auden's dystopia - the merchant of venice is far from perfect

Auden, W.H. "Brothers and Others." "The Dyer's Hand" and Other Essays. New York: Random House, 1948. In a casual but seminal essay on the play, Auden calls The Merchant of Venice one of Shakespeare's "Unpleasant Plays." The presence of Antonio and Shylock disrupts the unambiguous fairy-tale world of romantic comedy, reminding us that the utopian qualities of Belmont are illusory: "in the real world, no hatred is totally without justification, no love totally innocent." Auden's …

…The lovers have all sacrificed an element of their innocence to love, which is the core of their euphoria. As a whole, this play may be seen as a comedy. However, as Shylock's predicament would imply, it would be a tragedy from the point of view of the Jews. Perhaps, with the drawing of the curtains, a silent fire still rages with petty hatred, with Shylock's firm justifications that he has been wronged, yet again.