Of Metals and Men: Kofman, Conversion and The Merchant of Venice

Mindful that philosophy is for Kofman always sublated ( relevé) by literature and psychoanalysis, this essay examines Kofman's rarely discussed text ‘Conversions: The Merchant of Venice under the Sign Saturn’ (1987) in light themes from elsewhere her work. Typical method, Conversions a richly philosophical reading psychoanalytic interpretation literary text. It also most sustained engagement with Shakespeare. In study she builds on earlier interest trope metaphor and, drawing Freud's Shakespeare's play, derives generalized theory convertibility or ambivalence. Where play seeks to establish symbolic equivalences between men metals — triads Antonio/Bassano/Shylock lead/gold/silver three caskets analysis focuses instead their respective Janus faces alchemical transmutations. Beneath explicit thematizations follows Freud discerning interconvertibility love death, but goes beyond arguing its condition possibility structural ambivalence time itself.