{"product_id":"the-merchant-of-venice-arden-shakespeare","title":"The Merchant Of Venice-Arden Shakespeare","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Merchant of Venice is perhaps most associated not with its titular hero, Antonio, but with the complex figure of the money lender, Shylock. The play was described as a comedy in the First Folio but its modern audiences find it more problematic to categorise. The vilification of Shylock 'the Jew' can be very uncomfortable for a post-holocaust audience and debates continue as to whether Shakespeare's portrayal of this complex man is sympathetic or anti-semitic. John Drakakis' comprehensive introduction traces the stage history of the figure of the Jew and looks boldly at twenty-first century issues surrounding it. He also explores other themes of the play such as father\/daughter relations, the power of money and the forceful character of Portia, to offer readers an energetic, original and revelatory reading of this challenging play.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GENRES BSTIN Reference","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":62420994851186,"sku":"9382563237 - PB","price":8.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":62420994883954,"sku":"9382563237 - HB","price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0914\/6889\/0482\/files\/81Etc8E0PdL.jpg?v=1790672770","url":"https:\/\/universalreads.com\/products\/the-merchant-of-venice-arden-shakespeare","provider":"Universal reads","version":"1.0","type":"link"}