Bonds: a Theory of Appropriation for Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" Realized in Film

This work re-names and re-defines the process of film adaptation by presenting a theory of appropriation realized in film. The theoretical formulation proposed is further developed and illustrated in its application to William Shakespeare?s The Merchant of Venice. The theory of appropriation realized in film is elaborated through interdisciplinary and intertextual approaches. Aiming for the achievement of a contemporary film, for a specific contemporary audience, the theory focuses on the particularities of the film medium and the historical and cultural conditions determining the realization. It is important for this theoretical proposal to emphasize that the reality informing the contemporary process is inherently distinct from the reality informing the material appropriated.