I am in my 60s and just saw my first Shakespeare play last weekend at Chapman University. It was The Merchant of Venice. I have two observations. 1. It surprised me that it it was easy to understand and follow. I hated reading these plays in high school because I didn’t have the patience to stay with them. 2. His portrayal of Shylock, the Jewish lender, was brutal.
Context is important. Reading the plays is hard, because there are enough literary unknowns to most readers. Performed, however, makes it much easier precisely because any errors you don’t grasp are explained visually. As such, I like modern settings with original words, showing how humanity really hasn’t changed (Laz Buhrman’s “Romeo and Juliet” a great example).
It’s interesting, re “Merchant”, how unapologetic it was for a muslim to woo Portia. Yet for a Jew to have done so, likely would have him imprisoned if not executed.
To Shakespeare’s credit for the time however, Shylock’s speech, “I am a Jew”, from Act III, was certainly ahead of it’s time.
High school kids hate Shakespeare (in general) because they’re told they are supposed to hate it
Also because Shakespeare is not supposed to be read. It is acted out
When kids get up on their feet... Everyone has a role, Dover classic in hand reading lines. Makes a difference
And then reading lambs summary first, so they know what the story is about
You get a bunch of seventh grade boys hurling insults as the montagues and capulets with cardboard weapons - they’ll watch the movie
The Merchant of Venice probably my favorite play. It is better to watch them or at least listen to them than to read them. I haven’t read a Shakespeare play in decades but I love to watch them. The early BBC versions are good and have a lot of people who later became famous. For example Alan Rickman (Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet) and Derek Jacobi (Hamlet). I think that Ian McKellan got his start with the Royal Shakespearian Theater. There’s an amazing video of him doing MacBeth’s lament for his deceased wife.
But back to the Merchant of Venice - I read a long piece by Joseph Pearce that made the case that it was in no way an attack on Jews but on usury. But Shylock is an amazing character.
BBC has his plays on youtube. here's MacBeth