Skip to main content Skip to local navigation

The Merchant of Venice (Retried)

Home » Addressing Anti-Black Racism » Recommended Readings & Films » The Merchant of Venice (Retried)

The Merchant of Venice (Retried)

Whether you’ve encountered his celebrated verse-dramas (such as Whylah Falls or Québécité) or the lush, animated language of his poetry, it is not difficult to recognize George Elliott Clarke’s affinity for the genius of William Shakespeare. In this new work, Clarke borrows brazenly from and rewrites (The Bard’s very own working method) one of Shakespeare’s most contentious comedies, The Merchant of Venice, reinvigorating a play that on many points seems “retrograde politically and retarding dramatically”. The result is a spectacle of swinging lyricism that casts Jewish Shylock not as the villain, but as the victim of the ingrained bigotry of the Venetian State.

About the Author

George Elliott Clarke is a poet, playwright and scholar born in Windsor, Nova Scotia.

Categories: