whom he professes intense love), Antonio
borrows the money from the Jewish moneylender. If he reneges on the
deal, Shylock jokingly demands a pound of his flesh. When all
Antonio's ships are lost at sea, Shylock calls in his debt, and the
love and laughter of the first scenes of the play threaten to give
way to death and tragedy. The final climactic courtroom scene,
complete with a cross-dressed Portia, a knife-wielding Shylock, and
the debate on "the quality of mercy" is one of the great dramatic
moments in Shakespeare. The controversial subject matter of the
play ensures that it continues to repel, divide but also fascinate
its many audiences. --Jerry Brotton --This text refers to an out of
print or unavailable edition of this title.
内容简介
This is one of Shakespeare’s darkest comedies, for the
romantic story of a young man, Bassanio, who has squandered his
fortune and must borrow money to woo the wealthy lady he loves is
set against the more disturbing story of the Jewish moneylender
Shylock and his demand for the “pound of flesh” owed him by the
Venetian merchant, Antonio. Here pathos and farce combine with
moral complexity and romantic entanglement to display the
extraordinary power and range of Shakespeare at his best.
Each Edition Includes:
? Comprehensive explanatory notes
? Vivid introductions and the most up-to-date scholarship
? Clear, modernized spelling and punctuation, enabling
contemporary readers to understand the Elizabethan English
? Completely updated, detailed bibliographies and performance
histories
? An interpretive essay on film adaptations of the play, along
with an extensive filmography
作者简介
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564.
In London, Shakespeare became the principal playwright and
shareholder of the successful acting troupe the Lord Chamberlin's
men (later, under James I, called the King's men) which built and
occupied the Globe theater. In 1616, he died in Stratford after
having written 37 plays, sonnets, and other poetry which would
become crucial to the cannon of English literature.