Tag Archives: Merchant of Venice

Lit Frees Us from Our Mental Ghettos

In a fine “New Yorker” article, Shakespearean Stephen Greenblatt argues that Shakespeare was incapable to showing anything less than the full humanity of his characters, even the villains. He thereby liberates us from our “mental ghettos.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments closed

The Ugliness of Racial Resentment

“The Merchant of Venice” is a story of resentment and thus is only too relevant in today’s political landscape of inflamed passion. Those who have been victimized–or who feel that they have been victimized–are only too ready to stick it to others when they are in power.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , | Comments closed

Shakespeare Understood Trumpism

According to Adam Gopnik, Shakespeare would have understood the rise of Donald Trump better than we do today. Whereas we see him as a historical oddity, Shakespeare would have seen him as the kind of evil that has always resided within humankind.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments closed

In Defense of The Merchant of Venice

Percy Shelley believes that great art transcends the prejudices of its time, even when it is cloaked in them. If he is right, then “Merchant of Venice” is less of a problem play than many people consider it.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments closed

Kill All the Lawyers? Nope, We Need Them

A district judge reflects upon what lawyers and judges can learn from Shakespeare, including “Othello,” “Merchant of Venice, “Hamlet,” “King Lear,” most of the history plays, and others.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments closed

The Bard Could Improve Lawyer Behavior

A judge makes his case about how Shakespeare can improve lawyer professionalism.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments closed

Shakespeare in the Courtroom

A Georgia judge is guided by Shakespeare and sometimes cites the Bard in his rulings.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , | Comments closed

Lit Unlocks Cultural & Linguistic Barriers

Teaching abridged classics to students with limited English, this graduate instructor discovered that much more came through than she expected.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , | Comments closed

Shakespeare Was Mandela’s Lifeline

A copy of Shakespeare’s works that circulated through apartheid-era prisons shows the Bard providing solace for the prisoners.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , | Comments closed