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The Merchant of Venice

William Shakespeare

Start date: January 1, 2025

Finish date: January 31, 2025

Discussion: Current Group Reads

Why we're reading this: January 2025 Old School Classic Group Read

September 2016 Old School Classic Group Read

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September 2016 Old School Classic Group Read

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What Members Thought

Dec 06, 2024 Teri-K rated it really liked it

Shelves: zz-2023-bought, z-permanent-bookshelf, 1500s, 2025-my-book-club, 2025-classics-challenge

A complex, intriguing play that forces the reader to grapple with issues of discrimination based on religion, race, gender and class. I've revisited this a number of times over the decades. Here are some of my thoughts, with spoilers -

For me this isn't one of his greatest stories, but the questions of power in society, who is excluded and what that does to them, are intriguing to me. If one has had power taken away, how do you react, what sort of person do you become, and how does this effect th A complex, intriguing play that forces the reader to grapple with issues of discrimination based on religion, race, gender and class. I've revisited this a number of times over the decades. Here are some of my thoughts, with spoilers -

For me this isn't one of his greatest stories, but the questions of power in society, who is excluded and what that does to them, are intriguing to me. If one has had power taken away, how do you react, what sort of person do you become, and how does this effect those around you? I see these issues being played out here, and at the end of the play we see some being excluded that we might not expect.

I always liked the way Portia recognized her lack of power as a female, but when she has the chance to take on a male role she doesn't shy away, thinking, "Oh, I can't do that", she steps right up and becomes the wise voice in the play. So she takes her power where she can and wields it for good, her and others. And the business with the rings shows me that she doesn't intend to become a second-class member of her marriage, but insists on being treated equally with, if not ahead of, the man Bassanio best loves. And she reminds the men that women have power in the relationship, too.

I confess as a non-Jewish person I always worry a bit about Shylock. Is he reviled more because he's a foreigner or Jewish? In my case, I think he could be any foreigner who looks different and the play would work the same way. Though without the usury issues that come into play here. I can't see him totally as a victim, because he clearly has alienated everybody from his servants to his daughter, and at one point he wishes he had her dead body at his feet and his riches returned to him. Not a person I can feel much pity for.

Many years ago I got a DVD from Netflix of the RSC actors talking about playing Shakespeare, and one section had David Suchet and Patrick Stewart discussing how they played Shylock. I found it fascinating, and you can find on YouTube. Search "rsc actors talk about playing shylock" and you'll find a couple of interesting clips.

A minor point - Shakespeare didn't divide his plays into acts, only scenes with different settings. Acts were added later and not finalized till the 1700s. So sometimes I find it better to read as far as possible without stopping, and then just stop wherever I am. Our minds are trained to find reason in structure, and there's no reason to stop the story at the end of Act 2 or 3, for example. He didn't think that way when he wrote and they weren't originally performed that way, either.

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Jan 06, 2010 Teri-K rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, old-favorites, plays, z-own-kindle, heroines-i-love, audio-recommended, 1500s

I confess, if you put me to the rack and used the thumbscrews and absolutely forced me to pick my favorite Shakespeare play, it would probably be this one. I love Portia, I love "The quality of mercy is not strained...". I'm amazed by how Shakespeare created a character in Shylock that we both despise and pity. I love this play. :)

It's especially wonderful these days to be able to read Shakespeare while listening to him being performed. What riches! ...more

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Apr 23, 2019 Glynn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I think I read all of Shakespeare’s plays in college. I remember some of them but others I don’t. This was one I didn’t remember. I was listening to a Radio Lab podcast and Robert Krulwich mentions this play and the plot of it. Sounded like I wanted to read it again and so I did. It is an interesting play with some famous lines, such as the pound of flesh that Shylock the Jew expounds on and also the Quality of Mercy speech that Portia gives. I read it on my phone and should have got it out of t ...more

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