SOURCE: Fleissner, R. F. “Death in [The Merchant of] Venice.” Germanic Notes and Reviews 28, no. 1 (spring 1997): 11-15.

In the following essay, Fleissner considers the influence of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice on Death in Venice.

To what extent was Thomas Mann inspired by no less than Shakespeare in writing his most famous novella, Der Tod in Venedig? That he was somewhat under such histrionic influence elsewhere can scarcely be questioned, but, to my knowledge, a serious case has not yet been made concerning such a debt here. Still, a position might be taken in favor of at least indirect influence of The Merchant of Venice (and not merely titularly with the Venetian ending, though that would also constitute a factor), owing to the relative proximity of his comments on the play and the composition of his own story.

The leading, or most provocative, piece of evidence is thematic...