The Merchant of Venice story
The Merchant of Venice is a 2004 romantic drama film based on Shakespeare's play of the same name. It is the first full-length sound film in English of Shakespeare's play—other versions are videotaped productions which were made for television, including John Sichel's 1973 version and Jack Gold's 1980 BBC production. The title character is the merchant Antonio (Jeremy Irons), not the Jewish moneylender Shylock (Al Pacino) who is the more prominent character. This adaptation follows the text, but omits much. Director Michael Radford believed that Shylock was Shakespeare's first great tragic hero who reaches a catastrophe due to his own flaws.[2][3] The film begins with text and a montage of how the Jewish community is abused by the Christian population of Venice and brings attention to the fact that, as a convert, Shylock would have been cast out of the Jewish ghetto in Venice.
7 total · 3 choice · 2 major · 2 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| mercy | choice | in refusing to grant mercy Shylock lost everything; to add insult to injury the good "Christians" then pointedly showed him mercy of a sort |
| romantic love | choice | Bassanio lusted after Portia; Jessica eloped with Lorenzo; Gratiano married Nerissa |
| the desire for vengeance | choice | towards the end Shylock refused an offered fortune to forgo his vengeance |
| antisemitism in society | major | Antisemitism was rampant in Shylock's Venice. |
| facing loan sharks | major | Antonia faced Shylock backed by the law |
| father and daughter | minor | Shylock and Jessica; Portia's father was unnamed but referred to |
| homosexuality in society | minor | Antonio and Bassanio shared a passionate kiss; the two girls may have been flirting with each other too |