A Shakespearean text: The Merchant of Venice

Abstract

'The Merchant of Venice' is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays, both in the theatre and in schools, where it is often used to introduce students to the study of Shakespeare. On one level it can be seen as a romantic comedy, in which love triumphs, and also as a simple tale of good overcoming evil. However, problems soon emerge with both of these interpretations, and in this module you will be exploring different perspectives of the text. This will involve looking at some of the unspoken assumptions of the text and seeing them from different points of view.