In The Merchant of Venice and Othello Shakespeare dramatizes underlying political and economic contradictions between an emerging modern capitalist city-state and the traditional feudal systems of medieval Europe. Both Shylock and Othello are cultural outsiders who are useful, even necessary, for the efficient functioning of Venice. But their protected status comes into conflict with a residual antisemitism and racism that undermines the progressive conditions—such as equal protection under the law, the validation of merit versus privilege, the rights of the individual, etc.—that Venice depended upon for its economic vitality. So, in these plays, written at the dawn of the era of modernity, Shakespeare explores tensions of race, class, religion and gender that are still very much with us 400 years later. This course will focus on these political issues while also attending to the aesthetic qualities of the plays. I will show clips from film adaptations of the plays, and I will structure the class with opportunities for small group discussions and the sharing of students’ reactions.

Suggested Reading:
Any edition of the plays is acceptable for our purposes, but I recommend the following paperback editions:

• The Merchant of Venice: Norton Critical Edition (9780393925296)
• Othello: Norton Critical Edition (ISBN: 978-0393264227)

Ron Strickland is a retired professor of English literature who lives in Great Barrington. After receiving his PhD from Syracuse University in 1987 he taught for 22 years at Illinois State University and for another 13 years at Michigan Technological University. He also taught as a Visiting Professor at Srinakharinwirot University in Bangkok, Thailand (2002) and as a Fulbright Scholar at Moldova State University in Chishinau, Moldova (2008). He is the author and editor of numerous essays, collections, and journal issues on pedagogical and curricular issues in literary and cultural studies. He is also the creator of more than 100 YouTube lectures on topics in literature and cultural theory. 

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