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Graphic Classics
The Merchant of Venice: A Graphic Novel
With elegant, contemporary artwork and a faithful but succinct adaptation, this graphic novel casts a classic drama in a provocative new light.
Here is the tale of young Bassanio, who, to win the love of fair Portia, entangles his dearest friend, Antonio, in a dangerous bargain with the moneylender Shylock. Only Bassanio’s heartfelt efforts — and a clever intervention by Portia — will save Antonio from paying Shylock "a pound of flesh." Moody and mesmerizing, this graphic novel adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s more controversial plays boasts a chic modern cast, high drama, and all the dark, familiar beauty of Venice.
Here is the tale of young Bassanio, who, to win the love of fair Portia, entangles his dearest friend, Antonio, in a dangerous bargain with the moneylender Shylock. Only Bassanio’s heartfelt efforts — and a clever intervention by Portia — will save Antonio from paying Shylock "a pound of flesh." Moody and mesmerizing, this graphic novel adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s more controversial plays boasts a chic modern cast, high drama, and all the dark, familiar beauty of Venice.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2008
13 people are currently reading
760 people want to read
About the author
Gareth Hinds
20 books262 followersGareth Hinds is the creator of critically-acclaimed graphic novels based on literary classics, including Beowulf (which Publisher’s Weekly called a “mixed-media gem”), King Lear (which Booklist named one of the top 10 graphic novels for teens), The Merchant of Venice (which Kirkus called “the standard that all others will strive to meet” for Shakespeare adaptation), The Odyssey (which garnered four starred reviews and a spot on ten “best of 2010” lists), Romeo and Juliet (which Kirkus called “spellbinding”), and Macbeth (which the New York Times called “stellar” and “a remarkably faithful rendering”). Gareth is a recipient of the Boston Public Library’s “Literary Lights for Children” award. His books can be found in bookstores and English classrooms across the country, and his illustrations have appeared in such diverse venues as the Society of Illustrators, the New York Historical Society, and over a dozen published video games.
Gareth lives in the Washington DC area.
Gareth lives in the Washington DC area.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
January 25, 2020
These two stars are entirely for this edition and making this horrible story palatable and understandable. Because this actual story line is horrific. So this modern art style and the ease of understanding the story is what gets two stars.
The story gets zero stars since negative stars isn’t an option. This is a story about rich white people who steal $3000 from a Jewish man, and then proceed to call him “Jew” the whole time instead of his name while also stealing his fortune in court because the rich white folks couldn’t pay their debts. It’s the trashiest most horrible story I’ve ever read and I’m an american privy to so many racist ass tales. But this is bad, bad bad.
The story gets zero stars since negative stars isn’t an option. This is a story about rich white people who steal $3000 from a Jewish man, and then proceed to call him “Jew” the whole time instead of his name while also stealing his fortune in court because the rich white folks couldn’t pay their debts. It’s the trashiest most horrible story I’ve ever read and I’m an american privy to so many racist ass tales. But this is bad, bad bad.
September 29, 2020
The author follows the modernist fallacy that the play is about racism. For example, in summarizing Shylock's thoughts on Antonio, the author suggestively leaves out "I hate him for his is a Christian". He also misrepresents Antonio's desire to have a loan between enemies - not so that he can "collect whatever usurious interest pleases your Jew heart" but that "thou mayst with better face exact the penalty" -- with no mention of race. Later, Shylock's anti-Christian comment about Barrabas is expunged, replaced with the more benign word "thief" (on page 48).
That said, this erroneous view is so common today as to effectively exonerate the artist.
On to the good...
Portia's comment about complexion in page 18 is accurate to the play, and the author here does nothing untoward with it. (It's unfortunately easy to misconstrue as racism -- a desire that anyone of the Moroccan's skin tone fail to win her hand -- whereas Shakespeare is using "complexion" in the sense of an attitude or character rather than a color.) The artist, to his credit, includes her witty reply (on page 10) that "you are as pleasing as any other suitor".
Further to the artist's credit, Antonio stands at trial bravely, as Shakespeare wrote him.
Best executed is Portia's "tarry not" (or "wait a moment" in this rendition) during the trial. The artist resisted any temptation to excess, and her delivery reads as calm and collected as it should. Additionally, Shylock's puzzled expression at the bottom of page 51 is masterfully done.
The background changes between scenes are subtle but effective in drawing the reader from one scene to the next.
