Description

Book Synopsis

Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, M.A., Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of English, University of Sussex.

The Wordsworth Classics’ Shakespeare Series presents a newly-edited sequence of William Shakespeare’s works. The textual editing takes account of recent scholarship while giving the material a careful reappraisal.

The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, but it remains deeply controversial.

The text may 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. In his intensity he can dominate the play, challenging abrasively its romantic and lyrical affirmations. What results is a bitter-sweet drama.

Though The Merchant of Venice offers some of the traditional pleasures of romantic comedy, it also exposes

the operations of prejudice. Thus Shakespeare remains our contemporary.

The Merchant of Venice

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    A Paperback / softback by William Shakespeare, Professor Cedric Watts, Professor Cedric Watts

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      Book details

      Publisher Wordsworth Editions Ltd
      Published 5 October 2000
      ISBN-13 9781840224313
      978-1840224313
      ISBN-10 1840224312
      Also in:
      Fiction Poetry Books by William Shakespeare

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, M.A., Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of English, University of Sussex.

      The Wordsworth Classics’ Shakespeare Series presents a newly-edited sequence of William Shakespeare’s works. The textual editing takes account of recent scholarship while giving the material a careful reappraisal.

      The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, but it remains deeply controversial.

      The text may 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. In his intensity he can dominate the play, challenging abrasively its romantic and lyrical affirmations. What results is a bitter-sweet drama.

      Though The Merchant of Venice offers some of the traditional pleasures of romantic comedy, it also exposes

      the operations of prejudice. Thus Shakespeare remains our contemporary.

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