Episode 28 - The Merchant of Venice

In our humble opinion (we both agree so we're calling it a singular thing here), this is one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, maybe even his single greatest. Love, debt, justice, prejudice, the law, and the competing desires for mercy and vengeance: it's a fantastic cocktail of themes, motives, and characters that Shakespeare has conjured and which audiences have been grappling with for hundreds of years. More than just the fantastic speeches given by some of its characters (though they are amazing), this play has remained relevant throughout the years for its nuanced exploration of these topics and the characters that provoke the viewer into exploring them.

We loved talking about this play so much there's nary a break in our conversation, as every element of the story is tightly entwined with the others, so that a discussion of one just naturally flows into another. So grab your ducats and prepare for a discussion of one of the bard's most humanistic, complicated, and mentally engaging plays.

Ancient Bickerings

This episode we tackled a rather sedate but still important topic for the play: is it truly a comedy? A tragedy? Something else entirely?

Other Notes

The Merchant of Venice (2004 Film - With Subtitles)

Thug Notes Summary & Analysis of Merchant of Venice