Regarding Portia, I don't envy the artist this challenge. She is meant to be so beautiful (on top of other less visual positives) as the inspire men to "hazard all they have", and yet she must pass effectively as a male doctor of law during the trial. His Portia is more pretty a man than handsome a woman, and that's tipping the balance in the right direction.
The beginning of the author's note, though, spends some of the credit. The play is neither evidence of Shakespeare's racism nor his commentary on racism. The alleged homosexual overtones are nowhere to be found (except, perhaps, in a misreading of the humor of the final scene). Shylock, in fact, shows up neither in the trial of the caskets or that of the rings, and the play is not about him.
Happily, the author maintains the three major points of the story, of which Shylock's court case is but one, and he maintains, as well, the humorous and happy ending. As he says, the modernization of the setting is not a new idea, though he executes it better (read: less intrusively) than most productions that make the same choice. He admits to the need to make cuts for a book of this length, and cutting Launcelot and his father, rather than, say, the ending, was a far better editorial choice.
====================
A few words about misunderstood content:
Critics often focus on Antonio's insults of Shylock while paying no mind that Shylock's terms are that he carve the flesh out of a man. Further, on page 19, what do we make of a man that holds his daughter and his money in equal regard? Shylock takes advantage of the poor (a usurer), treats his daughter like property, and plans to carve up an enemy. Shylock is clearly the villain of this story.
The "give him a noose" line is also easy to misconstrue. It's delivered by Gratiano, the sharpest-tongued of the group, and has the sense of a sarcastic and triumphal "I could loan you a rope" rather than a violent "string him up".
I recommend Joseph Pearce's excellent Through Shakespeare's Eyes for more about the understanding of the play that the original author would have had, including the real identity of Shylock.
That said, this erroneous view is so common today as to effectively exonerate the artist.
On to the good...
Portia's comment about complexion in page 18 is accurate to the play, and the author here does nothing untoward with it. (It's unfortunately easy to misconstrue as racism -- a desire that anyone of the Moroccan's skin tone fail to win her hand -- whereas Shakespeare is using "complexion" in the sense of an attitude or character rather than a color.) The artist, to his credit, includes her witty reply (on page 10) that "you are as pleasing as any other suitor".
Further to the artist's credit, Antonio stands at trial bravely, as Shakespeare wrote him.
Best executed is Portia's "tarry not" (or "wait a moment" in this rendition) during the trial. The artist resisted any temptation to excess, and her delivery reads as calm and collected as it should. Additionally, Shylock's puzzled expression at the bottom of page 51 is masterfully done.
The background changes between scenes are subtle but effective in drawing the reader from one scene to the next.
Regarding Portia, I don't envy the artist this challenge. She is meant to be so beautiful (on top of other less visual positives) as the inspire men to "hazard all they have", and yet she must pass effectively as a male doctor of law during the trial. His Portia is more pretty a man than handsome a woman, and that's tipping the balance in the right direction.
The beginning of the author's note, though, spends some of the credit. The play is neither evidence of Shakespeare's racism nor his commentary on racism. The alleged homosexual overtones are nowhere to be found (except, perhaps, in a misreading of the humor of the final scene). Shylock, in fact, shows up neither in the trial of the caskets or that of the rings, and the play is not about him.
Happily, the author maintains the three major points of the story, of which Shylock's court case is but one, and he maintains, as well, the humorous and happy ending. As he says, the modernization of the setting is not a new idea, though he executes it better (read: less intrusively) than most productions that make the same choice. He admits to the need to make cuts for a book of this length, and cutting Launcelot and his father, rather than, say, the ending, was a far better editorial choice.
====================
A few words about misunderstood content:
Critics often focus on Antonio's insults of Shylock while paying no mind that Shylock's terms are that he carve the flesh out of a man. Further, on page 19, what do we make of a man that holds his daughter and his money in equal regard? Shylock takes advantage of the poor (a usurer), treats his daughter like property, and plans to carve up an enemy. Shylock is clearly the villain of this story.
The "give him a noose" line is also easy to misconstrue. It's delivered by Gratiano, the sharpest-tongued of the group, and has the sense of a sarcastic and triumphal "I could loan you a rope" rather than a violent "string him up".
I recommend Joseph Pearce's excellent Through Shakespeare's Eyes for more about the understanding of the play that the original author would have had, including the real identity of Shylock.
