The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice, is one of Shakespeare’s most controversial plays. Even though all us “pauper” college kids had to stand for the 3 hour play, shifting our weight from one foot to the other, the experience of seeing a play in the old Shakespearian style was something I’ll remember for years to come. The Merchant of Venice had one scene in particular that would make for an extraordinary cinematic setting. The scene where Antonio is brought before the court as a handcuffed prisoner and has the potential of having one pound of flesh sliced from his body would have movie fans squirming in their seats. Can you just imagine, seeing a broken Antonio make his way through a cheering crowd, knowing the blood thirsty pagans cannot wait to see his blood shed. Seconds before Shylock (the man who is settling his bond with Antonio) pierces Antonio’s skin for the one pound of flesh revenge, a scholarly judge appears to interpret the bond. Eventually, she sees an error in between the fine print on the bond and declares Antonio free.
This scene has a wide range of drama and deceit. The audience is virtually prepared to see Antonio meet his maker when all of a sudden, he is saved by a judge. But, the judge happens to be Portia, the wife of his best friend, who has dressed up as a judge and succeeds in convincing everyone present (except the audience) that she is a worthy law scholar. This deceitful act against her husband will work itself out in the end, but that’s another story. And then, the climax. Shylock, because of his refusal to cooperate with a more lenient sentence is doomed at the end and he in turn, has his life taken away. Poor chap. Cinema fanatics would be greatly intrigued by this dramatic scene. Who would not be on the edge of their seats with their eyes glued to the screen anticipating Antonio’s death?
Mary Brock