Auden, W.H. "Brothers and Others." "The Dyer's Hand" and Other Essays. New York: Random House, 1948. In a casual but seminal essay on the play, Auden calls The Merchant of Venice one of Shakespeare's "Unpleasant Plays." The presence of Antonio and Shylock disrupts the unambiguous fairy-tale world of romantic comedy, reminding us that the utopian qualities of Belmont are illusory: "in the real world, no hatred is totally without justification, no love totally innocent." Auden's …showed first 75 words of 1447 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1447 total…The lovers have all sacrificed an element of their innocence to love, which is the core of their euphoria. As a whole, this play may be seen as a comedy. However, as Shylock's predicament would imply, it would be a tragedy from the point of view of the Jews. Perhaps, with the drawing of the curtains, a silent fire still rages with petty hatred, with Shylock's firm justifications that he has been wronged, yet again.