Tyler

I agree that this play really didn't stand out (save Iago's character). In a lot of Shakespeare's plays, the long monologues give a lot of insight towards not only their character, but also the world around them. In this sense, it allows the audience to get a glimpse into the entire vast world within the play. And I really hope that this isn't a relevant work today, with all of the death and destruction that occurs. Iago just wants to cause trouble and watch societal relationships self-destruct, which I would like to think isn't that common today...

Iago did have a lot of influence on everyone, more than any other antagonist in the Shakespearian world, and for that, I have to respect Iago for the things he could do. Whether they were morally right is a different discussion. I also just think Desdemona was enamored with Othello's war record and that was why they married, and back then, you couldn't really get a divorce without special permission from the church, which wasn't given that often

There was so much unnecessary banter, but I guess that was Richard's strong point, as he used banter to control people, such as Lady Anne. This being Richard's strong point just makes for a dry play. It's like having a superhero movie about a person whose superpower is verbal manipulation and persuasion: it's a good power, but a dry movie.

I agree, incredibly dry play and the interaction with Lady Anne literally made me yell out loud at his nastiness lol

ME TOO! made me want to chew bricks man. 

This play could have been better, it was just frustrating at times, such as when Lady Anne married Richard, even though he killed her previous husband not that long before. I did enjoy the part where Prince Edward suspected Richard of everything, even though he was just a young boy. It was like a verbal joust.

I could see how Shylock could be your favorite character. His contrast in beliefs and values from all of the other characters create a tension almost like bubble wrap, in the sense that you just want to go over there and pop it. It was also funny to see Shylock fall apart at the end of the trial, and from a dispute as trivial as Shylock v. Antonio, Shylock lock half of his estate. I found that humorously ironic, as Shylock cared more about wealth than Antonio did.

I agree that Portia was a great character. There really wasn’t anything negative about her. I was surprised at the religious tensions on both the Christian and Jewish side. I think that the rings symbolized a promise to the person they loved.

I also agree with Portia being a great character. Out of all of the other characters, she proved to be the most smart and resourceful. The only part I didn't like with her was the part where she tricked Bassanio into giving her the ring, while disguised as the man of law. That really didn't add any value to the play, either. Although they both gave up their rings, they swore to never do it again, and what they gave it up for was a noble cause. The religious tensions were interesting, mainly because Antonio forced Shylock to convert. How does someone tell another what to truly believe in?