{"product_id":"9781840224313","title":"The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare","description":"Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, M.A., Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of English, University of Sussex.   The Wordsworth Classics' Shakespeare Series presents a newly-edited sequence of William Shakespeare's works. The textual editing takes account of recent scholarship while giving the material a careful reappraisal.   The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies, but it remains deeply controversial.   The text may seem anti-Semitic; yet repeatedly, in performance, it has revealed a contrasting nature.   Shylock, though vanquished in the law-court, often triumphs in the theatre. In his intensity he can dominatethe play, challenging abrasively its romantic and lyrical affirmations. What results is a bitter-sweet drama.   Though The Merchant of Venice offers some of the traditional pleasures of romantic comedy, it also exposesthe operations of prejudice. Thus Shakespeare remains our contemporary.\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback \/ softback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56307624673653,"sku":"9781840224313","price":3.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781840224313.jpg?v=1762804636","url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/products\/9781840224313","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}