The Merchant of Venice (Annotated by Henry N. Hudson with an Introduction by Charles Harold Herford)
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
Believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598, William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” is considered by some critics as one of his “problem plays.” The controversy over the work stems from its portrayal of the character Shylock, a rich Jewish moneylender. The stereotypical depiction of Jews as avaricious usurers was common to the drama of the Elizabethan period. The story centers on the love of Bassanio, a young Venetian nobleman, who wishes to woo the beautiful and wealthy heiress Portia of Belmont. Having squandered his estate, Bassanio turns to Antonio, the titular Merchant of Venice, for a loan. However, since Antonio has his money invested in merchandise at sea, Bassanio must turn to Shylock for the loan. Shylock, after much reluctance, agrees to make the loan on the condition that if it cannot be repaid he may extract a pound of flesh from Antonio. This controversial characterization of the vengeful Jewish moneylender has been criticized by some as blatantly anti-Semitic, while others have read the play as a plea for tolerance, citing Shylock a sympathetic character. With elements of both comedy and tragedy “The Merchant of Venice” is a work that to this day has continued to defy classification. This edition is annotated by Henry N. Hudson and includes an introduction by Charles Harold Herford.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Fans of the play will find this an intriguing adaptation. Hinds sets his version in modern dress and dramatically edits the text to the basics while keeping the Shakespearean flavor of the dialogue (increasingly as the book goes on). The coloring in shades of slate blue and pale gray gives it an antique patina that's counterbalanced by the way Hinds leaves construction lines visible. That makes it feel like reading someone's unpolished sketchbook, as though the characters were observed, not created. It's always a benefit to see Shakespeare acted out, to make the universal situations clear to the modern viewer, and that benefit extends to the graphic medium, especially when the characters have a sense of motion, as here. Some aspects of the original are still discomforting; Hinds is faithful to the play in its treatment of the bloodthirsty, money-hungry Shylock, and some readers may be put off by the inclusion of lines such as \x93you may be pleased to collect whatever usurious interest pleases your Jew heart.\x94 An author's note encourages further research on that matter and clarifies some of Hinds's creative decisions.
