Arden Shakespeare
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In some respects I think it'd be rather presumptuous of me to attempt to review Shakespeare. Someone so well known and influential wouldn't benefit from my opinions on their work, plus there are more scholarly and concise reviews out there. But I can comment on these Arden versions. Of all the Shakespeare I've read I've always found the Arden copies to be well laid out and to have excellent commentary and notes on the text. They really add to your understanding of Shakespeares outstanding plays and introduce you to the depth in his work. They have superb paper quality and are bound well, withstanding repeated readings and intensive study. For your collection of Shakespeare you can't do much better than Arden publications, some are quite hard to get hold of but it's worth the effort.
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User-friendly Merchant
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Oxford School Shakespeare editions of the Bard's most popular plays are reassuring for students tackling Shakespeare for the first time and their edition of 'The Merchant of Venice' is no exception. The text is set out clearly with notes alongside, allowing instant access to brief explanations of words and phrases that may be difficult to understand for students in the 21st century, but not too much is given away, thus allowing pupils to work it out for themselves.
Attractive full-page photographs of recent productions allow students to see that these are plays that are regularly performed in the theatre in many different styles and time settings. My students are always pleased if they recognize an actor from the telly in them!
Beyond the text, there are helpful resumes of the action, both a brief one and a more complete summary, interesting background and historical information and, varied and thought-provoking assignments that can work well with a variety of different levels and age groups - always a relief for hard-pressed teachers!
I think Oxford School Shakespeare editions work well and I recommend them for use with classes from years 8 to 11. For a more drama-based approach, try the new Longman's or Cambridge School editions.
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Merchant
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This is the story of a merchant who's (probably gay)love of Bassanio allows him to borrow money from a man he hates, for Bassanio's sake. The man he hates is Shylock, the Jewish money lender, who is given the finest lines in the play with eloquent speeches against racism and even slave-holding. Finally there is the Portia who's Father has died, with a legacy dictating how her husband is to be chosen and a love of Bassanio who becomes her husband. It has been suggested this play only avoids bveen seen as anti-semitic through contempary eyes, however this argument is not sustainable. Other tales of the time, such as the Jew of Malta are clearly anti-semitic and Shylock was not suchg a poor playwrite as to be accidently ambiguous. Shylock has the finest lines in the play and his anger if only raised when his daughter and wealth are stolen, by Antonio's gang of friends. His treatmet at the court of Venice is then far from legal and by no means moral. Having taken a role in this play it would be a challenge to act it unabridged as a purely anti-semitic play, interesting when Shakesphere lived in anti-semitic times. Certainly it seem to me that Shakepshere was careful not to be too controversial and have a Jew as an out and out hero, but managed ot make his point nonetheless.
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Warm, wonderful, adult morality play
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This is a wonderful play - and unless you have seen it or read it you don't know it at all. That's because everything the popular culture tells us about this play is false (for example; how many of you think this play is about a merchant named Shylock? The Merchant of Venice is about a merchant named Antonio and his efforts to help his daughter Portia, find a suitable husband. A significant subplot involves a cruel, greedy Jew named Shylock. Some call this play anti-Semitic because of Shylock's character, it isn't. Making a bad guy Jewish is not anti-Semitic. The other Jew in the play is Shylock's daughter Jessica, and she is sweet, kind, and compassionate.
There is powerful verbal conflict between the Christian and Jewish world-views in which both sides get a fair hearing and get in their licks. This is almost unheard of today because the Christian side of this dialectic is considered politically incorrect. The Merchant of Venice is a lively and happy morality tale. Good triumphs over bad - charity over greed - love over hate. There is fine comedy. Portia is one of Shakespeare's great women.
There are moments of empathy and pain with all the major characters. There is great humanity and earthiness in this play. These things are what elevate Shakespeare over any other playwright in English history.
Plays should be seen - not read. I recommend you see this play (if you can find a theater with the courage and skill to do it). But if it is not playing in your area this season - buy the book and read it.
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A brilliant play discussing highly controversial themes!
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The Merchant of Venice is an example of a Shakespearean play that allows the reader to become engaged and understand the drama at the first attempt. This particular copy gives brilliant notes underneath the action, meaning that you don't have to look elsewhere. The story depicts the dealings of an unsympathetic Jewish money lender to a young Venetian merchant. When reading this play, it is easy, (as many directors have done) to perceive Shylock as a man who is battling against the anti-semetic views of everyone else. In fact, at the time of writing, anti-semetism thrived due to the nature of many Jews line of work. This play presents a stereotypical money lender in Shylock, and it enables the 21st century reader to draw some conclusions as to whether the play is anti-semetic or not. As with all plays, it is possible over analyse situations, and for the first time reader, it would be helpful to remind yourself that anti-semetism was very much engrained in the lives of many 16th century europeans. Contoversial content aside, this play is worth reading just for the knive wielding Shylock demanding his 'pound of flesh' in the final court room scene - Wholly entertaining!
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