Travelling through the narrative of the Merchant of Venice, this session sees our actors give powerful and memorable performances of key scenes and speeches that specifically give insight into the anomalies and paradoxes in human behaviour.
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We explore the heated debate surrounding one of Shakespeare’s most controversial plays: is the play in and of itself anti-Semitic, or rather if it is about what it is to be anti-Semitic and, indeed, about racism in general. The characters of Shylock, Antonio, Portia and more are put under the microscope in order to investigate their motivations and grievances and to dissect the actions they undertake in the play.

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• Racial Prejudice
• The Cyclical Nature of Hatred
• Self-Interest and Commodity
• The Law
• Mercy and Justice
• Usury
• Shakespeare’s language styles and how they inform character and drive the story