The Merchant of Venice is best known for its complex and ambiguous portrait of the Jewish moneylender Shylock—and of European antiSemitism. Fascinating in its engagement with prejudice, the play is also a comedy of crossdressing and disguise, and a dramatic exploration of justice, mercy, and vengeance. This volume contains the full text of the play with explanatory footnotes and marginal glosses for contemporary readers. An extensive introduction and wellrounded selection of background materials not only illuminate antiSemitism in early modern England but also provide context for other facets of the play, including its comic plot of love and marriage, its examination of commerce and international trade, and its themes of revenge and the law.
The Merchant of Venice is best known for its complex and ambiguous portrait of the Jewish moneylender Shylock—and of European antiSemitism. Fascinating in its engagement with prejudice, the play is also a comedy of crossdressing and disguise, and a dramatic exploration of justice, mercy, and vengeance. This volume contains the full text of the play with explanatory footnotes and marginal glosses for contemporary readers. An extensive introduction and wellrounded selection of background materials not only illuminate antiSemitism in early modern England but also provide context for other facets of the play, including its comic plot of love and marriage, its examination of commerce and international trade, and its themes of revenge and the law.
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