Film Depictions of The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice is one of the greatest plays and works that was created by Shakespeare for performance on stage and because of this, it has remained exceedingly popular to the present day. When this play is made into movies, one will find that most of the scenes remain loyal to the original play since changing any aspect of the script within the movie would be detrimental to it. One of the most notable similarities between the play and the movie is the fact that some the characters in the play end up doing things that are ethically wrong, and despite having this knowledge, they tend to end up doing it because of the belief that they are within their rights. For the duration of the film, the director shows the reality of each of the characters in line with the play and he does this from the very beginning. In order to create a situation where there is a contrast of characters that leads the movie into its climax, the director of the movie chooses an appropriate time to reveal the original plot to the audience. But before the climax of the film, he uses the main characters’ personalities and other events to convince the audience that what they are viewing is the real plot of the film. By doing this, the director ensures that he maintains the element of surprise that will captivate his audience at the climax and this is almost exactly as Shakespeare did in his play and by being loyal to the script; the movie follows the same course of events as when it is performed on stage.

While the main plot of the play is retained in the movie, the latter does not completely remain loyal to the script as seen where the roles of some characters is diminished in favor of others. In most of the film versions of the play, one will notice that the roles of some of the minor characters are completely removed and that some of their lines are given to other characters. In a way, this is perhaps done with the intention of reducing the budget of making these films but by doing this, the directors of the movies being created end up watering down the original plot. The failure to constantly remain loyal to the script of the play and the removal of some characters shows that the film versions of the play are mainly concerned about making money and for entertainment. Loyal followers of the play tend not to take the film versions seriously because unlike when the play is performed on stage, the audience is not as involved. In fact, one would go as far as to state that the film depiction of the Merchant of Venice is one which makes its loyal audience to feel isolated and not as a part of the development of the plot. This isolation or detachment can be considered to be a failure of the film version of the play, and the directors of future movie depictions need to do more to ensure that their movies are absolutely loyal to the original script.

While, as stated above, the movie depictions of the play tend not to completely follow the original script, it is a fact that many of the main themes within the play are displayed. The theme of racism, for example, is as prevalent within the movie as it is within the play and this creates a lot of tension in the movie as it would if performed on stage. Both the stage and film versions of the play display a setting where Christians were most distrustful of those who practiced Judaism and this is manifested in diverse ways throughout these depictions, especially through the depictions made of the Shylock, the main Jewish character. In both of depictions, Shylock is displayed as an evil, greedy, and vengeful man whose main aim throughout the play is not only to seek revenge but also to maximize the profits of his business as much as possible. In addition, the fact that in the Venice of the Middle Ages, women were considered to be secondary citizens is also shown as seen when Portia has to dress and act as a male lawyer in order to get to defend her fiancée. In essence, both versions of the play are performed in such a way that they are able to show the importance of women in society and the need to ensure that they are not left in the background, as is the case in the play.

The movie version of the play can be seen to have been made with the play in thought especially when it comes to the physical appearance of the characters. In both the film and plays, the characters seem to be selected from those people who are similar in appearance. The directors of these representations remain loyal to the original script to the latter, with the appearance of the characters being as described in the original script. This gives the audience the opportunity to appreciate the various characters within the play and film and to identify with them in a more intimate way than if their appearance were changed. In addition, there is the potential that the most loyal fans of the play on stage are attracted to the film version not only because it remains loyal to the original script, but also because the appearance of the characters remains the same. It can therefore be said that the movie depictions of the play are a major success because they ensure that there is a sense of continuity from the original play and this enables the latter to continue in popularity as it has for the last four centuries. It can be concluded that there are more successes than failures when it comes to the depiction of the play in film because not only the script but also the depiction of the characters has remained loyal to that envisioned by Shakespeare.