The Merchant of Venice -Tragedy or Comedy?

[sam6350]

It's a pity that Shylock didn't have a better understanding of injuries. All he had to do to screw over Portia and Antonio was to ask for a torch with which to burn off the pound of flesh. Burns don't bleed, so no "christian blood" would hit the floor. :P

[NasseerBoss]

watch?v=Jb8DHMv8_eg

[NasseerBoss]

the book show the real picture of the story the film is kind of changed to fit with the director Michael Radford idea (who is a jew) .....

[WindwardMix]

Where can i find this monologue written out?

[asafk8]

@WindwardMix Look on google for act 3 scene 1 i think

[OliverHart13]

fuck, Pacino played an amazing Jew, I couldnt believe

how authentic he could make the character

[opendtuning]

Shylock is acting on exactly the same thing that murdered Jesus. PRIDE. When Neil Diamond left his Jewish wife and then married out of his faith, does his own father then dissown him? When Edwina Currie married a gentile did not her father not dissown her? Is my soul not a slave to the vessel that carries it around? How do I escape the commandment that God has ordered?

[eakubick]

The music needs to be quieter than the dialogue; it's incredibly distracting. Furthermore, Shylock is not ready to lay down his life. That's why he converts at the end; he's not ready to die for his bond.

[eakubick]

The music needs to be quieter than the dialogue; it's incredibly distracting. Furthermore, Shylock is not ready to lay down his life. That's why he converts at the end; he's not ready to die for his bond.

[heliotropezzz333]

The Italian language version of this has almost 3 times as many hits. Sad that English speaking peoples don't appreciate their won cultural heritage as much as others.

[mzcassidie]

i am reading the book!!!!!

[animeaddict24711]

I THINK THEIR BOOBS ARE NICE PERSONALLY, but I'm not sure if Shylock is a protagonist or an antagonist?

[candy2real]

is the movie a good interpretation of the play?? i have a test tomorrow!!

[aquagrl63]

I consider this the least funny of Shakespeare's comedies. The villain is too sympathetic so we actually get kind of upset when he gets punished. And excerpt for maybe Jessica, all the characters are completely unlikeable. I mean are we really supposed to like Bassanio? He's a whiny douchebag who mooches off his friend and nearly gets him killed. It works as a drama but it's way darker than most of Shakespeare's comedies.

[m301943]

@aquagrl63 What do you think about Lancelet Gobo the Clowne?

[aquagrl63]

@m301943 Well, he does provide comic relief, but he can't save the play. His jokes to Jessica are pretty mean spirited. To be honest, Jessica is probably the most sympathetic character in the play.

[ilovedrakester]

thank you so much for this vid!! this helped you a lot in your english liteature bout shakespear aannndddd it helps me too!!! :))

[LucrativeLucius]

That just might be a personal spin on it from a contemporary perspective, but still, a great literature.

[LucrativeLucius]

I believe this is my favorite so far of Shakespeare's literature. It seems to me that this play was a social commentary, mocking the traditional social perceptions and treatment of the Jewish community by the Christian communities' hands, subtly portraying the tragedy that is man's inhumanity to man, while attempting to appease the discriminatory appetite of his audience by adding a comedic layer. Essentially, he is insulting his audience without them ever being the wiser. Truly brilliant.

[Serbocop666]

very bad audio!

[aniramand]

@wbitou: in the renaissance poetry comedy didn't have anything to do with what we call comedy call today: " Comedy, in its Elizabethan usage, had a very different meaning from modern comedy. A Shakespearean comedy is one that has a happy ending, usually involving marriages between the unmarried characters, and a tone and style that is more light-hearted than Shakespeare's other plays"

maybe u should be familar with the literary terms before u judge someone!

