The Merchant: Play by Arnold Wesker

Arnold Wesker Modern drama / Shakespeare rewriting Play

Summary

Arnold Wesker's play The Merchant is a contemporary reimagining of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, focusing on the deep friendship between Shylock and Antonio, who challenge Venetian laws that enforce harsh distinctions between Jews and Christians. Unlike Shakespeare's portrayal, Wesker presents Shylock as a tragic figure bound by oppressive legal and social structures but also capable of genuine friendship, highlighting themes of tolerance and shared humanity. The play critiques historical antisemitism and legal cruelty through a poignant, modern lens, using the original plot’s pound of flesh clause as a symbol of injustice and loss.

Contexts & frameworks

Arnold Wesker's The Merchant engages deeply with the themes of Shakespeare's original work, offering a fresh lens on the story while highlighting the struggles of its characters. By focusing on the societal and legal frameworks of the time, Wesker creates a rich backdrop that informs the characters' actions and the play's central conflicts.

Reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s Theme

Arnold Wesker’s The Merchant revisits Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice by centering on Shylock, the Jewish moneylender, turning him into a tragic figure symbolizing loss of tolerance and humanity. Wesker critiques the antisemitism embedded in the original play and highlights the damaging effects of oppressive laws on Jewish identity and friendship, notably through the bond of a pound of flesh seen as an absurd legal device. This retelling amplifies Shylock’s plight while maintaining his dignity.

Wesker places the story in Venetian society under rigid laws that discriminate against Jews, particularly the mandate that Jewish loans to Christians must be publicly documented. This framework exposes the absurdity and cruelty of such laws, illustrated by the bond involving a pound of flesh as collateral. Shylock and Antonio’s friendship is tested by these institutional constraints, revealing themes of prejudice, friendship, and legal rigidity. The play interrogates Christian antisemitism directly, with courtroom scenes that critique rather than romanticize characters’ biases. Wesker’s adaptation thus explores the entrapment of the individual within unjust social systems and reexamines humanity in the face of such exclusion.

Theatrical Context and Reception

The Merchant premiered in 1976, with Wesker responding to a 1973 Laurence Olivier performance of the Shakespeare original. His play shifts focus to Shylock’s experience, portraying him with complexity and sympathy. The 1977 Broadway production, starring Zero Mostel, faced difficulties including Mostel’s illness and death, resulting in a short run and financial loss. Despite this, Wesker’s play is recognized for challenging Shakespearean tradition by addressing modern themes of social justice, prejudice, and human dignity, inviting audiences to reconsider a canonical text through contemporary ethical perspectives.

Themes and questions

The Merchant by Arnold Wesker explores deep themes that resonate with both historical and contemporary issues. Through its characters and conflicts, the play raises important questions about identity, justice, and the impact of prejudice.

Key themes

Anti-Semitism is critically examined, exposing prejudice ingrained in society.
Friendship and betrayal between Shylock and Antonio are reimagined and complicated.
Justice versus mercy explores legal rigidity versus human compassion.
Humanity and identity show Shylock’s struggle as both victim and individual.
Historical context grounds the story in Jewish suffering and social realities.
Loss and exile highlight Shylock’s tragic isolation and cultural displacement.

Motifs & problems

Recurring motifs include the legal bond and its pound of flesh clause, symbolizing oppressive laws and harsh justice. The loss of Shylock’s books and exile signifies the destruction of culture and identity. Wesker incorporates music and song, such as the Sephardic lament, conveying grief and tragedy. A key ambiguity lies in Shylock’s complex character—both a victim of anti-Semitism and, paradoxically, an agent enforcing cruel legal terms—raising questions about justice, humanity, and the cost of societal prejudice.

Study questions

How does Wesker’s portrayal of Shylock challenge Shakespeare’s original character?
In what ways does friendship between Shylock and Antonio complicate the narrative?
What does the pound of flesh contract symbolize about law and justice?
How is anti-Semitism depicted and critiqued in the play?
What role do loss and exile play in Shylock’s story?
How does Wesker use music and symbolic objects to enrich themes?
What questions about identity and humanity does Shylock’s character raise?
How does the play reflect on historical and contemporary social issues?

Interpretation, close reading & resources

In examining Arnold Wesker’s The Merchant, various critical approaches reveal the depth of his reinterpretation of the classic narrative. Scholars engage in lively debates over the implications of his modern language and character dynamics, particularly regarding Shylock's portrayal and the representation of women in the play.

Critical approaches & debates

Arnold Wesker’s The Merchant is widely analyzed through historical, Marxist, and postcolonial lenses. Critics focus on his reinterpretation of Shylock, portraying him not as Shakespeare’s bitter adversary but as a complex, humane figure shaped by socio-economic conditions and anti-Semitism. Feminist readings also highlight the empowered roles of Jessica and Portia as "New women," challenging traditional gender roles. Debate persists over Wesker’s modernized language and structural changes, with some viewing this as diluting Shakespeare’s drama and others praising its historical grounding. Disagreement also arises on Shylock’s characterization—whether Wesker’s portrayal is sufficiently dramatic or too conciliatory.

Key passages

A central passage is the reimagined court scene where Shylock’s demand for his “pound of flesh” is legally challenged. Wesker positions this as a climax to explore Shylock’s motivations and his complex friendship with Antonio, revealing themes of justice, mercy, and communal identity. The scene’s tension arises from legalistic language and dramatic irony, underscoring the clash between personal grievance and state law, which redefines Shylock’s character from Shakespeare’s version.

Bibliography

Wesker, Arnold. The Merchant. Methuen Drama, 1976. Key primary text with radical adaptation.
Jacobson, Howard. Shylock Is My Name. 2016. Novel exploring Shylock’s legacy.
Alter, Robert. "Shylock’s Legacy: Historical and Humanistic Perspectives," Modern Drama, 1988.
Sicher, Efraim. Beyond Marginality: Anglo-Jewish Literature in the Twentieth Century, 1985.