Merchant of Venice


I and my grade 10's are watching Pacino's Merchant of Venice. Wow, what a tough film to do well (as a comedy?!). The court scene is so riveting/emotional and then you have to follow that up with this light comic banter about the rings.


But the bard knew what he was up to, I guess. Jessica is conspicuously silent during Act 5. I'd love to know how Shakespeare would have directed his actor to play the Jessica character during Act 5...


A Stratford production I saw once had Antonio and Jessica left alone on opposite sides of the stage with their letters. They look up from their reading, glare at each other and exit. .. In the Pacino version... I forget... but I'm watching it now...
Okay, here it comes: very brief few seconds with Jessica and Lancelot looking at each other uncomfortably/almost guiltily. And -- tellingly -- the last 2 scenes are (1) Shylock being literally shut out of his synagogue and (2) Jessica fingering her turquoise which, rumour had it, she had traded for a monkey. And she's watching, what? A couple of Venetian dudes in boats shooting fish with arrows? I'd like someone to explain that to me.

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