The Merchant of Venice vs Twelfth Night, or What You Will: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Juvenile drama, Problems, History and criticism, English literature, Drama, Fiction
The Merchant of Venice
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In this lively comedy of love and money in sixteenth-century Venice, Bassanio wants to impress the wealthy heiress Portia but lacks the necessary funds. He turns to his merchant friend, Antonio, who is forced to borrow…
Twelfth Night, or What You Will
“If music be the food of love, play on;”
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Presents the original text of Shakespeare's play side by side with a modern version, with discussion questions, role-playing scenarios, and other study activities.
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Merchant of Venice has the widest readership — 206966 ratings behind its score.
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Scores by source
| The Merchant of Venice | Twelfth Night, or What You Will | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.8 (206966) | 4.0 (198095) |
| Hardcover | 3.7 (252) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (106) | — |
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Reception
| The Merchant of Venice | Twelfth Night, or What You Will | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 206966 | 198095 |
| Editions | 818 | 687 |
| Citations | — | 11 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 8 | 79647 |
| Written reviews | 5 | 7670 |
| Wikipedia attention | 28995 | 37607 |
| Pages | 105 | 96 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Merchant of Venice or Twelfth Night, or What You Will?
Twelfth Night, or What You Will has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Twelfth Night, or What You Will 4.0/5, The Merchant of Venice 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Merchant of Venice or Twelfth Night, or What You Will?
Twelfth Night, or What You Will is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Twelfth Night, or What You Will (96 pages, ≈ 1 h 47 m); The Merchant of Venice (105 pages, ≈ 1 h 57 m).
Which is harder to read: The Merchant of Venice or Twelfth Night, or What You Will?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Merchant of Venice: Demanding; Twelfth Night, or What You Will: Demanding.
Have both books been made into films?
The Merchant of Venice: 5 film adaptations; Twelfth Night, or What You Will: 5 film adaptations.