Introduction

The Merchant of Venice, by Elizabethan playwright William Shakespeare, ranks among the most popular and frequently performed of the Bard's thirty-seven plays. Because of its presentation of a single character—Shylock, a Jewish moneylender—it is also his most controversial. In Shylock, Shakespeare created one of the most memorable, timeless characters in theatrical history, a dramatic figure so important that he has become a milestone role in the careers of mature actors. By pitting Shylock against a play full of Christians, Shakespeare also created a remarkable dramatic vehicle for exploring issues of race, religion, and prejudice.

The play likely dates from 1596 or 1597 and is one of what critics call Shakespeare's "great" or "middle" comedies, which he wrote during a fruitful period from roughly 1596 to 1601, a group of plays including works such as A...