Film: Was 'Merchant of Venice' gay? (That does it. EVERYBODY was gay.)

Reuters ^ | Monday, January 3, 2005

[alessandrofiaschi]

??????????????????????????

[MamaTexan]

Furiners are STILL a kissy bunch, but that don't make 'em gay!

[Jaysun]

For the Elizabethans, the love between two men was the highest form of love that they could attain. This wasn't a gay love, they weren't full of homosexuals. It was a platonic love.

I'm sick of this nonsense. I hope this film goes the way of the recent film about "Alexander the Great".

[steplock]

Kisses are a local custom - different meanings in different areas.

In some men do not kiss women, but same sex kiss as respectful greetings.

They are not homosexual perverts like the left coast.

[68skylark]

Shakespeare plays clearly have a strong dose of this. It's one thing that somewhat bugs be about his work. But it's not a deal-killer for me -- I'm still a fan of his plays.

[steplock]

I left out a word ....

In some communities, men do not kiss women, but a same-sex kiss is viewed as respectful greetings.

[MadAnthony1776]

It's probably a stretch. I've spent approximately 3 years living in Europe as an adult and it is not uncommon to see males or females exchange kisses on the cheeks. They also dance as couples in nightclubs. Just because they do doesn't mean they're gay. They do things over there as run of the mill which we don't see here as being commonplace. Also, the kiss as portrayed being passionate in this case is probably the director using poetic license. IMHO I believe it's much to do about nothing.

[presidio9]

Shakespeare was not a gay advocate. He was sending up the unfortunate young actors who had to play roles like Portia.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Welcome back from the dead.

[ClearCase_guy]

For the left, everything is about destroying Christianity.
For the Cultural Elite, everything is about promoting homosexuality.
For the homosexuals, everything is about promoting pedophilia.

Plenty of overlap with these goals.

[68skylark]

I'm not so sure about that. I can think of a number of plays where a leading character seems to have way too much fascination with young boys.

[MamaTexan]

They are not homosexual perverts like the left coast.

LOL!

If you listen to Follywood (or the media), half of the world was and always has been gay!

[Bogey78O]

Was Dorian Gray secretly straight? OMG!

[presidio9]

I'm NOT dead yet. I'm getting better...

[Billthedrill]

A century from now people are going to view this "everyone and everything is gay" mania as a sign of mass mental instability. Shylock was a mean SOB, however much he was provoked, and Portia got her guy off with a bit of legal pettifoggery that wouldn't stand up in any but the 9th District Court of Appeals. Why Shakespeare named her after an automobile I just don't know...

[68skylark]

Did anyone see Trevor Nunn's version of this play? I love his version of Twelfth Night -- Imogen Stubbs is great, and Helena Bonham Carter positively glows with beauty. (How come those two couldn't have had a big smooch?)

But I saw parts of his Merchant of Venice and I was somewhat put off.

[Old Professer]

Plato was gay.

[KC_Conspirator]

Hollywood once again inserting their own agenda and ruining yet another movie.

[CaptainK]

I believe Bassanio is aware of Antonio's unspoken love for him and takes advantage of it. To make Bassanio's feelings equal to Antonio's is a misinterpretation of the relationship.