The Merchant of Venice is perhaps most associated not with its titular hero, Antonio, but with the complex figure of the money lender, Shylock. The play was described as a comedy in the First Folio but modern audiences find it more problematic to categorise. The vilification of Shylock 'the Jew' can be very uncomfortable for a post-holocaust audience and debates continue as to whether Shakespeare's portrayal of this complex man is sympathetic or anti-semitic.
John Drakakis's comprehensive introduction traces the stage history of the figure of the Jew and looks boldly at twenty-first century issues surrounding it. He also explores other themes of the play such as father-daughter relations, the power of money and the forceful character of Portia, offering readers an energetic, original and revelatory reading of this challenging play.
The Arden Shakespeare has long set the gold standard in annotated, scholarly editions of the plays. Each Arden edition offers an authoritative text with comprehensive commentary notes together with a lengthy, illustrated introduction by a leading scholar exploring the play's critical, theatrical and historical contexts.
