Problem Plays’ Because It Provides Terms for Viewing Plays Outside of the Implied Zero-Sum Game of the Comedy/Tragedy Dichotomy
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Bisexuality in William Shakespeare's Crossdressing Plays
“Betrothed Both to a Maid and Man”: Bisexuality in William Shakespeare’s Crossdressing Plays The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:37945131 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA “Betrothed Both to a Maid and Man”: Bisexuality in William Shakespeare’s Crossdressing Plays Danielle Warchol A Thesis in the Field of English for the Degree of Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies Harvard University May 2018 Copyright 2018 Danielle Warchol Abstract This thesis examines the existence of bisexuality in William Shakespeare’s three major crossdressing plays: The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, and Twelfth Night. The past few decades have seen several homoerotic interpretations of Shakespeare's crossdressing plays, but many of these readings argue that same-sex desire is transitional and that because the plays end in opposite-sex marriage, same-sex desire can never be consummated. While a case can be made for these arguments, readings that rely on the heterosexual-homosexual binary overlook the possibility of bisexual identities and desire within the plays. Historical accounts illustrate that same-sex relationships and bisexual identities did exist during the Elizabethan era. However, I will be examining bisexuality from a modern perspective and, as such, will not discuss the existence, or lack thereof, of bisexual terminology within early modern culture or as it relates to Shakespeare’s own sexual identity. -
The Merchant of Venice
논문투고일자 :2005. 11. 03 457 통상정보연구 제7 권 제 4 호 (2005 년 12 월 25 일 ) 게재확정일자 :2005. 12. 15 An Art of Arbitration: Dispute Resolutions in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice Jeom-Suk Yeon Professor, School of English, Kyung Hee University Contents Ⅰ. Introduction Ⅳ. Conclusion Ⅱ. Context of The Merchant of Venice Reference Ⅲ. The Trial in the Venetian Courtroom: Portia's Arbitration as a Abstract Doctor of Laws Abstract The main narrative of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice deals with a dispute over the matter of bond in regard to moneylending, and its consequences upon the eventual default. Only the clever interference of a lawyer or judge brings the crisis to an end. In solving his dispute over the bond between Antonio, the merchant of Venice, and Shylock, the money lender and a Jew, Shakespeare offers one of the most famous trial scenes in literature. This trial scene presents the art of arbitration by Portia who was disguised as a Doctor of Law and sheds light on the nature of law, justice, equity, and divine law. What one cannot overlook in this trial scene is the importance of reading ability. After all, interpretation is the next stage of reading. Drawing just verdicts and wise arbitration while at the same time deconstructing the implicit violence and incongruity in law is based on ceaseless effort of analytic and creative act of reading. Key Words: Shakespeare, Merchant, Jew. Moneylending, Arbitration, Mercy, 458 통상정보연구 제7 권 제 4 호 (2005 년 12 월 25 일 ) 1. Introduction In the midst of many concerns over the withering interest in humanity fields in the present hyper technology era, one might say that Shakespeare still exerts a considerable weight on the mind of modern men almost collectively. -
The Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare Reviewed By: Kartikeya Krishna, 15 Star Teen Book Reviewer of Be the Star You Are! Charity
The Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare Reviewed by: Kartikeya Krishna, 15 Star Teen Book Reviewer of Be the Star You Are! Charity www.bethestaryouare.org Antonio is a young Venetian man and one of the most successful merchants of Venice, known for being kind and generous. His friend Bassanio wishes to travel to the city of Belmont to woo Portia, one of the most beautiful women in the world left with an amazing amount of money left after the death of her father. Bassanio asks Antonio if he can fund his trip to Belmont and Antonio, who is poor as of the moment as his ships are at sail, agrees as long as Bassanio can find a loaner, who turns out to be Shylock. Shylock hates Antonio because his racist attitude towards Jews, shown by Shylock being insulted and spat on by Antonio for being a Jew. Shylock decrees that if Antonio is unable to repay his loan before a specific date, he may take a pound of flesh from any part of Antonio’s body that he chooses. Antonio accepts the offer on account of being “surprised by Shylock’s generosity.” Bassanio leaves towards Belmont with his friend Gratanio. In Belmont, Portia’s father’s will is refraining her from marrying, stating that each of her suitors must choose correctly from one of three caskets -- gold, silver, and lead -- and if they choose correctly, they get Portia. If they are incorrect, they must leave and never marry. The first suitor chooses the gold casket because the casket says "Choose me and get what most men desire", which must be Portia, as what all men desire is Portia. -
