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Year 2012, Issue: 29, 123 - 129, 01.12.2012

Erdinç Parlak

Abstract

Çağdaş İngiliz Tiyatrosunda oyun yazarlarının çoğu yazarlık süreçlerinde Shakespeare’e meydan okuma yolunu seçmişlerdir. Shakespeare’in Venedik Taciri oyununu yeniden ele alan Arnold Wesker da bu oyun yazarlarındandır. Kendisi de yahudi olan Arnold Wesker Shakespeare’in oyunundaki Antonio ve Shylock arasındaki ilişkide insana özgü bir şeylerin olmadığına işaret eder. Oyunun karakterleri, borç para vermenin yasak ve günah olduğu Hıristiyan bir toplumda yaşarlar. Bu inanç sisteminin egemen olduğu toplumda kabul gören anlayış, bir şeyler üretmek yoluyla para kazanılmasıdır. Bu kişiler arasındaki ticaret kanunlar yoluyla düzenlenmeli ve her iki tarafın imzalayacağı bir anlaşma olmalıdır. Shakespeare’in oyununda taraflar herhangi bir anlaşma imzalama yoluna gitmez, bunun yerine borç para veren Shylock, borcunu zamanında ödememesi durumunda Antonio’nun vücudunun istediği bir yerinden bir miktar eti kesip alacaktır. Wesker ise Shakespeare’in oyununda Yahudilerin bu şekilde anılmasına karşı çıkar. Merchant oyununu, Yahudilerin Shakespeare’in Venedik Taciri’nde resmedildiği gibi olmadığını göstermek için yazar. Aynı zamanda Wesker, bu dönemde Venedik’te yaşamayan Shakespeare’in Yahudileri bu şekilde ele almasını onaylamaz. Bunu yapmakla Wesker ırk ve din ayrımcılığının sürdüğü sürece evrensel bir barıştan söz edilemeyeceğinin altını çizer.

Keywords

Arnold Wesker Çağdaş İngiliz Tiyatrosu The Merchant

References

  • Altindağ, Z. (2004). Rereading Shakespeare’s the Merchant of Venice and Richard II: Wesker’s The Merchant and Ionesco’s Exit the King. (Unpublished MA thesis) The Graduate School of Social Sciences of Middle East Technical University, Ankara.
  • Grady, H. (2000). Shakespeare and Modernity: Early Modern to Millennium. Florence, http://site.ebrary.com7lib7mgla7Doc?id=10035317&ppg=135
  • Innes, C. (1992). Modern British Drama 1890-1990. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Itzin, C (1980). Stages in Revolution: Political Theatre in Britain Since 1968. London: Methuen.
  • Leeming, G. (1983). Commentaries and Notes in A. Wesker’s The Merchant. London: Methuen (Methuen Student Editions).
  • Takkaç , M. (1994) . Arnold Wesker’ın Ütopik Dünyası.2 Basılmamış Doktora Tezi, Atatürk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Erzurum.
  • The Merchant of Venice in S. Wells and G. Taylor (General Editors). (1988). William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Wesker, A. ( 1983). The Merchant. London: Methuen (Methuen Student Editions)

