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The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare Project Lecture) (Patreon)

Published:
2023-07-20 19:47:45
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

'The quality of mercy is not strained; it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath...'

Our journey through the works of William Shakespeare continues with the second problem play of our read-through: The Merchant of Venice.

We’re discussing Shylock's psychological complexity, Elizabethan prejudice, revenge, justice, mercy, and much more.

Timestamps:

  • 0:00 Shakespeare’s problem plays
  • 2:00 is Shylock Shakespeare?
  • 3:00 ‘I know not why I am so sad’
  • 7:00 feeling Shakespeare’s pain
  • 10:00 Jewish history in Europe
  • 14:00 bonds & a pound of flesh
  • 17:00 male-male relationships
  • 19:00 on sympathy & revenge
  • 21:00 Elizabethan antisemitism
  • 22:00 Marlowe vs Shakespeare
  • 24:00 Shylock in the 21st century
  • 26:00 W. H. Auden on Shylock
  • 28:00 Harold Goddard on Shylock
  • 30:00 Harold Bloom on Shylock
  • 35:00 appreciating my one passage
  • 38:00 ‘it will feed my revenge’
  • 40:00 sympathising with Shylock
  • 41:00 Shakespeare on hypocrisy
  • 43:00 Portia’s mercy speech
  • 46:00 how mercy seasons justice
  • 48:00 on the trial and conversion
  • 50:00 what do you make of the play?
  • 51:00 a personal congratulations

Recommended Resources:

  • Film Appreciation: The 2004 film adaptation with Al Pacino as Shylock and Jeremy Irons as Antonio is excellent and is well worth watching. You might also wish to check out this production starring Laurence Olivier.
  • A Curation of Clips: From Michael Radford's film adaptation, here is Shylock's speech, Portia's speech, and the trial scene.
  • Shakespeare Is Shylock: Kenneth Gross' study into one of the bard's most psychologically complex characters argues that Shylock is the voice of William Shakespeare himself.
  • Discussing Shakespeare: Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, and Michael Radford discuss The Merchant of Venice in this wonderful interview.
  • Arden Edition: The Arden edition of this play once again proves to be a valuable resource because the annotations and introduction are brilliant. For a more minimalist edition, the RSC is a superb choice.
  • Recommended Criticism: If you found our secondary literature interesting, I continue to recommend the writings of Harold Bloom, Harold Goddard, and W.H. Auden.
  • Radio Dramatisation: Arkangel have done a great job with their audio production. You might also enjoy this BBC radio adaptation starring Andrew Scott.

Questions for You:

1) What do you make of the character of Shylock?

2) How would you produce this play today?

3) What line, passage, idea, or character most resonated with you? And what is your personal grading for The Merchant of Venice?

Happy reading, Bardolators!

Files

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Comments

Juliet MacGregor

I enjoyed this play very much, there was so much depth to it. I see Shylock as a tragic figure and think it's very easy to feel sympathy for him. His speech is a timeless reminder to treat others with compassion and understanding. I tend to agree with the view that Shakespeare was making a point about religion and the hypocrisy of not only Christians but humanity in general. Al Pacino was brilliant in the movie adaptation!

