The Merchant of Venice know not why I am so sad" – and utter devotion to Bassanio has led some critics to theorise that he is suffering from unrequited love for Bassanio and is depressed because Bassanio is coming to an age where he will marry a woman. In his plays and poetry Shakespeare often depicted strong male bonds of varying homosociality, which has led some critics to infer that Bassanio returns Antonio's affections despite his obligation to marry: In his essay "Brothers and Others", published in "The Dyer's Hand," W. H. Auden describes Antonio as "a man whose emotional life, though his conduct
Royal Shakespeare Company for the new Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatre stages. The 2011-season began with performances of "Macbeth" and a re-imagined lost play "The History of Cardenio". The fiftieth birthday season also featured "The Merchant of Venice" with Sir Patrick Stewart and revivals of some of the RSC's greatest plays, including a new staging of "Marat/Sade". For the London 2012 Festival as part of the Cultural Olympiad, the RSC produced the "World Shakespeare Festival", featuring artists from across the world performing in venues around the UK. In 2013 the company began live screenings of its Shakespeare productions – called Live from Stratford-upon-Avon