[wbitou]

Are you serious? comedy?

you know people like you have no sentiments, no senses, no feelings

comedy? God damn you sick

[YOUGAYHOEproductions]

@wbitou its melodrama its both tragedy and comedy

[wbitou]

@YOUGAYHOEproductions thanks my freind and nice job but this film and this great work make me cry specially in the end for shylock and for his daughter that's why i get mad when i saw comedy.

there are a few great films but the end is not good enaugh, in the merchant of venice and also if you saw Great expectations, i didnt like the end

[YOUGAYHOEproductions]

@wbitou im downloading it right now, this was the last book i learned in literature and ill miss lit and this is the best book in lit i ever did, kids complain about the old english but its awesome like that and i also didnt like the end, W.S. shouldve made a more detail ending and shouldnt end the book so fast after the time taken to reach to the conflict JK Rowling sadly did the same thing with Harry Potter and Warner Brothers made the movies suck because they shortened it

[kolostat]

@wbitou by definition, a comedy is a play with an happy ending and with no dead at the end... so yeah, this could be seen as a comedy. Also, because at the time Jews were persecuted, Shakespear wrote it to be a comedy because what happens to Skylock actually WAS funny at the time. Then it became a dark comedy and then a tradgedy

[sanjaychhabra6]

outstanding



[xenirex]

0:20 was the real start!

[Marracash1]

porca madonna che figata sto video

[pkll93]

It's technically a comedy because it doesn't end in death (the most noticeable characteristic of Shakespeare's tragedies). However, because of the many heavier themes such as revenge and discrimination it is more serious than lighter comedies. Many critics group it along with 'all's well that ends well' and 'measure for measure' as a PROBLEM PLAY, because of the contrasting moods of themes.

[jabaristone94]

@pkll93 it doesn't have tewend in death tew be a Tradegy

[mohammedmakki00]

high which school do u teach in ?

[Shakira404]

It should not matter what are beliefs are, it is our personality that counts....I have to admit i also feel bad for Shylock but i can also see it from both sides.

[ClariceDarling]

It it certainly not a comedy if you compare it to other comedies. The play has some elements of a classic comedy but the protagonists differ a great deal from the sometimes flat characters od other comedies. I personally think that Shakespeare disguised his personal opinion about women and society by picking up some elements of a comedy and thus making it appear as one, but he really uses this genre to point out the flaws in these areas in an ironic way.

[goddessofsolitude]

Whats the background music while Shylock was giving his speech? Thanks

[Sters100]

It's certainly a comedy if you compares it to other Shakespeare's plays which are real tragedies as Macbeth, Othello etc.

[Wickedfrk14]

i would just like to point out that a comedy by definition is not something funny but something with a happy ending

[PETEYPABLO1977]

@Wickedfrk14 it is a tragedy because Shylock dies... symbolically

[gothicNightwishFan]

wonderful :)

[MissJoey006]

This play makes me sad :( Definitely a tragedy. The prejudice against the Jews is just shocking. Some parts are hilarious, I agree, but those are the parts with Portia and Bassanio...

[HV25]

and evil indeed

[Adaam2914]

Well

it certainly can't be a tragedy because the play doesn't end with Shylock's death.

besides, the Merchant of Venice is consider one of Shakespeare's comedies.

And something very well known about Shakespeare's characters is that he was always making fun of a character, in this play that character was Shylock, because he was the one suffering the most.

[sammyinengland]

if shylock had died it would have been a comedy in shakespearean times, as he was the antagonist. it is actually considered a problem play

[Adaam2914]

I totally respect your opinion, but in Shakespeare's era this was considered a comedy:

Comedies treat subjects lightly, meaning that they don't treat seriously such things as love. Shakespeare's comedies often use puns, metaphors and insults to provoke 'thoughtful laughter'. The action is often strained by artificiality, especially elaborate and contrived endings. Disguises and mistaken identities are often very common.

[Adaam2914]

Besides, in Shakespeare era Jews were not so accepted in society, so making fun of them, was considered comedy.

I'm against discrimination, but in those times it would have been more comical to let Shylock live and let his life be ruined by Christians, than killing him and ending his suffering.

Also, you should also consider that in William Shakespeare's plays there's always a character that Shakespeare makes fun of, in this play it was Shylock.