October 26, 2008
Merchant of Venice has never been my favorite play - smug Portia, gloomy Antonio, is it racist or is it a comment on racism: whatever, Shakespeare - but this condensation by Gareth Hinds is skilfully done. And I personally like this drawing style - I like Eddie Campbell too - though I know that some people find it a bit drab.
Can't get past not liking the play, though. Why's it even called The Merchant of Venice, instead of being called The Merchant of Venice's Lovesick Friends?
Can't get past not liking the play, though. Why's it even called The Merchant of Venice, instead of being called The Merchant of Venice's Lovesick Friends?
December 31, 2021
I really wish that it was made more clear that this graphic novel is HEAVILY abridged. This adaptation is a re-interpretation of Shakespeare's version - which has been severly stripped down.
To begin with, the writing switches between modern simplified language and Shakespeare's most famous speeches which the author tries to justify as making the work more accessible. Instead, the writing comes across as disjointed and often feels like a little kids version of a classic lacking crucial context and threads of connection. To add to this, the author also cuts out entire characters and scenes which I felt made it more obvious that context and connections were lacking because the story itself was hard to follow. There are times when the scene was switching and there was no real transition, information would later be mentioned that did not have the proper development previously in the story, and it just added to this feeling that this wasn't flowing correctly.
Another issue that I had with this work is the "modernization" that the author brought to this story, or should I say that he modernized the clothes and parts of the setting but rather ineffectually modernized the story itself? It baffles the mind why the author chose to modernize the clothing and the supposed setting yet crucial details were left dependent on the story having taken place in the distant past. One obvious example being the court case itself which relies heavily on law and order proceedings from the original story's time period. This is not the only scene where the actual storyline - the words specifically - don't align with the setting and time period this has been supposedly brought into in the name of modernization. Furthermore, I think the author failed to successfully incorporate the themes of anti-semitism and slavery into this specific scene where the argument is undermined by the so-called modernized world it is set within. In the Author's Note, the author says that people should be able to make their own connections with these themes and the modern day in the story, which I find to be a bit of a ridiculous argument to excuse not incorporating connection and reflections into your work. It is now on the reader to build crucial connections when you made the choice to "modernize" your work, yet didn't properly develop some of the themes you're now calling the most important in the work?
My final and arguably most important criticism of this work has to do with the Author's Note - which I almost didn't read but wow does it shine some light on this work. In the Author's Note, the author states that he is not taking a side in the surrounding controversy of the work, that he remains neutral, and encourages readers to seek out scholarship to better understand this controversy as his work is not the place for such debates. That's a pretty bold statement, and while I understand the author is essentially saying it's out of his depth to pass judgement on the original work, I find fault in the way he delivers this message and also his actions to be a direct contradiction of these statements. First and foremost, he chose to create this re-interpretation knowing the controversy surrounding this specific work so I cannot imagine that he himself did not consult scholarship throughout his writing and drawing process. Although, one would understandably be confused by this because the author never references scholarship that he used in his own research for his interpretation so it's possible that he truly did not conduct research. So this begs the question of did the author actually consult scholarship and conduct research for his interpretation or not? If so, why is none cited or referenced? If the author didn't do research, it's a little hypocritical to suggest your audience is the one that needs to conduct research when you are the one publishing your own interpretation of a work where you are supposed to be bringing in a new perspective to this very scholarship. Furthermore, the claim that he's not picking a side when publishing this work is quite laughable if you actually read the work and look at his self-created images. The author certainly felt comfortable enough keeping in problematic language; in fact creating his own interpretations of conversations with problematic language and also using stereotypical physical characteristics to distinguish between characters. Yet, he remains neutral in this scholarly debate? No, that is not neutrality. Instead, the author used his Author's Note as an attempt to absolve himself of any guilt or further controversy by preaching neutrality while practicing antagonism.
Overall, this is not a quality interpretation of the original work; it lacks nuance to navigate the themes and to be able to present a cohesive story. What could have been an interesting adaptation that modernized the story and drew connections to modern conversations turned out to be a rather ineffectual attempt to be a graphic novel author version of Baz Luhrmann than an effectual story.