The Merchant of Venice Theme: Exploring Shylock
Discovering Literature www.bl.uk/shakespeare Teachers’ Notes Curriculum subject: English Literature Key Stage: 4 and 5 Author / Text: William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice Theme: Exploring Shylock Rationale Shylock is one of Shakespeare’s most complex and troubling characters. He is marked from his very first appearance as an outsider in Venetian society, scorned and spat on by Christians and stripped of his wealth and religion. Nevertheless, he is also fuelled by vengeance. How are we to interpret Shylock as a character? Is he a stereotypical villain, or the victim of prejudice and racial hatred? These activities encourage students to explore the character of Shylock, setting him against the backdrop of myths and fears about Jews that existed in Shakespeare’s England. Students will examine some of the ways in which Shylock has been depicted on stage and will relate these different interpretations to changing cultural sensitivities. Content Literary and historical sources: Description of the Jewish Ghetto and the courtesans of Venice in Coryate's Crudities (1611) Doctor Lopez is accused of poisoning Elizabeth I (1627) The first illustrated works of Shakespeare edited by Nicholas Rowe (1709) Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta (1633) Henry Irving as Shylock and Ellen Terry as Portia (1906–10) Photographs of Yiddish production of The Merchant of Venice (1946) Recommended reading (short articles): How were the Jews regarded in 16th-century England?: James Shapiro A Jewish reading of The Merchant of Venice: Aviva Dautch External links: -
English 202 in Italy Text 2: [Official Course Title: English 280-1] Shakespeare, the Merchant of World Literature I Dr
Text 2: English 202 in Italy [Official course title: English 280-1] Shakespeare, The Merchant of World Literature I Venice Dr. Gavin Richardson EDITION: Any; the Folger Shakespeare is recommended. READING JOURNAL: In a separate document, write 3-5 thoughtful sentences in response to each of these reading journal prompts: 1. Act 1 scene 3 features the crucial loan scene. At this point, do you think Shylock is serious about the pound of flesh he demands as collateral for Antonio’s loan for Bassanio? Why or why not? 2. In 2.3. Jessica leaves her (Jewish) father for her (Christian) husband. Does her desertion create sympathy for Shylock? Or do we cheer her action? Is her “conversion” an uplifting one? 3. Shylock’s speech in 3.1.58–73 may be the most famous of the entire play. After reading this speech, review Ann Barton’s comments on the performing of Shylock and write a paragraph on what you think Shylock means to Shakespeare: “Shylock is a closely observed human being, not a bogeyman to frighten children in the nursery. In the theatre, the part has always attracted actors, and it has been played in a variety of ways. Shylock has sometimes been presented as the devil incarnate, sometimes as a comic villain gabbling absurdly about ducats and daughters. He has also been sentimentalized as a wronged and suffering father nobler by far than the people who triumph over him. Roughly the same range of interpretation can be found in criticism on the play. Shakespeare’s text suggests a truth more complex than any of these extremes.” 4. -
Revisiting Shakespeare's Problem Plays: the Merchant of Venice
Hacettepe University Graduate School of Social Sciences Department of English Language and Literature REVISITING SHAKESPEARE’S PROBLEM PLAYS: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, HAMLET AND MEASURE FOR MEASURE Emine Seda ÇAĞLAYAN MAZANOĞLU Ph.D. Dissertation Ankara, 2017 REVISITING SHAKESPEARE’S PROBLEM PLAYS: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, HAMLET AND MEASURE FOR MEASURE Emine Seda ÇAĞLAYAN MAZANOĞLU Hacettepe University Graduate School of Social Sciences Department of English Language and Literature Ph.D. Dissertation Ankara, 2017 v For Hayriye Gülden, Sertaç Süleyman and Talat Serhat ÇAĞLAYAN and Emre MAZANOĞLU vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to express my endless gratitude to my supervisor, Prof. Dr. A. Deniz BOZER for her great support, everlasting patience and invaluable guidance. Through her extensive knowledge and experience, she has been a model for me. She has been a source of inspiration for my future academic career and made it possible for me to recognise the things that I can achieve. I am extremely grateful to Prof. Dr. Himmet UMUNÇ, Prof. Dr. Burçin EROL, Asst. Prof. Dr. Şebnem KAYA and Asst. Prof. Dr. Evrim DOĞAN ADANUR for their scholarly support and invaluable suggestions. I would also like to thank Dr. Suganthi John and Michelle Devereux who supported me by their constant motivation at CARE at the University of Birmingham. They were the two angels whom I feel myself very lucky to meet and work with. I also would like to thank Prof. Dr. Michael Dobson, the director of the Shakespeare Institute and all the members of the Institute who opened up new academic horizons to me. I would like to thank Dr. -