[PaulThePuppetier]

@Adaam2914 comical?i wanted to say fuck you to shahespeare when i saw that he was denyied justice

[Adaam2914]

And please don't take my comments personal, I don't try to change your opinion. I just like having friendly discussions about this kind of topics to broad my horizons, you know what I mean? I'm just trying to apply what I learned in IB literature class and theatre class.

[sammyinengland]

for once i'm having a debate with someone on youtube and it's not getting personal. I agree with you. of course people of the time would have considered it a comedy (christians anyway) :) I respect your opinion as well - people respecting each other's opinions on youtube is not something you see everyday! they certainly wouldn't have thought it a tragedy. now-a-days, it's a different scenario, seeing as antisemitism is frowned upon.

[akjg98]

i agree with this

i felt bad for Shylock in the end

[musiclover0394]

well ok most probably theres still the tragedy part in this play.. on the part of shylock, when he was embarassed at the court and didnt able to get his bond

[musiclover0394]

we've done this play in our english class, i was the scriptwriter and i dont find this play a tragedy

[laurasbuzz01]

comedy

[tomatron5000]

definately comedy

[KikitsoiMYLoVE]

@saviorselfX29 ,i am agree of you and I think Shylock was a bit of poor

[d2eux]

Great video, my only criticism is that the music starting at 5:03 feels out of place

[The246813]

I don't want to sound stupid but I have to do an essay on this for school. When Shylock is saying "He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million." Who is "he."

[Ennio444]

Antonio, the merchant that asks Shylock for credit, even though he hates Shylock.

[biologyclass101]

i think it's the Christians or Antonio.

[nodeal09]

that is antonio, same situation as u]you, my question is explore shakespeares dramatic use of shylock to explore the issue of prejudice, with direct reference of 2 characters of you choic. suggest implications contemporary and present

[biologyclass101]

The Merchant of Venice is a Comedic Drama...that's for sure!

[Lv2Dancex]

I'm studying It in school,I've read the play but I've never seen the whole movie,I don't think Its anti christian I think hes trying to show people how badly Jews were treated in his time

[afkf16]

in my opinion al pacino deserve to nominate for the Oscar for this role

[PepsiOrC0ke]

merchant of venice is a comedy because it ends in a wedding and a feast. all shakespeare tragedies end with the protagonist dead. btw subscribe to my channel =)

[TheTrueDavid]

This speech given by Shylock was meant to be comical. In Shakespeare's original play Shylock Shakespeare portrays Shylock as a greedy, conniving jew who tries his best to kill a man.

[Ennio444]

But it is not comical at all. Shylock may be greedy, treacherous and rancourous, but he has its reasons. Antonio is no saint, and Shylock wants revenge for years of humiliation. It has been already said: Shylock is not portrayed as a topical jew, he's given this monologue in a very moving moment (his daughter has left him and he is feeling sad and alone).

Surely the play has parts of comedy, but Shylock's story is not funny at all.

[TheTrueDavid]

Shylock a tragic hero??? Are you crazy? In Shakespeare's story, Shylock is clearly portrayed as a VILLAIN. A greedy, conniving villain who uses the legal system to kill someone.

[saviorselfX29]

And yet Shakespeare DIDN'T portray him in the stereotypical fashion of Jewish villains of the age. He was given a moving soliloquy wherein he asserted he is no different than Christians, and is merely using Christian justice to get what he deserves: vengeance, a Christian concept in his mind. Furthermore, Antonio and the Duke of Venice are the ONLY Christian characters in the play who aren't blatant hypocrites.

[heliotropezzz333]

@saviorselfX29 Antonio is a bit of a hypocrite because he is content to borrow from Shylock although he despises him as a Jew. Earlier in the film he spits at him.

[saviorselfX29]

Antonio, though, is aware of that. He's borrowing money from Shylock out of necessity, and doesn't like that he has to do it. Antonio's friends, though, are completely ignorant of how hypocritical their actions towards Shylock are. They claim to be exemplifying Christian values, when in fact they do no such thing. Shylock's "hath not a Jew hands?" speech is correct: it was from THEM, the people of Venice, that he learned about and was pushed to revenge.