To begin with, the writing switches between modern simplified language and Shakespeare's most famous speeches which the author tries to justify as making the work more accessible. Instead, the writing comes across as disjointed and often feels like a little kids version of a classic lacking crucial context and threads of connection. To add to this, the author also cuts out entire characters and scenes which I felt made it more obvious that context and connections were lacking because the story itself was hard to follow. There are times when the scene was switching and there was no real transition, information would later be mentioned that did not have the proper development previously in the story, and it just added to this feeling that this wasn't flowing correctly.
Another issue that I had with this work is the "modernization" that the author brought to this story, or should I say that he modernized the clothes and parts of the setting but rather ineffectually modernized the story itself? It baffles the mind why the author chose to modernize the clothing and the supposed setting yet crucial details were left dependent on the story having taken place in the distant past. One obvious example being the court case itself which relies heavily on law and order proceedings from the original story's time period. This is not the only scene where the actual storyline - the words specifically - don't align with the setting and time period this has been supposedly brought into in the name of modernization. Furthermore, I think the author failed to successfully incorporate the themes of anti-semitism and slavery into this specific scene where the argument is undermined by the so-called modernized world it is set within. In the Author's Note, the author says that people should be able to make their own connections with these themes and the modern day in the story, which I find to be a bit of a ridiculous argument to excuse not incorporating connection and reflections into your work. It is now on the reader to build crucial connections when you made the choice to "modernize" your work, yet didn't properly develop some of the themes you're now calling the most important in the work?
My final and arguably most important criticism of this work has to do with the Author's Note - which I almost didn't read but wow does it shine some light on this work. In the Author's Note, the author states that he is not taking a side in the surrounding controversy of the work, that he remains neutral, and encourages readers to seek out scholarship to better understand this controversy as his work is not the place for such debates. That's a pretty bold statement, and while I understand the author is essentially saying it's out of his depth to pass judgement on the original work, I find fault in the way he delivers this message and also his actions to be a direct contradiction of these statements. First and foremost, he chose to create this re-interpretation knowing the controversy surrounding this specific work so I cannot imagine that he himself did not consult scholarship throughout his writing and drawing process. Although, one would understandably be confused by this because the author never references scholarship that he used in his own research for his interpretation so it's possible that he truly did not conduct research. So this begs the question of did the author actually consult scholarship and conduct research for his interpretation or not? If so, why is none cited or referenced? If the author didn't do research, it's a little hypocritical to suggest your audience is the one that needs to conduct research when you are the one publishing your own interpretation of a work where you are supposed to be bringing in a new perspective to this very scholarship. Furthermore, the claim that he's not picking a side when publishing this work is quite laughable if you actually read the work and look at his self-created images. The author certainly felt comfortable enough keeping in problematic language; in fact creating his own interpretations of conversations with problematic language and also using stereotypical physical characteristics to distinguish between characters. Yet, he remains neutral in this scholarly debate? No, that is not neutrality. Instead, the author used his Author's Note as an attempt to absolve himself of any guilt or further controversy by preaching neutrality while practicing antagonism.
Overall, this is not a quality interpretation of the original work; it lacks nuance to navigate the themes and to be able to present a cohesive story. What could have been an interesting adaptation that modernized the story and drew connections to modern conversations turned out to be a rather ineffectual attempt to be a graphic novel author version of Baz Luhrmann than an effectual story.
March 17, 2009
I love Gareth Hinds' work -- his adaptation of Beowulf is one of the most spectacular I've ever seen. He worked from live models for this update of Shakespeare's play, and does a great job streamlining the story, without losing much. One of the things I like the most about this version is that Hinds starts the book by simplifying Shakespeare's original language (Portia even replies, "Good one" at one point). But as the novel moves on, he gradually includes more and more of the original text, so by the time the play reaches the courtroom scenes, much of the dialogue is in Shakespearean English. It's subtle, but it will help readers unfamiliar with the text to ease into the story and characters. Well adapted and beautifully illustrated.
May 12, 2014
I really enjoyed this graphic novel adaption of The Merchant of Venice. I would have loved to read this before I actually read the Shakespeare play! It makes it really easy to understand everything! The modern setting makes it easy to connect with and the way the dialect goes from modern English to Shakespearean English, you don't realize that you're reading Shakespearean English till the end! I give it an A+ and I'd totally recommend it in ANY classroom!!
April 19, 2019
I always love graphic novel interpretations of Shakespeare's work, and this one is no different! Set closer to modern day, and with a mixture of modern day prose and Shakespeare's original text, Hinds blends past and present to make all the various layers both visible and intermingled. Illustrated with monotone colors, it almost appears as though this is some sort of old movie, and such a style really works with this tale--there's finance deals, marriages, costumes, court scenes.
