I was going to talk about The Merchant of Venice but thought maybe too nerdy-so I'm glad you mentioned it 
What's going on with Shannon's family? Page 2
You can't be too nerdy on this board!
It would be an impossible feat.
Nerd it up, love.
You would be scared if you saw the full extent of my nerdiness!
Well the Merchant of Venice is quite obvious. You could look at the ancient Greek comedies of the Women, and the Frogs. Or being Jewish the book of Esther. English satire really starts with Chaucer in my view, who when you get past the English is very funny, but also very relevant in his views on social mores. Though i kinda have to forgive some unabashed racism.
I am not a mere nerd, I am a nerdo-saurus-rex, here me roar!
n.b. amazing how many people don't realise Merchant of Venice is a comedy.
Quote: zooo @ April 5 2008, 4:01 PM BSTYou can't be too nerdy on this board!
It would be an impossible feat.
Very true!
Quote: sootyj @ April 5 2008, 5:09 PM BSTWell the Merchant of Venice is quite obvious. You could look at the ancient Greek comedies of the Women, and the Frogs. Or being Jewish the book of Esther. English satire really starts with Chaucer in my view, who when you get past the English is very funny, but also very relevant in his views on social mores. Though i kinda have to forgive some unabashed racism.
I am not a mere nerd, I am a nerdo-saurus-rex, here me roar!
n.b. amazing how many people don't realise Merchant of Venice is a comedy.
What is it actually about? And don't just say a merchant in Venice!
Quote: sootyj @ April 5 2008, 5:09 PM BSTEnglish satire really starts with Chaucer in my view, who when you get past the English is very funny, but also very relevant in his views on social mores. Though i kinda have to forgive some unabashed racism. n.b. amazing how many people don't realise Merchant of Venice is a comedy.
Don't forget Pope, Swift and Sterne.
Quote: Aaron @ April 7 2008, 7:22 PM BSTWhat is it actually about? And don't just say a merchant in Venice!
It's about a merchant, Antonio, who lends money to his friend, Bassanio, so he can go to impress his "true love". Antonio doesn't have enough money though so he lets Bassanio borrow from a Jewish Merchant, Shylock, in Antonio's name because such is the intimacy of their homoerotic relationship. However, one of Antonio's ships sinks while Bassanio is away and so he can't pay back the loan and must pay Shylock's penalty, a pound of flesh to be taken from just above Antonio's chest. (The penalty being to try and exact revenge on anti-semetic views of the time.) Anyway, Bassanio impresses his woman who is rich, and pays the loan back to Shylock. Shylock says that's not good enough so the woman poses as a lawyer to not only stop the penalty but to cheat Bassanio out of his land and money for the attempt to kill Antonio theoretically.
Just a brief one!
Well like most Shakesperean comedies, it's a not hugely funny, and b rambles a bit.
A merchant princes young friend wants to marry a princess, in order to do this he needs funds, which said merchant prince borrows from another merchant (who is jewish), when he (the jewish merchant), demands the life of the merchant prince (as stipulated in the contract), the princess (in disguise as a lawyer) disproves this claim, and every one lives happily ever after.
Not bad for a pragraph! The controversy is that the Jewish merchant (Shylock). Is both very much a Jewish villain, but also driven to his villainy by the persecution he suffers. It is certainly implied in some speeches, if it wasn't for his rejection, and perescution he wouldn't be a villain. These speeches are very much the ones remembered from the play.
I think yours beat mine >_<. Mine reads like "Shakespeare for dummies"!
Yours was good, I may have cut to many corners, and forgot what a gay play it was.
Give me Lear, or Midsummers Night Dream. People who have seen my Bottom always praise it.
Oh I adore Midsummer Nights Dream...to theatrical there with the "adore", right?
Nah nothing wrong with being a bit arty. I saw Ian McKellan's willy last year, bloody hell! He could peanuts up with that thing.
This website doesn't bode well for my exams...
How so? Ian Mckellan's elephant trunk on the syllabus? Could always do one of those new British Army GCSEs in Arabic, and torture.
How so? Ian Mckellan's elephant trunk on the syllabus? Could always do one of those new British Army GCSEs in Arabic, and torture.
Haha no! Just because it distracts me from revision! I've already done my coursework on Shakespeare so even this isn't beneficial in the slightest!