A Žižekian Reading of the Jewish Question in the Merchant of Venice
CLEaR , 2016, 3(2), ISSN 2453 - 7128 DOI: 10.1515/clear - 2016 - 0011 “Which is the Merchant and which is the Jew?” a Žižekian Reading of the Jewish Question in The Merchant of Venice Shih - pei Kuo National Chengchi University , Taiwan [email protected] Abstract This essay borrows Zižek ’ s interpretation of racism which combines the Marxist and psychoanalytic perspectives to read Shakespeare ’ s The Merchant of Venice . I argue that Shylock , the Jewish usurer , embodies both the structural contradiction of capitalism and the social contradiction which characterizes the Venetian setting torn by capitalism and Christianity. As Shylock exposes these contradictions which the Christian Venetians refuse to confront, h e is destined to be a scapegoat. From the Marxist point of view, the survival of capitalism relies on incessant production, which also means incessant investment of capital. Therefore, an active financial system is requisite to sustain the prosperity of ca pitalism. Paradoxically, this necessary condition of capitalism which facilitates the maximum use of cash is also its inherent vulnerability: once the circulation of cash is disrupted, it can lead to the crisis of the overall domino - effect collapse. The us ury represented by Shylock indeed reflects such inherent contradiction of capitalism. Also, usury, which excludes any human factor and only engages the direct monetary exchange, also contradicts the Christian orthodox belief of generosity and unrequited de votion. These central Christian values a re certainly questioned as Bassa nio ’ s courtship of Portia, based on his disguised wealth, is indistinguishable from a profitable enterprise. From the psychoanalytic point of view, Shylock ’ s fas cination with money and revenge also mirrors the Christians ’ clandestine longing for these two forbidden enjoyments. -
Twelfth Night," and "Othello"
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations 1-1-2008 The male homoerotics of Shakespearean drama: A study of "The Merchant of Venice," "Twelfth Night," and "Othello" Anthony Guy Patricia University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/rtds Repository Citation Patricia, Anthony Guy, "The male homoerotics of Shakespearean drama: A study of "The Merchant of Venice," "Twelfth Night," and "Othello"" (2008). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 2314. http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/mxfv-82oj This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE MALE HOMOEROTICS OF SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA: A STUDY OF THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, TWELFTH NIGHT, AND OTHELLO by Anthony Guy Patricia Bachelor of Arts University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2004 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in English Department of English College of Liberal Arts Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 2008 UMI Number: 1456363 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. -
Merchant of Venice
Present In A SONY PICTURES CLASSICS RELEASE MOVISION ENTERTAINMENT and ARCLIGHT FILMS Association withUK FILM COUNCIL FILM FUND LUXEMBOURG, DELUX PRODUCTIONS S.A. IMMAGINE E CINEMA/DANIA FILM ISTITUTO LUCE A CARY BROKAW/AVENUE PICTURES NAVIDI-WILDE PRODUCTIONS JASON PIETTE – MICHAEL COWAN/SPICE FACTORY Production A MICHAEL RADFORD Film AL PACINO JEREMY IRONS JOSEPH FIENNES LYNN COLLINS WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S "THE MERCHANT OF VENICE" Supervising Make Up and ZULEIKHA ROBINSON KRIS MARSHALL CHARLIE COX HEATHER GOLDENHERSH MACKENZIE CROOK Art DirectorJON BUNKERHair Designer ANN BUCHANAN Costume Casting Music Film Production Director of DesignerSAMMY SHELDON DirectorSHARON HOWARD-FIELD byJOCELYN POOK EditorLUCIA ZUCCHETTI DesignerBRUNO RUBEO PhotographyBENOIT DELHOMME AFC Associate Co-Executive Co- Producer CLIVE WALDRON Producers GARY HAMILTON PETE MAGGI JULIA VERDIN Producers JIMMY DE BRABANT EDWIGE FENECH LUCIANO MARTINO ISTITUTO LUCE Co-Produced Executive by NIGEL GOLDSACK Producers MANFRED WILDE MICHAEL HAMMER PETER JAMES JAMES SIMPSON ALEX MARSHALL ROBERT JONES Produced Screenplay Directed Co- byCARY BROKAW BARRY NAVIDI JASON PIETTE MICHAEL LIONELLO COWAN byMICHAEL RADFORD byMICHAEL RADFORD A UK – LUXEMBOURG - ITALYProduction SOUNDTRACK AVAILABLE ON www.sonyclassics.com FOR SOME NUDITY. © 2004 SHYLOCK TRADING LIMITED, UK FILM COUNCIL, DELUX PRODUCTIONS S.A. AND IMMAGINE CINEMA S.R.L. Official Teacher’s Guide On DVD Spring 2005 Available on www.SonyStyle.com Check out “www.sonypictures.com/merchantofvenice” for more details TEACHER’S GUIDE By Mary E. Cregan, Ph.D Department of English, Barnard College NOTE TO TEACHERS The production of a major feature film of one of Shakespeare’s most controversial plays, The Merchant of Venice, provides literature teachers with an exciting opportunity to get students talking about some of the most difficult issues of our day—the tension between people of different cultures and religions—tensions that are as explosive today as they were in Shakespeare’s time. -
The Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare
Intermediate Level Worksheet The Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare A Before Reading 1 Shakespeare is believed to be the greatest English writer of all time. What do you know about him? Write your ideas in the table. When he lived: Where he lived: His family: His plays: eg ‘Hamlet’… Now read ‘A Note About The Author’ at the beginning of the book and compare your ideas. 2 The Merchant of Venice is about Antonio (the ‘merchant of Venice’ who has made money through trade) and Shylock (a Jewish money-lender who lends money to Bassanio so that he can get married). Which of the following words do you think you will find in the story? Check any words which you do not know in your Macmillan Dictionary. owe love Christian sea computer ship America flesh cargo court President holiday borrow bankrupt train debt pizza As you start reading the story, look out for the words. 3 By the end of the story, each of the women in these pictures is in love with one of the men shown below. Can you guess who falls in love with who? Portia (The Lady Nerissa (looks Jessica (daughter of Belmont) after Portia) of Shylock) Bassanio, a Lord The Prince of The Prince of Gratiano, a friend Lorenzo, a Christian of Venice Arragon Morocco of Bassanio man of Venice As you start reading, check to see if you guessed correctly. Macmillan Readers The Merchant of Venice 1 This page has beenbeen downloadeddownloaded fromfrom www.macmillanenglish.com.www.macmillanenglish.com. ItIt isis photocopiable,photocopiable, but but all all copies copies must must be be complete complete pages. -
The Battle of Good and Evil in Shakespeare
Rollins College Rollins Scholarship Online Master of Liberal Studies Theses Summer 2015 The aB ttle of Good and Evil in Shakespeare Erin K. Miller [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.rollins.edu/mls Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Miller, Erin K., "The aB ttle of Good nda Evil in Shakespeare" (2015). Master of Liberal Studies Theses. 70. http://scholarship.rollins.edu/mls/70 This Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by Rollins Scholarship Online. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master of Liberal Studies Theses by an authorized administrator of Rollins Scholarship Online. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Battle of Good and Evil in Shakespeare A Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Liberal Studies by Erin Miller July 2015 Mentor: Dr. Patricia Lancaster Reader: Dr. Jennifer Cavenaugh Rollins College Hamilton Holt School Master of Liberal Studies Program Winter Park, Florida 2 Introduction Drama through the ages—from the Greeks’ Oedipus Rex to the morality plays of the Middle Ages —centers on an exploration of the human condition. In antiquity, religious celebrations to honor the gods and appeal for their favor gradually give birth to Greek theater, and these early plays, most of which are tragedies, focus on man’s suffering. What starts as the impact of fate on the life of man becomes, by the Middle Ages, a religious spectacle centered on evil’s impact on man. The Church of the Middle Ages frames the battle as a conflict of vice and virtue through stories in the life of Christ. -
Single Tickets Go on Sale September 13 Theatre for a New Audience's a Midsummer Night's Dream Polonsky Shakespeare Center Julie
The Bruce Cohen Group, Ltd For Immediate Release, Please Contact: Bruce Cohen 212 580 9548 [email protected] Single Tickets Go On Sale September 13 For Theatre for a New Audience's A Midsummer Night's Dream At its newly named building Polonsky Shakespeare Center Julie Taymor Directs Elliot Goldenthal Composes Original Music Previews Begin October 19; Opens November 2 BROOKLYN -- Single tickets go on sale September 13 for Theatre for a New Audience’s inaugural production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by multiple Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor with original music composed by Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning Elliot Goldenthal, at the Theatre’s newly-named building, Polonsky Shakespeare Center, 262 Ashland Place between Lafayette Avenue and Fulton Street, Brooklyn. A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare features a cast of 36 led by Tina Benko as Titania, Max Casella as Bottom, David Harewood as Oberon and Kathryn Hunter as Puck. Previews begin previews October 19, for an opening November 2. Founding Artistic Director Jeffrey Horowitz explained, “Julie and Elliot are innovative, adventurous artists. We first worked together in 1984 on a 60-minute version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Theatre for a New Audience presented at the Public Theater. Twenty-nine years later, it’s thrilling they are directing and composing our first full production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, the inaugural presentation in our first permanent home.” Theatre for a New Audience just named its building Polonsky Shakespeare Center in recognition of a $10 million gift from the Polonsky Foundation.