Some additional cool things about this is that Hinds also addresses many of his choices in an afterword, and provides a cast list to match with faces. Overall, this is a fun edition that I think would easily help people understand Shakespeare better, especially given the mixture of modern day and original text. Definitely worth a read!
Review cross-listed here!
Some additional cool things about this is that Hinds also addresses many of his choices in an afterword, and provides a cast list to match with faces. Overall, this is a fun edition that I think would easily help people understand Shakespeare better, especially given the mixture of modern day and original text. Definitely worth a read!
Review cross-listed here!
March 19, 2024
Odd! i know the original story is controversial for its antisemitism - but this adaptation made me cringe so much! i’m not familiar with the original play, but the depiction of Shylock and the incessant antisemitic comments from every character felt so uncomfortable! i don’t necessarily think that historical tales should be censored; but there needs to be a level of care about these sensitive subjects that i didn’t feel like this adaptation had… i guess it doesn’t help that i found the story boring and confusing, heh. (i’m not very good at understanding Shakespeare, ill admit).
i guess what i am getting at is i wish that the cast of characters were rewarded less- no one ever faces consequences for their disgusting comments and actions towards Shylock and the jewish community. i appreciate the end page that discusses the controversial nature of the play. It points out the contradicting way that Shakespeare treats the jewish characters while also writing a speech for Shylock about the unfairness he is being treated with.
I’m not a writer, so hopefully this review makes sense… i will also admit that i didn’t really like the art style, though that is a personal preference.
In the end; this graphic novel disappointed me. I will probably end up re-donating it to Goodwill…
i guess what i am getting at is i wish that the cast of characters were rewarded less- no one ever faces consequences for their disgusting comments and actions towards Shylock and the jewish community. i appreciate the end page that discusses the controversial nature of the play. It points out the contradicting way that Shakespeare treats the jewish characters while also writing a speech for Shylock about the unfairness he is being treated with.
I’m not a writer, so hopefully this review makes sense… i will also admit that i didn’t really like the art style, though that is a personal preference.
In the end; this graphic novel disappointed me. I will probably end up re-donating it to Goodwill…
May 19, 2025
appreciate the authors note at the end acknowledging the controversial elements. but the choice to make the clothing of the characters modern has no purpose, and the choice to modernize the dialogue at the beginning and less towards the end just feels low effort. a highly abridged adaptation that lacks a purpose
December 21, 2024
I took this book as a test to see if I wanted to read the original story and after reading through it, I believe I shall! The art was lovely! The blue scale gave the characters a wonderful sense of belonging and while the story felt like an incomplete version, it was still enjoyable.
September 5, 2020
What a bummer. Good art though.
June 8, 2018
GRAPHIC NOVEL REQUIREMENT
Hinds has many Shakespeare plays he has turned into graphic novels, and never having read a graphic novel before, I decided that this would be a fitting way to ease into the genre. I enjoyed the play Merchant of Venice, and it was fun to reread a modern emendation (with pictures even)! Hinds includes an Author's Note in the back that explains his decision for setting this version in modernity, which was to show anti-Semitism and slavery as incongruous, even alien with today's progression of society from that of the Shakespearean era. I thought this was a wonderful change and completed the motive. As a teacher, I am excited with the new idea to use graphic novels in my classroom. Not only to expose my students to different genres, but also to teach difficult texts, like Shakespearean ones. I think that the pictures added understanding, as well as what the author chose to cut out, helped to simplify difficult scenes to make sense of (such as the court scene). The expressions included on the character's faces added to the emotion of the story even more. The underlying tones and themes were also explicated by this as well.
Hinds has many Shakespeare plays he has turned into graphic novels, and never having read a graphic novel before, I decided that this would be a fitting way to ease into the genre. I enjoyed the play Merchant of Venice, and it was fun to reread a modern emendation (with pictures even)! Hinds includes an Author's Note in the back that explains his decision for setting this version in modernity, which was to show anti-Semitism and slavery as incongruous, even alien with today's progression of society from that of the Shakespearean era. I thought this was a wonderful change and completed the motive. As a teacher, I am excited with the new idea to use graphic novels in my classroom. Not only to expose my students to different genres, but also to teach difficult texts, like Shakespearean ones. I think that the pictures added understanding, as well as what the author chose to cut out, helped to simplify difficult scenes to make sense of (such as the court scene). The expressions included on the character's faces added to the emotion of the story even more. The underlying tones and themes were also explicated by this as well.
