The merchant of Venice is the play we are studying this week in our on-line course. It is a play I have studied several times, and seen too, and so I do know the basics about it. However I have been delighted and fascinated to find out so much more. This course, led by Professor Jonathan Bate from Warwick University is really excellent, and I am sure would be fascinating to anyone, even those who do not know much about the plays or Shakespeare himself.
I had been taught that ‘The merchant’ was a tale about love, fortune-seekers, anti-Semitism, barbarity, revenge, friendship… But one outstanding omission was trade; this play is all about trade, and even thought the title should give a clue, none of my teachers had ever emphasised this aspect. Another aspect which I had never properly considered was Shylock, not as a Jew, bust as an outside, an alien, and although in the end he is defeated by Portia, the powerful speeches he makes about the way he is treated, gives him dignity. The course not only discussed the text and the staging and the world of Shakespeare, but offers some wonderful objects as examples of the points which are being made. There are some links to blogs and other resources, which I will take time to access properly later.
As with the other MOOC I did, on archaeology, this one is thoroughly enjoyable, and I’m learning so much!
Lois Elsden 