ARNOLD WESKER'S THE MERCHANT: RE-READING OF SHAKESPEARE'S THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

Year 2012, Issue: 29, 123 - 129, 01.12.2012

Erdinç Parlak

Abstract

In the contemporary British drama, it is a common practice for playwrights to challenge Shakespeare in the course of their careers. Wesker is one of these playwrights who rewrote Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Being as a Jew, Wesker thinks that there are some inhuman aspects in relationships between Antonio and Shylock in Shakespeare’s play. Shylock is a Jewish money-lender in Venice. They are living in a Christian society where money-lending is considered as a sinful act. What is important in this belief system is that you must earn money by producing something. The trade between these people must be protected by law. The parties in trade must sign a bond. In Shakespeare’s play they do not sign a contact but the money-lender, Shylock, demands a pound of flesh from Antonio if he cannot pay three thousand ducats in due time. Through this contract he aims to take revenge from Antonio who belongs to a Christian community and mistreats him due to his position in the society. Wesker is against the way Jews were presented in Shakespeare’s play. He wrote The Merchant to show that the Jews are not the ones as presented in The Merchant of Venice. Wesker also thinks that the Jews did not deserve Shakespeare’s treatment as he was not acquainted with the life in Venice at that time. In this way he tries to stress the impossibility of establishing universal peace as long as racial and religious discrimination continue to exist in the world.

Keywords

Arnold Wesker contemporary English Theatre The Merchant Shakespeare The Merchant of Venice

References

  • Altindağ, Z. (2004). Rereading Shakespeare’s the Merchant of Venice and Richard II: Wesker’s The Merchant and Ionesco’s Exit the King. (Unpublished MA thesis) The Graduate School of Social Sciences of Middle East Technical University, Ankara.
  • Grady, H. (2000). Shakespeare and Modernity: Early Modern to Millennium. Florence, http://site.ebrary.com7lib7mgla7Doc?id=10035317&ppg=135
  • Innes, C. (1992). Modern British Drama 1890-1990. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Itzin, C (1980). Stages in Revolution: Political Theatre in Britain Since 1968. London: Methuen.
  • Leeming, G. (1983). Commentaries and Notes in A. Wesker’s The Merchant. London: Methuen (Methuen Student Editions).
  • Takkaç , M. (1994) . Arnold Wesker’ın Ütopik Dünyası.2 Basılmamış Doktora Tezi, Atatürk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Erzurum.
  • The Merchant of Venice in S. Wells and G. Taylor (General Editors). (1988). William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Wesker, A. ( 1983). The Merchant. London: Methuen (Methuen Student Editions)
There are 8 citations in total.

Details

Other ID JA52RC55ZS
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Erdinç Parlak This is me

Publication Date December 1, 2012
Published in Issue Year 2012 Issue: 29

Cite

APA Parlak, E. (2012). ARNOLD WESKER’S THE MERCHANT: RE-READING OF SHAKESPEARE’S THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. Muğla Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi(29), 123-129.
AMA Parlak E. ARNOLD WESKER’S THE MERCHANT: RE-READING OF SHAKESPEARE’S THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. İLKE. December 2012;(29):123-129.
Chicago Parlak, Erdinç. “ARNOLD WESKER’S THE MERCHANT: RE-READING OF SHAKESPEARE’S THE MERCHANT OF VENICE”. Muğla Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, no. 29 (December 2012): 123-29.
EndNote Parlak E (December 1, 2012) ARNOLD WESKER’S THE MERCHANT: RE-READING OF SHAKESPEARE’S THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. Muğla Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi 29 123–129.
IEEE E. Parlak, “ARNOLD WESKER’S THE MERCHANT: RE-READING OF SHAKESPEARE’S THE MERCHANT OF VENICE”, İLKE, no. 29, pp. 123–129, December 2012.
ISNAD Parlak, Erdinç. “ARNOLD WESKER’S THE MERCHANT: RE-READING OF SHAKESPEARE’S THE MERCHANT OF VENICE”. Muğla Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi 29 (December 2012), 123-129.
JAMA Parlak E. ARNOLD WESKER’S THE MERCHANT: RE-READING OF SHAKESPEARE’S THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. İLKE. 2012;:123–129.
MLA Parlak, Erdinç. “ARNOLD WESKER’S THE MERCHANT: RE-READING OF SHAKESPEARE’S THE MERCHANT OF VENICE”. Muğla Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, no. 29, 2012, pp. 123-9.
Vancouver Parlak E. ARNOLD WESKER’S THE MERCHANT: RE-READING OF SHAKESPEARE’S THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. İLKE. 2012(29):123-9.