September 14, 2016
Hinds takes the text of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and gives it a whole new outlook by pairing the text with illustrations of the characters in modern clothes, looking like they all could be walking down a New York sidewalk, done with Wall Street for the day and off to Brooklyn for a nosh.
The text has been abbreviated, so this could make for a good introduction to the story for someone first approaching it – especially in how Hinds ruthlessly exploits the modern setting to underscore the point that we still today grapple with issues of fear and anger towards the Other.
A short version of the play – but still with plenty to say about both Then and Now.
August 12, 2014
As with his Romeo and Juliet, which to his credit does look different than either his Merchant or his far better Beowulf (so he's trying different styles and approaches for different stories), I much preferred his lyrical approach to Beowulf where his artwork conveys the story. Here the art work is functional. I like Kurosawa's Throne of Blood as a pretty free adaptation of Macbeth, which at great risk loses the great language for the stunning visuals. Hinds should use the graph format to focus on the visuals more. Still, if you were teaching Merchant, you'd use this book, I'd think.
June 7, 2023
“All that glitters is not gold.”
Another fantastic Shakespeare adaptation from Gareth Hinds.
“Gilded tombs do worms enfold.”
This is a play that I’m much less familiar with, so I feel like talking more about the play itself than the adaptation in this case.
It raises more than the standard set of difficulties for modern audiences due to the ambiguity around its attitude to Jewish people. Racism is certainly a theme, which is incredible for a text as old as this (1598). The stigmatisation of the Prince of Morocco (his opening words defend his skin colour) accentuates this theme, framing the prejudice shown towards Shylock, the Jewish moneylender.
Shylock is both an antagonist, partly through some stereotypical Jewish traits, and also a sympathetic character, who makes an eloquent plea for tolerance (in a famous speech).
“Hath not a Jew eyes?”
Is the play antisemitic or not? It’s impossible to say with certainty, and this ambiguity is typically Shakespeare, whose works can be interpreted in so many ways and say so many different things.
Perhaps more interesting than the antisemitism, despite my banging on about it, are the homoerotic undertones. Antonio and Bassanio are clearly in love with each other.
The play throws a lot of striking ideas together: the “pound of flesh” in forfeit for the loan; the three boxes, each made of a different metal, that Portia’s suitors must choose between to win her hand; Portia and Nerissa disguising themselves as men and fighting in court for Antonio’s life; the business of the rings. Reading it quickly, as a graphic novel, they seem disparate. I was unsure how they’re connected.
Hinds’s graphic novel adaptations are a great way into challenging pieces of literature but perhaps the themes and the way they’re built up through connections between different strands of story, imagery and symbolism can get lost. Hinds recommends seeking out the originals. After you’ve read those, reading the adaptations can become a kind of shorthand to the originals in all their rich complexity.
One last comment. I felt that the plot line about Shylock’s daughter, Jessica; and Lorenzo, the man she marries; and their theft of Shylock’s money, to be underdeveloped.
Another fantastic Shakespeare adaptation from Gareth Hinds.
“Gilded tombs do worms enfold.”
This is a play that I’m much less familiar with, so I feel like talking more about the play itself than the adaptation in this case.
It raises more than the standard set of difficulties for modern audiences due to the ambiguity around its attitude to Jewish people. Racism is certainly a theme, which is incredible for a text as old as this (1598). The stigmatisation of the Prince of Morocco (his opening words defend his skin colour) accentuates this theme, framing the prejudice shown towards Shylock, the Jewish moneylender.
Shylock is both an antagonist, partly through some stereotypical Jewish traits, and also a sympathetic character, who makes an eloquent plea for tolerance (in a famous speech).
“Hath not a Jew eyes?”
Is the play antisemitic or not? It’s impossible to say with certainty, and this ambiguity is typically Shakespeare, whose works can be interpreted in so many ways and say so many different things.
Perhaps more interesting than the antisemitism, despite my banging on about it, are the homoerotic undertones. Antonio and Bassanio are clearly in love with each other.