Anonymous

In Ben’s introductory lecture to the play, he asked several questions of us. The first is whether the play is a comedy or a tragedy? I think the answer is “Yes.” However, my reading (and perception thereof), moves me to classify the play as a tragedy with comic scaffolding. Perhaps Shakespeare needed the comic hijinks of the rings episode, bawdy sexual double entendres, and the formulaic ‘boy gets girl’ plot line within which to deliver his commentary on one of human nature’s darker sides; Persecution of The Other. In this case, the dominant society is Christian, but any dominant society group will do the job. If you force me to chose, I chose ‘Tragedy.’ The above informs my answer to another question Ben posed: “Is the MOV undisguised anti-semitism and Christian propaganda. Or, does Shakespeare have something critical to say about Christian society? Again, I say, “Yes.” Christian hypocrisy is the message and the messenger is the comedy. And what Shakespeare has to say about Christian hypocrisy is delivered in Shylock’s “I am a Jew” speech. Is there a more fundamental appeal to one’s humanity than, “If you prick us, do we not bleed?” It is hard to imagine someone placing those words into the mouth of one of the play’s two major characters without having sympathy for the pathos evoked therein. Although many commentators believe that the play’s main character is Portia, I believe that equal billing must be given Shylock. At first, I understood Shylock’s hatred of Antonio stemmed from Antonio spitting on him, cursing him, and publicly berating his usury based money lending. We are left wondering whether the initial insults resulting in his demand for a pound of flesh as bond for the loan would have softened toward mercy had not Shylock suffered additional indignities: 1. Antonio has granted interest-free loans which undermines his business. 2. Antonio has compared him to the devil. 3. His man-servant, Lancelet, quits his employ to work for the friend of his enemy. 4. Lancelet helps Lorenzo ‘steal’ his daughter via elopement. 5. During the elopement, Jessica, steals jewels and gold belong to him, including a ring given him by his late wife. Of course, the above litany takes place in the context of him and his people being demonized by the majority of Christian Venice, including, but not limited to, having to wear red hats as public identifiers and being segregated to a ghetto within the city. No shit the quality of mercy is strained. Perhaps I am reading too much into the mercy/justice dichotomy, but is Shakespeare setting us up to decide at which point does Shylock’s desire for vengeance upon Antonio exceed his suffered injustices? Notwithstanding this conjecture, Shakespeare brings home in the trial scene the fate which awaits anyone, however aggrieved, who seeks vengeance. I will venture that in the mind of most audience members, Shylock’s fate is sealed (or should be) when he spurns Bassanio’s offer of twice the originally pledged 3,000 ducats; “Make no moe offers, use no farther means . . . .“ (4.1.80). I’m fairly sure that Shakespeare’s audience members all breathed a sigh of relief when Antonio not only is spared the knife but gets to dispose of half of Shylock’s estate. The forced conversion of Shylock is grotesque and, one would think, unnecessary. However, I believe Harold Bloom mentions that there is context to consider; Shakespeare is continuing his attempt to outpace Marlow who previously delivered the successful play, The Jew of Malta. Marlow’s Jew, Barabas, is a one-dimensional caricature. I hear Shakespeare proclaiming, “I’ll see your Jew and raise you one.” Please forgive this ugly appellation. Bloom also believes that Shakespeare required the forced conversion, “In order to not have any emotional overhang during the subsequent happy events at Belmont.” (p. 175) Oh, that’s cold. Most commentators would opine that the MOV is Portia’s play. She directs the outcome of several events. For example, she is the locus of the ‘triple marriage,’ orchestrating most of the comedic events and the audience anticipated conclusion. One has to wonder if she manipulated the lottery of the casks. I suppose not; perhaps it was Shakespeare’s method of creating romantic tension for the aforementioned conclusion. This suggests that Portia possesses the ethical standards with which to adhere to her late father’s legacy. Of course, her strongest role is her cross-dressing and intellectually powerful deliverance of Antonio from the perilous position outrageously detailed in his bond to Shylock. She adroitly uses the law, to which Shylock so vociferously demands adherence, against him. Shakespeare endows Portia with the intellectual prowess to outfox the hitherto strongest character in the play. Portia may be one of Shakespeare’s strongest heroines, but I think that Shylock’s intellectual defense of his bond and demonstrated pathos upon the court’s judgment, make him one of Shakespeare’s most powerful characters. Bloom suggests that Shylock, along with Hamlet and Falstaff are the three characters in all of Shakespeare which give rise to ‘The Invention of the Human.’ What do I make of the play? Although I read MOV in high school and once three years ago, its psychological and spiritual impact did not really hit me until this most recent reading. Although the condition ‘cognitive dissonance’ may not have been identified in Shakespeare’s time, I felt its effects during and after this reading. This sense of unease prompted me as a Christian to examine my heart in light of the mercy/justice theme illuminated in this play. Yes, Shylock went too far in his pursuit of revenge, but how many of us, in his shoes, would have had the moral strength to relent and offer mercy?

Amy C. Dennis

Felt blown away by the quality of writing here. I gave it an A-, even with the problematic nature of this work. You can really feel the dramatic shift in writing at this point despite this being written a mere 4 years after Comedy of Errors . Appreciated the hypocrisy pointed out with slave ownership, which was hard to stomach against the backdrop of self righteousness and a call for religious conversion and “mercy.” Thank you for another wonderful lecture .

Theresa Garton

This was quite a journey. I found the play a bit difficult. I first watched the BBC production with Jeremy Brett, and Laurance Olivier. I enjoyed it. The arkangel audio production was good as well. However, I had problems really getting into the play. Finally I watched the more recent production with Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons. _THAT_ blew me away. I also watched the interview with Pacino, Irons, and the director Michael Radford on Charlie Rose. That provided very valuable insight into how each person conceptualized the characters. Pacino's portrayal of Shylock is very powerful, understandable and (almost) relatable. In the end, he is pitiful, an regretful. I didn't really get that from the other productions. As for how I would produce this play today, it could be interesting to do this with a modern setting, perhaps in modern day Israel. But, this would bring up many other themes and complications, given recent events. The character I most identified with was Shylock, as least as portrayed by Pacino. The speeches I enjoyed the most were Shylocks "Jew" speech, and Portia's "Mercy" speech. Also, Portia's line "The brain may devise laws for the blood, but a hot temper leaps o'er a cold decree."