The Merchant of Venice & The Taming of the Shrew & Troilus and Cressida (The Shakespeare Novels)

The Merchant of Venice The Novel Two provocative love stories, both of which lend themselves to controversial interpretation, from very bitter disapprobation to enthusiastic approval. Jessica’s caught in a heart-breaking dilemma of breaking faith with her forefathers to marry the man of her choice. Portia must marry not just according to the dictates of a powerful father, but of a father ruling her future from the grave. And of course there is Shylock, whose complex character only a Shakespeare could create, trapped by his own slyness and the cruel dictates of a rigid society. The Taming of the Shrew The Novel After charming audiences for four hundred years, Taming still has today’s playgoers laughing out loud. The course of true love never did run smooth, but here it runs the most ridiculous course ever! While its implied advice should be taken to heart, when did the young ever listen to their elders, especially someone born in 1563. Fun, laughter, and sound advice, what more can anyone want? Troilus and Cressida The Novel. T & C, simply put, is a story of pandered lust, of lovers ripped apart at the height of their ecstacy. Can we categorize their story as one of “star-crossed” lovers? They are young, in the midst of a terrible war, where there may be no tomorrows. Can either lover really be condemned? Is “false as Cressid” fair? Like The Iliad, an unforgettable slice of the Trojan War.