Jessica (The Merchant of Venice) usually extend and deepen existing dramatic conventions, and Jessica must be seen in a context of classical and Elizabethan conventions for such characters. Slights highlights comedies where children rebel against a miserly father, or romances where daughters defy a repressive father for love. These conventions would be familiar for both Shakespeare and an Elizabethan theatre audience, and, indeed, modern audiences tend to accept Jessica's actions as natural within the context of the plot. Her escape from Shylock's repressive household to Belmont a quest for freedom, and from misfortune to happiness. This view is supported by John Russell-Brown, the editor of
Morris S. Levy Morris S. Levy Morris S. Levy is a film, television, and theatrical producer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Great Neck, NY. He is the founder and President of M.E.G.A. Films (Morsly Entertainment Group and the Arts), a New York based production company. He often films in Great Neck as well as all over the New York City area. His films have appeared in the Sundance Film Festival ("The Ten"-starring Paul Rudd, Winona Ryder, Jessica Alba and Liev Schreiber), the Cannes Film Festival ("Seduced and Abandoned"-starring Alec Baldwin, Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain), and the Tribeca Film