The Merchant of Venice (Wordsworth Classics) - Softcover

William Shakespeare

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1840224312 ISBN 13: 9781840224313

Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Ltd, 1997

Synopsis

Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, Professor of English Literature, University of Sussex The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies, but it remains deeply controversial. The text may well seem anti-Semitic; yet repeatedly, in performance, it has revealed a contrasting nature. Shylock, though vanquished in the law-court, often triumphs in the theatre. He is a character so intense that he can dominate the play, challenging abrasively its romantic and lyrical affirmations.

About this title

Book Description:

The Merchant of Venice has been performed more often than any other comedy by Shakespeare. This edition pays special attention to the expectations of its first audience, and to our modern experience of seeing and hearing the play.

From the Publisher:

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 most disturbing story of the Jewish moneylender Shylock and his demand for the "pound of flesh" owed him by the Venetian merchant, Antonio, who has fallen into Shylock's debt. Here pathos and farce combine with moral complexity and romantic entanglement to display the extraordinary power and range of Shakespeare at his best.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Ltd
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 1840224312
• ISBN 13: 9781840224313
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 128