Shakespeare - The Merchant of Venice - performance analysis

Performance analysis

There are many different ways to interpret and perform Shakespeare’s plays. Watch the videos and decide how you would perform the three scenes from The Merchant of Venice.

Scenes to explore

The Merchant of Venice is a comedy with some very dark and serious undertones. In Shakespeare’s day, the stage would have been bare, the props few, and the lighting would depend upon the weather. Theatres were open air and the plays were held in daylight.

Nowadays, Shakespeare’s plays are interpreted in many different ways on stage and screen. Directors and their production teams make choices on how they want to stage the play and how the characters will deliver their lines. The decisions they make can often change how the audience think and feel about the play and the characters in it.

Let’s look at three scenes and explore the possibilities for an exciting and unforgettable performance of The Merchant of Venice.

Act 1 Scene 2 - Casting Portia
Act 4 Scene 1 - Rehearsing the court scene
Act 5 Scene 1 - Staging Portia’s reveal

Act 1 Scene 2 – Casting Portia

When you read Act 1 Scene 2, how do you imagine Portia? Is she strong willed and witty or is she quiet as a mouse? In Shakespeare’s time, a male actor would play the role of a female character. Is it best to stick with tradition?

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‘The Merchant of Venice' - How do you imagine Portia?

This video shows a group of actors auditioning to play the part of Portia. As you watch, consider the following:

how the audience react to these different interpretations of Portia
whether the character should be played by a man or a woman
how other characters in the play would interact with Portia

Act 4 Scene 1 – Rehearsing the court scene

In Act 4 Scene 1, Shylock is in court demanding his pound of flesh from Antonio. Portia arrives, disguised as a young male lawyer. She presents a case for mercy, then when Shylock refuses, she insists that the law is followed to the letter and that he takes his pound of flesh from Antonio.

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‘The Merchant of Venice' - How would you rehearse the court scene?

In this video a group of actors are rehearsing this scene and the director is trying out different ways to perform it. As you watch, consider the following:

how Shylock would react to Portia’s speech
how Portia would be so convincingly disguised as to fool even Bassanio
whether the speech should be delivered in a serious or funny way

Act 5 Scene 1 – Staging Portia’s reveal

In the final scene of the play, Portia reveals to Bassanio that she was in fact the lawyer, Balthazar. Does this scene need lots of clothing and makeup or is it up to the audience to use their imagination? There are many possibilities for a director to consider.