[heliotropezzz333]

@saviorselfX29 Hypocrisy is hypocrisy whether conscious or unknowing. In fact you could say it's worse when the hypocrite is aware, because he or she is making a conscious decision to continue being hypocritical. However, I don't feel Antonio is that bad a man, although a hypocrite, because he is just reflecting what the general (unenlightened) views were then, and otherwise is not a bad man.

[saviorselfX29]

I disagree: he recognizes the inherent hypocrisy of the situation but can't change it out of necessity ("Necessity will make us all forsworn," Berowne, Love's Labours Lost). The others are far worse because they THINK they are justified, moral, upstanding citizens. Antonio does not appear to have any real self-delusions, beyond WANTING to die as the ultimate act of love and friendship. He and the Duke are also the only ones who didn't want to see Shylock killed, who showed him SOME mercy.

[heliotropezzz333]

@saviorselfX29 o.k you argued that convincingly. Fair point.

[saviorselfX29]

Thank you. A pleasure debating with you.

[robg71]

Shakespeare's Merchant Of Venice was More Anti Christian Then Anti Jewish.....

[Knoxvicious]

If it's more anti Christian, then why does Shylock LOSE in the end then???

[sammyinengland]

to demonstrate how the christians were bastards towards him and took everything. that it another tragic aspect of the play - just how vile and disgusting the christians act. of course shylock is also vile and disgusting, but he says that the christians made him like that - and that he follows the 'christians example'. in the end there isn't really a 'good' group of people

[cubicleallstar]

This is an interesting academic discussion. I think it is pretty obvious that at the time the was considered a comedy. It was put on at the Globe in London a couple (few) years ago as a comedy and it went of without a hitch. They are cruel to Shylock, but it is b/c there were no Jews in London in the 15/1600's. The Jews were expelled by in the 1200's.

[cubicleallstar]

We should note that the play is about Portia; she has the most lines in the play, third most of any female Shakespeare character. Portia is able to persuade for mercy on Shylcok, as opposed to religious intolerance and business-fueled anger. Once again, the female to the rescue...in a comedy a la 12th Night, Midsummer, and Much Ado.

[TheTrueDavid]

This movie is about Shylock a jew who wanted to kill a man and used the legal system to do so.

[DodgerRiley]

Isn't the movie more than just Shylock trying to kill someone? I see the movie about the corrupt nature of bigotry (antisemitism) and how vengeance can corrupt the victim of injustice. Shylock is a character the audience can sympathize with, even though that may not be the play's original interpretation.

[Q3HackerPolice]

I thought it was Jeremy Lyons.

[bhabyjhush]

Oh..tnx for the information .. But i can't find the movie of it.. Is it already out of the market?? Coz I went to the mall and I've found nothing about the cd of this movie.. I do really enjoy myself watching a Shakespearean Plays.. Tnx a lot about the information.. Take care, And God Bless..

[chucky50187]

it's funny to think, when shakespeare wrote this he probably hasn't met or seen a jewish person

[bhabyjhush]

Do The Merchant Of Venice has a movie?? pls reply.. coz i wanna watch it.. where did you get this clip?? -jushmita ;))

[zwoxid]

Yes. The film was directed by Michael Radford and starred Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons. Google, Wikipedia or the IMDB will reveal more.

[smosheshvili]

@bhabyjhush Yes the move is absolutely amazing and you can get it on netflex. By the way in NY he has a Broadway show where al Pacino is playing a main role.

[Leopolduslizessu]

спасибо

шедевр

[deliriousjoey]

Very well made and thought provoking = )

[LGFiLM]

this is really good!

