What Stands Out about The Merchant of Venice?

On the surface, The Merchant of Venice seems like any old Shakespearean play. The characters are dynamic and have depth put to them, the setting features ordinary people thrust into some unordinary situations, and sarcastic, witty humor abounds.

But, upon looking deeper, it must be significant in some way if it has managed to spark debates over its perceived anti-Semitism and homosexual undertones. And it certainly is. I don't think Shakespeare necessarily intended for it to be any more significant than his other works, but I, of course, have no way of saying so for sure.

Personally, I find it funny and cute in some instances but it does have a lot of things that bore me. Ultimately it comes down to the nature of Shylock and Antonio themselves that grabs me. However, if you were going to choose a Shakespeare play to read for fun, I would suggest Macbeth.

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Adventures at Post Oak High

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