William Shakespeares Play The Merchant of Venice - Essay Example

Analysis of William Shakespeare’s Play, The Merchant of VeniceStory Written by Shakespeare around 1596 and 1598, The Merchant of Venice is considered more as a romantic comedy. In the play, Shakespeare connects two very old folks tales, one in which an unforgiving and greedy Shylock trying to punish his enemy Antonio by demanding a pound of his flesh. On the other side is a marriage competition for a beautiful lady who is richly left in Belmonte. This paper analyses the play with key attention given to the story, scenes, costumes and the acting.

Scenery and acting Shakespeare opens the play with interesting characters and a sober atmosphere in which Antonio is sad for reasons that himself least understand. He is joined with a group of comical friends who in a bid to find out the basis of his sadness, makes fun of the situation. This represents the lively life of Venice; moreover, Venice is represented as a place of money and business while Belmonte is a place of love.Costumes In the Court, Portia and Nerissa disguise to act as a lawyer and a clerk respectively to help out Antonio escape death in Shylock’s hands.

Much of this disguise has to do more of teaching their husbands the value of love and marriage. Similarly, Jessica disguises as a man to escape from her father’s house to elope with Lorenzo. She is very ashamed in her attire, but Lorenzo encourages her on. In conclusion, this is a romantic comedy played out with interesting scenes of money and melancholy in Venice alongside love and respect for value in Belmonte. The actors change costumes to suit their roles and purpose in the play as shown by Portia, Nerissa and Jessica.

Works CitedBloom, Harold. William Shakespeare's the Merchant of Venice. New York: Bloom's Literary Criticism, 2010. Internet resource.