The History Of European Theatre The Merchant of Venice: ‘The Quality of Mercy is not Strained’
Episode 164
Fate, as in Romeo and Juliet, plays a large part in ‘The Merchant of Venice’, as do deep seated grudges, but these are more societal than familial. We are still in Italy, but no longer in close knit Verona, but mercantile and outward looking Venice. As Shakespeare wrote this play London was becoming orientated around increasing global trade and English trading ships were regularly making their way to Venice as a major trading hub, so perhaps it is no surprise that Venice, with its eyes on commerce and profit, was a suitably exotic setting for this tale of greed, love and a clash of cultures.
The dating of the play
The printed history of the play
The sources of the play including earlier theatrical ‘Jew’ plays
A brief outline of the plot
The different views of the character of Shylock – stereotype or sympathetic
The Jewish experience in Elizabethan London
The comic elements of the play
The character of Antonio
Portia’s role in the play
Portia’s ‘mercy’ speech
The performance history of the play
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