The Merchant of Venice

Merchant of Venice

Shakespeare

I have not read very much Shakespeare. In fact, I think really just this and Hamlet a year or so ago. It's almost difficult to believe they're by the same author. Hamlet, with all its faults, is moderately ornate and well thought out. One of my main criteria for literature is whether or not the author treats the characters with Respect or hopefully even Love. I don't mean that each character needs to be likable, but they need to be believable, as if the author were portraying someone real. None of the characters here in MoV meet that bar for be, and least of all poor old Shylock. That poor guy! He may as well be named Pharoah, considering how artificially he's made to jump and dance to further the play's plot devices.

I do love the name Portia tho.