For my english coursework I'm doing 'Merchant of Venice'

so that was really helpful! cheers =)

[fehawia]

but OF COURSE there is no adaptation of any book is successful as the book it self , specially adapting the classics where thay creat more damage than good !

but it is good movie BUT NOT like the real play wrtten by Shakespeare hiself i assure you :)

[fehawia]

I'm studying this :) in fact ..my final exam will be tomorrow ! I read many web sites & i talked to my instructor .. it is a tragi-comedy .. The beginning was tragedy untill the problem is solved and we have a happy ending where it turns to a comedy (happy) end

[BxHxKx0x]

wuzzap INTERHIGH UYEW'WERFOSDJJKFG

-TOM

[Shoes4Coolers]

will somebody please tell me if Antonio is supposed to be homosexual??

[djang0ja22]

15th century England had a diffrent view of homosexuality.

[zwoxid]

Certainly not overtly homosexual since such a thing was a sin and severly punishable at the time. These were very God fearing times. Still, and somewhat confusingly there was also a different view on male-male relationships than exists today. Platonic love for a male friend could be expressed quite passionately and be esteemed even more highly than romantic love for a female, as much poetry of the time attests. Indeed some of Shakespeare's own sonnets may belie this and maybe a lot more.

[zwoxid]

As often and not suprisingly given the scruples and hyprocrisy of the time there's a lot of ambiguity.

[Shoes4Coolers]

ah i see..that's what i thought. Just wished to prove a point, thanks :)

[PETEYPABLO1977]

@Shoes4Coolers It was common ... hence no need to highlight it

[just2w4tch]

a great work. played by a very passionate player.

[jufconnie]

Sometimes I wonder if "the Merchant" was deliberately put in this comedy format to make the tragic story more painful. I used to feel awkward during this play but now it is one of my favorites.

[AzuKatsi]

The first 2 minutes of this video have touched me alot, thanks.

[darrenclayton]

great work, I loved it.

[TophBeiFongz]

Nice video ^.^ Did you happen to download the movie for this? Or did you rip the DVD? Because I have a similar project to do. :)

[zwoxid]

I have a copy I downloaded from a friend. I think my friend download their copy as a Bittorrent.

[TophBeiFongz]

Ah, okay. Thanks! :)

[johnsmdm]

antisemite bastards!

[ceaser630]

mohamed hegazy is gay

[beautifultorchsongs]

Still love this Atreju! Thanks for sharing. : )

[zwoxid]

Cheers bts (*^_^*)

[likelikelike11]

You showed this in your class? How'd the teacher feel about nudity? The prostitute in the back is topless. It was a clear style used in the movie... still! MoV is one of my favorite shakespeare plays!

[zwoxid]

Lol, it was an undergraduate English literature class.

[SayaFight]

Actually if you read the book and watched the play 80's it's a mixture if you look at it at the christian side it's a comedy if you look at the jew side its tragedy but its actually comedy because: (shylock is actually evil *he didn't care about Jessica AT ALL and he just wanted his ducats*)

[plutonianprincess]

"if you prick us, do we not bleed?

If you tickle us, do we not laugh?

If you poison us, do we not die?"

Beautiful, beautiful lines.

The world has never stopped it seems, never stopped treating badly those who are different.

It just goes on: tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.

[stanica88]

i love this play

[Alfruna]

yes he is the greatest. still

[Yoso11]

"And whats his reason? I am a Jew!" Thats very powerful right there, Al Pacino is a rare actor to see. He's extremely unique.

[SparklingBlue89]

What's the name of the song used in the first part of the video :) ?

[zwoxid]

Alexander OST - One Morning at Pella by Vangelis (sorry for the delay :)

[SparklingBlue89]

thanks a lot mate

[NomineRaven]

a very good vid indeed... you pointed out the gist, though the whole matter is of course more complicated. great edit, perfect choice of music. thanks.

[rvinlining]

i got 98 in my monologue

thanks.. Ü

[elleoneiram]

That was helpful. Though modern audiences certainly view the play differently than they would have in Shakespeare's day, I don't think that the ironies and hypocrisies of the Christians would have been lost on everyone. While Shylock is a Jewish stereotype, he is also in the Catholic Venice - and Catholics were frequently suspected in Shakespeare's England. On the other hand, many Shakespearean plays set in Italy actually reflect England's social situation. Complicated!

