The Merchant of Venice - Act I
Poetry Showcase
Volume 2, Issue 7
June 14
Prefatory Remarks
The Title
The Merchant of Venice is a somewhat strange title for this play considering that the merchant, Antonio, has a relatively small part. It has been originally known as:
The Comical Historie of the Merchant of Venice, or Otherwise Called the Jew of Venice.
and
The most excellent Historie of the Merchant of Venice with the extreame crueltie of Shylock the Jewe towards the sayd Merchant, in cutting a just pound of his fleshe and the obtayning of Portia by the choyse of three chests.
The latter being more descriptive for the theater-goers, because they wanted to know if the entry fee was worth it. One might be tempted to say that they were discerning people. What follows is Act I, the remaining acts will be posted later.