Middlebury

JWST 0458

Merchants of Venice

Merchants of Venice
In this class we will read Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice from different perspectives, including those of race, religion, gender, staging, and form, engaging the play at the level of rhetorical analysis, textual history, character analysis, source analysis, stage and film history, and current performance. We will study contemporaneous dramas resembling The Merchant of Venice (e.g., Three Ladies of London, Jew of Malta, Othello). Throughout, we will consider the multiple attitudes towards Jewishness and Judaism implicit in the play, its performance history and its literary and cultural influence. Finally, we will study the literary legacy of The Merchant of Venice, from the early modern period up to our own times. The class should also give us an opportunity to enhance our skills in rhetorical analysis, writing, speaking, and research. 3 hrs. sem.
Subject:
Jewish Studies
Department:
Jewish Studies
Division:
Interdisciplinary
Requirements Fulfilled:
EUR LIT
Equivalent Courses:
ENAM 0458
ENGL 0458 *

Sections in Spring 2023, SA UGs Full Term

Spring 2023

JWST0458A-S23 Seminar (Berg)