Is The Merchant of Venice a Comedy or a Tragicomedy?

Abstract

This essay aims at discussing some issues in the play The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare. Even though some may assume that the play is a comedy, the problem of its literary genre is a rather problematic issue today. Some critics debate its inclusion in the comedies, because it is not at all a funny play. The label ‘comedy’ did not suggest that it was a funny play in Shakespeare’s age. If some critics think that it is not a funny play, Shakespeare may have designed Shylock as a tragic character. In fact, the play’s effects of Shylock’s energy and tragic dimensions deeply influenced the audience in the moment when it was first staged. This essay first discusses the problem pathos and inwardness in Shylock’s speech. After that, it discusses the issue of literary genre and argues that it should be classified as a tragicomedy.