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Rating: 
Summary: A Perfect Play
Review: "The Merchant of Venice" is surely one of Shakespeare's most underrated plays. After reading "Macbeth," "Hamlet," "Othello," and "King Lear," this was a well-appreciated break from the tragedies. All of the characters are likable, even the misunderstood villian (?) Shylock. Full of love and life and joy, it is all the more enriched by the happy ending.
Rating: 
Summary: the worst book
Review: hit had the worst plot and it was poorly written and it should not even be published
Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare's Worst Play
Review: I really enjoyed having the side by side version...I found myself reading most often in the original text first, and glancing over at the modern text for clarification of meaning and humor. It made it very quick and enjoyable to read. High recommendation!
Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare Comes to Life!
Review: I really enjoyed having the side by side version...I found myself reading most often in the original text first, and glancing over at the modern text for clarification of meaning and humor. It made it very quick and enjoyable to read. High recommendation!
Rating:
Summary: It is one of the classics. A must read.
Review: If you liked William Shakespear's Romeo and Juliet, you'll love this book. An excellent book, that only an idiot would give it one star, only a guy who doesn't understand great literature when he sees it. I understand great literature when I see it, that is why I rate this book five stars. Also, if it was possible to give it six stars I would, I literally fell in love with this excellent book. I'm a Merchant of Venice fan.
Rating: 
Summary: A Contensious Affair
Review: It's Shakespeare, so you already know it's a good play. This play is not controversial because some people think it's good and some people think it's bad. There have always been people who hate Shakespeare, and always people who love him unconditionally. Being as objective as possible, this is a good play, don't misunderstand that. However, it has been railed (by the reactionary ADL especially) as being overtly anti-semetic. And maybe there are some anti-semetic undertones (to put it mildy) I'm a Jew, and while I did find the character Shylock to be an almost laughable caricature of Jewish usury and greed, it's hardly the worst I've seen. I'm not excusing anti-semitism simply because Willy S (yes, Willy S) wrote it, but because it's not all that offensive (in my opinion)
So read The Merchant... with an open mind, and try to enjoy it for what it is, and remember it's just a play...
Rating:
Summary: Warm, funny, human, morality play
Review: This is a wonderful play - and unless you have seen it
or read it you don't know it at all. That's because everything
the popular culture tells us about this play is false (for
example; how many of you think this play is about Shylock? ;-) The Merchant of Venice is a lively and happy morality tale.
Good wins over bad - charity over greed - love over hate.
There is fine comedy (in the production I saw, the minor
character of the Prince of Morocco practically stole the
show trying to guess the right box that would win him the
hand of Portia in marriage). There are moments of
empathy and pain with all the major characters. There is
great humanity and earthiness in this play. These things
are what elevate Shakespeare over any other playwright in
English history. As always I recommend you see the play (if you can find
a theater with the courage and skill to do it) over reading it.
But if it is not playing in your area this season - buy the
book and read it.
Rating:
Summary: Warm, funny, human, morality play
Review: This is a wonderful play - and unless you have seen it
or read it you don't know it at all. That's because everything
the popular culture tells us about this play is false (for
example; how many of you think this play is about Shylock? ;-) The Merchant of Venice is a lively and happy morality tale.
Good wins over bad - charity over greed - love over hate.
There is fine comedy (in the production I saw, the minor
character of the Prince of Morocco practically stole the
show trying to guess the right box that would win him the
hand of Portia in marriage). There are moments of
empathy and pain with all the major characters. There is
great humanity and earthiness in this play. These things
are what elevate Shakespeare over any other playwright in
English history. As always I recommend you see the play (if you can find
a theater with the courage and skill to do it) over reading it.
But if it is not playing in your area this season - buy the
book and read it.
Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare's Worst Play
Review: This is one of the worst plays ever published. I thought Shakespeare was a fool after reading this complely pointless play. Do not wase your money on this book because it is completly worthless. A total waste of time to even read any of this play.
Rating:
Summary: Mercy Versus Justice
Review: William Shakespheare in the Merchant of Venice, explores again, like so many of his other plays, the difference between vice and virture, the noble and ignoble. This time out he compares the hero Antonio's acts of mercy with the villian Shylock's desire for justice, the spirit of the law versus the letter of the law. Shakespheare shows throughout the play that he is very confident that Christianity and its followers are superior to Judaism and its followers and quite frankly, his portrayal of the Jewish moneylender Shylock is anti-Semitic and leaves out none of the negative stereotypes. The play seems to be a Christian polemic with its theological interest in Christianity's mercy versus Judaism's justice, as Shakespheare sees it. It may have also been a warning to its audience about the moneylenders of Shakespheare's time. The story is one in which Antonio offers to go into debt for a loan so that his friend Bassanio can have enough money to impress Portia, a woman he wishes to court and marry. Antonio goes into debt to Shylock, a moneylender who demands a pound of his flesh if he cannot pay back the loan. Shylock hates Antonio because Antonio has payed off many loans of his indebted clients and also has badmouthed him as an unethical loan shark, trying to damage Shylock's business. It is the tension of hate between the two, which give the play an intensity, especially at the climax when Shylock is about to take a pound of his flesh. Also the fear of losing flesh to the moneylender makes for good drama. The character Shylock has some juicy vitriolic lines during the scene. And there is a certain glee Shakespheare builds into the play to see Shylock's "justice" turned against him. There is also a subplot involving Portia and her various suitors who have to choose between 3 caskets of gold, silver, and lead. Choosing the correct casket will make them the husband of Portia. It was interesting to read about the different reasonings that each suitor has for their choices. Portia also disguises herself as a judge during Antonio's trial in which she helps to set him free of the charges and his friend Bassanio is persuaded to give up his engagement ring to the judge out of gratitude, which gets him in trouble with Portia later who does not tell him she was the judge as she asks him what happened to the ring. This is a good, tightly constructed play with none of diffuseness of King Lear. It had more drama too.
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