The play throws a lot of striking ideas together: the “pound of flesh” in forfeit for the loan; the three boxes, each made of a different metal, that Portia’s suitors must choose between to win her hand; Portia and Nerissa disguising themselves as men and fighting in court for Antonio’s life; the business of the rings. Reading it quickly, as a graphic novel, they seem disparate. I was unsure how they’re connected.
Hinds’s graphic novel adaptations are a great way into challenging pieces of literature but perhaps the themes and the way they’re built up through connections between different strands of story, imagery and symbolism can get lost. Hinds recommends seeking out the originals. After you’ve read those, reading the adaptations can become a kind of shorthand to the originals in all their rich complexity.
One last comment. I felt that the plot line about Shylock’s daughter, Jessica; and Lorenzo, the man she marries; and their theft of Shylock’s money, to be underdeveloped.
September 27, 2022
"Sweet lady, you have given me life and living."
BOOK: The Merchant of Venice (Illustrated Classic)
AUTHOR: #shakespeare
RATING: 4.1🫀
PUBLISHER: @saddleback
It is believed that the play was written by Shakespeare in the summer of 1598. I have completed the 65 page illustration version of the same. This is my second reading, I have even seen many plays of Shakespeare throughout my school days and one of the the play was "The Merchant of Venice". Portia is the heiress of Belmont, who is rich, beautiful and intelligent. Even after her fathers death, she is bound by the lottery setforth by her father's will. In the will he had mentioned that Portias suitor should pass a certain test to get her hand in marriage. The merchant of venice Antonio is a righteous christian who under the necessity of the circumstances had to lend money from a greedy jew named Shylock for a friend, Bassanio.
The book shows true intelligence of women and how women handle stress & problems well. It is also a way of telling his audience at that era that how important it is for women to exist freely among us to show their true potential. The book also speaks about trust, truth and values of life. Here is another from the "short and sweet" reading suggestions.
BOOK: The Merchant of Venice (Illustrated Classic)
AUTHOR: #shakespeare
RATING: 4.1🫀
PUBLISHER: @saddleback
It is believed that the play was written by Shakespeare in the summer of 1598. I have completed the 65 page illustration version of the same. This is my second reading, I have even seen many plays of Shakespeare throughout my school days and one of the the play was "The Merchant of Venice". Portia is the heiress of Belmont, who is rich, beautiful and intelligent. Even after her fathers death, she is bound by the lottery setforth by her father's will. In the will he had mentioned that Portias suitor should pass a certain test to get her hand in marriage. The merchant of venice Antonio is a righteous christian who under the necessity of the circumstances had to lend money from a greedy jew named Shylock for a friend, Bassanio.
The book shows true intelligence of women and how women handle stress & problems well. It is also a way of telling his audience at that era that how important it is for women to exist freely among us to show their true potential. The book also speaks about trust, truth and values of life. Here is another from the "short and sweet" reading suggestions.
January 7, 2022
After reading Hinds' spectacular retelling and illustrations of Macbeth, I decided that his graphic novel adaptations were a pretty painless way to read the classics and finally discover what all the fuss is about, without being forced to read through hundreds of pages of ancient prose.
Well, it wasn't entirely painless, but thank goodness I didn't waste my time muddling through the original Merchant of Venice. Not even Hinds could save this story. The pictures helped, although sadly, I didn't care for his illustrations as he made everyone look like gangsters. What a terrible, trashy, boring, irritating, offensive story. Was this truly supposed to be a comedy!?
One star for Shakespeare, but two stars for Hinds because it wasn't his fault he was working with such a horrible plot. You can't polish a turd.
Well, it wasn't entirely painless, but thank goodness I didn't waste my time muddling through the original Merchant of Venice. Not even Hinds could save this story. The pictures helped, although sadly, I didn't care for his illustrations as he made everyone look like gangsters. What a terrible, trashy, boring, irritating, offensive story. Was this truly supposed to be a comedy!?
One star for Shakespeare, but two stars for Hinds because it wasn't his fault he was working with such a horrible plot. You can't polish a turd.
July 13, 2023
I am so happy to have discovered an easy way to refresh my memory of some works I would like to re-read in the original, but don't have time for reading right now!
The simplified Shakespeare may even get me to convince my husband to read some of the bard (he's been a hater, ever since feeling inadequate when studying Shakespeare in high school).
For me, even reading snippets of the verse - "the quality of mercy is not strained..." has renewed my desire to read the full text. And find some DVDs of filmed productions or live theatre productions!