[Armando7654]

I like how pacino pulled it off !

[undertakerismark]

dis is his best work by far

[PuppyOverLord29]

The tragedy about MoV is the suffering of Shylock as a Jew and to be treated like a dog by the Christians. The comedy part is the "happy ending" of Portia and Bassanio and Lorenzo and Jessica as for Shylock who still suffers his constant misdemeanor

[zznt]

it depends in which era you are in!!! shakespeare's? or now the modren world.and yes ones tragedy might be others comedy.for shylock its certainly a tragedy

[tw1nhood]

n omg i luv tht speech!!!

[hardrain08]

that's fcking clever right there, I was thinking the exact same word's after "Christian Comedy?"

[ISeeYouFools]

It was supposed to be one of his comedies it just isn't reflected well in the movie because they cut a lot of the funny monologue out of the script. The movie is a tragedy the play is a comedy.. At least thats what I think

[tw1nhood]

no the play is a  comedy.... b/c no1 dies

[ISeeYouFools]

Yes,but this isn't a play,its a movie..

They cut Launcalot out, and a lot of Gratiano's funnier lines the play is comedy, but this was based off the play theres a difference

[micahyosh808]

I enjoyed to book and movie alot, but in honesty i think it was intended to be a comedy and can still be seen as one if you think in the perspective of someone in that time. However in our modern society where every one is considered equal, this could be viewed easily as a tragedy especially from that of a person with jewish backgrounds.

[dddaaaannnnn]

nice job on the video, by the way!

[dddaaaannnnn]

The play defies traditional categorization, as many of Shakespeare's works do. This is the problem neo-classicists (e.g. Dryden) grappled with when critiquing Shakespeare. Romantics like Coleridge suggested that if Shakespeare were breaking the rules, then that doesn't say much for the rules. Categorization is not useful in interpreting the play. We should view the play as Johnson viewed Shakespeare, important because it belongs to the category of "just representations of general nature."

[Krissy13445]

the play was intended to be a romantic comedy but it wasnt back in shakespears time it would have been funny to a point but now it is read and seen as a tragity......the play is anti-semitic in the end of course it turns out good for the christians but what happens to shylock?? he is left with nothing he is homless and he cant even turn to his jewish faith because he was forced to turn christian so how is it supposed to be a comedy if so many tragic events happen??

[KachuaOnWoW]

Personally, i think that the only reason the merchant of venice is categorized as a comedy is because it lacks a very definate hero with a very definate fault that leads to his downfall. For example, Hamlet was the clear hero of his play, and his definate fault was his uncertainty and tendancy to second-guess himself. But in Merchant you have no character that's clearly outlined in such a manner.

[MPANDUR]

The definition, as I have learned it, amounts to the fact that nobody dies. Of course, death takes many forms.  I loved this film except for the fact that a crucial scene was left out. Jessica and Lorenzo have a falling out, where she laments the fact that neither her father nor her husband can look past religion and find happiness on earth as do Bassanio and Portia.

[khmsanmh]

Now,this is called "Acting".God bless Al Pacino.Thanks...

[hockeypuckmtdew]

It's a comedy because in the end it's a comedy and the end result is all that matters, anyways. Just like a book like The Color Purple or something, it doesn't matter what happens between the front and back cover, all that define its true space art quality is the prospect of time and the final result of the conclusion.

COMEDY! ahh of course a comedy!

Are we supposed to sympathize with Shylock for him being a Jew? No! The Third Reich stigmatized that name back in the 40's, lol.

[Alfruna]

No we are not supposed to sympathize with Shylock because he is a Jew but because he is a human being who is treated badly for no good reason. That is the tragedy here.

[DarthKrattus]

Shakespeare was ahead of his time. To the people back then, it was intended to be funny. The idea of women saving their husbands in the end was supposed to be hilarious, as was a Jew challenging a Christian. The ending was supposed to be happy, as Shylock is no longer "damned to Hell" However, Shakespeare intended the more mature audiences to see the human elements into Shylock. The play is about interpretation; the more modern interpretations portray Shylock as a tragic victim.

