व्हेनिसनगरचा व्यापारी- उपोद्घात. ७३ ने पर सांगितलेल्या कथानकांची त्यांत इतकी भर घातली आहे कीं, त्यामुळे सदर कथानकास फारच मनोवेधकता आली आहे. वस्तुतः कांहींएक चमत्कारिक गोष्ट किंवा कथानक घेऊन ति च्यावर नाटक रचण्याचा कवींचा प्रघात आहे. अर्थात एका नाट- कांत सामान्यतः एकच गोष्ट किंवा कथानक ग्रथित केलेले 'प्रस्तुत नाटक या कवीच्या सुखपर्यवसायी नाटकांमध्ये सर्वोत्कृ- टांपैकी एक आहे. याची प्रशंसा कितीही केली तरी थोडीच आहे.त- थापि पाश्चमात्य विद्वानांचे याविषयी अभिप्राय काय आहेत ते वाचकांस कळावे यासाठी त्यांतून कांही येथे देतों. "Of The Merchant of Venise the style is even and easy, with few peculiarities of diction, or anomalies. of construction, The comic part raises langhter, and the serious fixes expectation. The probability of either the one or the other story cannot he maintained. The union of two actions in one events is, in this drama, eminently happy." DR. JOHNSON. “It is prochigally full of poetry; passages of the most exalted beauty are scattered evey where with the wanton profusion of a genius that was ever full, and feared no exhaustion, " HALLIwell. "The Merchant of Venice is generally esteemed the best of Shakespeare's comedies ...... In the management of the plot which is sufficiently complex without the slightest confusion or incoherence, I do not conceive that it has. been surpassed in the annals of any theatre. The variety of characteristis in The Merchant of Venice, and the powerful delineation of those upon whom the interest chiefly depends; the effectiveness of any scenes in the representation; the copiousness of the wit and the beauty of the language, it would be superfluous to extol; nor is it our office to repeat a tale so often told as the praise of Shakespeare. " HALLAM.