This particular play - it really had me wondering not only about the antisemitism but the racism of the day. When will we ever learn?
The simplified Shakespeare may even get me to convince my husband to read some of the bard (he's been a hater, ever since feeling inadequate when studying Shakespeare in high school).
For me, even reading snippets of the verse - "the quality of mercy is not strained..." has renewed my desire to read the full text. And find some DVDs of filmed productions or live theatre productions!
This particular play - it really had me wondering not only about the antisemitism but the racism of the day. When will we ever learn?
January 15, 2017
This book freaked me out a little bit. It is a controversial story of an economic quarrel between one Jew and several Christians. It is hard to tell in the story whether the original author, Shakespeare, was anti-Christian or anti-Semitic. It was also hard to tell in the beginning exactly what was going on. This is the first graphic novel I have read, so the format made it hard for me to figure out characters, plot, and the problem until later in the book.
August 7, 2017
I'm torn. This is a good adaptation of the play, well-edited and updated for the format. On the other hand, the play itself. It is incredibly, shockingly anti-Semitic. I honestly don't see any other way to read this, to interpret the character of Shylock, and to justify the way he is treated. There doesn't appear to be anything to support the claim that Shakespeare was trying to present Shylock as sympathetic other than a desperate need to be a Bard apologist.
July 28, 2019
This story is not really a graphic novel. It's more like a highly abridged and improbably modernized retelling of Merchant. That Shylock is drawn with stereotypically Jewish features does make the story disturbing in a more contemporary way; ditto for Jessica, who looks like a NY undergrad of Semitic heritage.
Here and there some of the famous soliloquys creep in, but over all the text itself is jarring.
Here and there some of the famous soliloquys creep in, but over all the text itself is jarring.
December 23, 2020
Compared to Hinds’s other adaptations I’ve read so far, this one is even more abridged and edited. Portia’s first scene has a couple particularly glaringly out-of-place lines, though most of the book flowed reasonably well. The art is very different, and some of the line work is quite nice, though I don’t like the monochromatic color scheme. The map of Venice in the frontispiece is pretty cool, though.
April 9, 2021
The book kept me hooked till the last. It is mind-blowing! Especially the characters of Antonio and Shylock.
A must read. Although short, but the story is made with a lot of thinking and is full of depth!
Just woah!
And Bassanio and Jessica:)
Ah, how lovely are the characters. How the character of Jessica has been made with so much excellence.
The disguise. It's amazing!
Has to be read for sure:)
A must read. Although short, but the story is made with a lot of thinking and is full of depth!
Just woah!
And Bassanio and Jessica:)
Ah, how lovely are the characters. How the character of Jessica has been made with so much excellence.
The disguise. It's amazing!
Has to be read for sure:)
December 5, 2023
I keep reading these graphic novel adaptations while knowing next to nothing about the source material, and it’s usually very confusing. This did a better job (than King Lear) of working within the graphic novel format in a way that is comprehensible and still works in Shakespeare’s language. Since this is a very pared down version of the original play and I have not read the original it seems unfair to pass many judgements on the story.
May 31, 2018
I'm trying to read more graphic novels while here at work and this is probably a good start for some of our students in terms of an intro to Shakespeare, but without the full text of the play (this is really abbreviated), it doesn't seem to be the same story. The drawings, however, have a cool, gothic quality to them.
March 6, 2017
Interrresting....yeah. Take a look. Graphic novel treatment in current time and it is well done. Now, I'm not a well-read graphic reader so don't take my word for it. The story is greatly chopped down but there it is, it's still there and boy there's STILL a lot going on as one would expect.
December 29, 2019
I really liked this story and the illustrations really helped me understand it better. I wish color was used in the depictions and certain scenes I still had trouble understanding and had to resort to sparknotes but overall I really enjoyed it.
December 9, 2021
This edition is well done, but the story is something else. This is a Shakespeare play I have not actually read, but I can see where the controversy lies. I am curious to read further on the implications of this story.
June 8, 2022
A little less close to the original text than some of hinds’ other work, but I really liked the visual setting he chose for this book.
Rating: pg
Recommend: Shakespeare readers who struggle with the text. A great way to learn the story before returning to the original.
Rating: pg
Recommend: Shakespeare readers who struggle with the text. A great way to learn the story before returning to the original.
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June 6, 2019graphic novel in more modern setting of Shaekspeare's play.
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