The Merchant of Venice remains a ‘problem play’ for contemporary production. Whether
the play is inherently antisemitic or not, it remains one of the most popular of the
canon. I will consider how actors and their directors can, with the wisdom imparted by
twentieth-century psychology and Stanislavskian-derived ideas of objectives, circumstances
and subtext, seek to circumvent the challenges and infuse problematic text
with more acceptable interpretations. Possible reinterpretations of Shylock are centrally
considered, but the characters and motives of Jessica, Portia, Antonio and Bassanio are
also scrutinized. Such re-evaluation of the underlying motivations seems a reasonable
resolution for keeping the text intact while undermining any inherent negative
stereotyping.
However, once we admit of this subversion of a writer’s intentions, what
might the consequences
be if there are those who wish to use the same tools to create
anti-humanitarian
theatre?