[robg71]

Shkp is anti christian and sympathises with the jews - in an overtly christian period - how good is that?

[xaveelala]

Great video,thanks!!

[tvdd1973]

Technically the play is a comedy. It has a happy ending and the overall tone is light. The trouble is that modern directors, academics and actors tend to focus on Shylock's journey through the play. The recent film version with Al Pacino did that; everything went into his scenes and the rest of the film was rather half-hearted and pedestrian.

[SugarL1414]

this play is apparently catagorized as a Traga-comedy, so its a bit of both.

[eraser400]

its true i cant see it being a comedy...shylock losses everything at the end and it isnt funny...

[xTwinklemyHeartx]

I Shakespearean play isn't catergorized as a comedy if people find it funny.

A comedy is a story of the rise in fortune of a sympathetic central character. Shylock, although he is a critical character in the play, is not the central character.

Another thing that can back up the claim is that none of the charcters die in this play, which is a common feature in most of Shakespear's tragedy's.

[eraser400]

i know lol...i my friend or teacher told me that.

[eraser400]

i wrote an i by accident lol

[jocelynjacobs]

in shakespeare's time a comedy was defined by a play in which no one died and someone dressed up at some point as the opposite sex!

[arzlan9]

pretty much.

[Azad22224]

I watched the movie an half hour ago and I am a Roman Catholic but know I would really like to convert to jewism because this egoistic, egomaniac christian society just make me sick!

And the fact that they had shylock baptized, was so disgusting I can't even find words for it! I don't know what Shakespeare was thinking about when he wrote this but maybe he really was in a way an anti-Semite cause I don't understand why shylock finds no right at all!

[zwoxid]

There are many interpretations of this play that suggest Shakespeare was maybe highlighting the intolerance of people towards the Jews. However, Harold Bloom wrote that: "One would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb not to recognize that The Merchant of Venice is nevertheless a profoundly anti-Semitic work".

[zwoxid]

At the time it was written people may well have considered that Shylock's enforced conversion to Christianity was a charitable thing allowing him to address his sins. Of course modern readings tend to view things somewhat differently. I wrote an essay on the subject which I'm gonna provide a link to soon.

[LuckyGraveyardBoots]

it's not an issue of either/or...whenever there is a majority and a minority the majority will pick on the minority. wherever jews are the majority you see hate crimes on their part...it doesn't matter in the end, it's just xenophobia. and FYI shakespeare was close friends with a jewish family and they were what inspired him to write this play. why else would it be so sympathetic to shylock? so no, he was not an anti-semite altho a lot of people seem to wish he were so they could demonize him.

[LuckyGraveyardBoots]

btw...if you want to convert to judaism just because the jews were persecuted....that is a really bad reason...

keep in mind, roman catholics died alonside of the jews in the holocaust (but you didn't know that did you!)

as well as around 1,000,000 roma, or gypsies that died in the holocaust (but nobody knows about that either, 'cause who really gives a crap about gypsies!) so unfortunately jews don't really have a monopoly on the whole persecution deal

[LuckyGraveyardBoots]

if you convert, it should be because you adhere to jewish traditions and values and believe what they believe (you should also be able to say 'judaism') NOT because you have a problem with bein christian or because it's 'cool' to be jewish

[MishKapeesh]

I was thinking that, i dont know who to root for, theres no justice, yea antonio didnt get to die, but they forced shylock to change, oooh happy ending

[Azad22224]

I got no longer hardfeelings for this play, to me it's a very interesting time where anti-Semitism was a normal part of christian society, you got to read marlowe the jew of malta it's also very interesting.

I got alot of love for this play now but I had to watch it a coupel of times! I just wanna say I never ment to blame the hole christan society, I just ment the christians in this play!

[zwoxid]

Thanks d2eux. Yeah Vangelis is great.

[d2eux]

I like it. A very nice clip compilation and use of Vangelis music. Well done!