The Merchant of Venice as a Tragicomedy

摘要

The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, does not fit the conventional definitions of a tragedy or a comedy. It is categorized as a comedy, although one of the two distinct plotlines is a tragedy. This play is multi-faceted and is really a combination of two plays in one. The Merchant of Venice is a valuable learning experience. The comparison of comedy and tragedy can be observed in one play. The two plots, the one involving Portia and her marriage to Bassanio (comedy) and the plot involving Antonio and Shylock (tragedy) are interwoven into a rich tapestry of ideas, character study, and poetry. So many subjects can be discovered in this play: literature, drama, psychology, sociology, geography, economics, law, art, music, and ethical values. To those who can see Shylock as neither an entire villain nor a hero, but a gifted man whose fanatical hatred makes him his own worst enemy until he is saved from himself, The Merchant of Venice is no tragedy. To those who can view the play from the point of view of the wise, realistic and compassionate heroine, it is one of Shakespeare’s most beautiful and most significant comedies. (Myrick, xxxviii ).