William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (Routledge Guides to Literature)

by S.P.Cerasano (Editor)

• New

  Paperback
  2003

  $23.43

  With Shylock's pound of flesh and Portia's golden ring,The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's most controversial, disturbing and unforgettable plays.
  Combining accessible commentary with a range of reprinted materials, S. P. Cerasano:
  *explores the contexts of the play, including early modern images of Venice, the commercialism of the play, Shakespeare's theatre and London, and images of Jewishness
  *samples modern criticism of Shakespeare's Merchant, grouped into sections on The Economic Framework, Choosing and Risking, and Shylock and Other Strangers
  *offers an invaluable discussion of the play in performance, considering crucial staging issues and changing interpretations of the roles of Portia and Shylock
  *closely examines key passages of the work, providing both commentary and extensively annotated sections of play text
  *prepares readers for additional study of the play with a useful guide to further reading.
  Assuming no prior knowledge of the play, this sourcebook is the essential guide to one of the most haunting works of English drama.