Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Acknowledgments ix
4. Prologue: Language as Gesture 1
5. Part One. Mercifixion in The Merchant of Venice: The Riches of Embarrassment
6. Introduction 19
7. 1. Negotiating the Bond 21
8. 2. Antonio’s Blues 23
9. 3. Curiositas: The Two Sallies 26
10. 4. Negative Usury and the Arts of Embarrassment 28
11. 5. Negative Usury: Portia’s Ring Trick 30
12. 6. Portia the Embarrasser 32
13. 7. The Archery of Embarrassment 36
14. 8. The First Jason 41
15. 9. A Note on Verse and Prose in Act I 44
16. 10. Another Jason 50
17. 11. Portia Cheating 51
18. 12. Portia’s Hair 55
19. 13. The Siege of Belmont 13. The Siege of Belmont 56
20. 14. Covinous Casketeers 59
21. 15. Moonlit Maundering 62
22. 16. Coigns of Vantage 67
23. 17. Standing for Judgment 69
24. 18. Standing for Sacrifice 73
25. 19. “Here is the money”: Bassanio in the Bond Market 76
26. 20. Twilight in Belmont: Portia’s Ring Cycle 77
27. 21. Death in Venice 79
28. Part Two. Three’s Company: Contaminated Intimacy in Othello
29. 22. Prehistory in Othello 87
30. 23. Othello’s Embarrassment in 1.2 and 1.3 100
31. 24. Desdemona on Cyprus: Act 2 Scene 1 109
32. 25. The Proclamation Scenes: Act 2 Scenes 2 and 3 119
33. 26. Dark Triangles in 3.3 129
34. 27. Desdemona’s Greedy Ear 141
35. 28. Impertinent Trifling: Desdemona’s Handkerchief 149
36. 29. On the Emilian Trail 169
37. 30. Iago’s Soliloquies 183
38. 31. Othello’s Infidelity 201
39. 32. The Fury in Their Words 212